Join author Theo Heras and illustrator Alice Carter on Saturday, December 14th at Dovercourt Recreation Centre to celebrate the publication of their picture books My Puppy Patch and Our New Kittens!
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/581081075963060/
Pajama Press is excited to announce that two of our titles have been nominated for the 2020 Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading® Awards.
Giraffe and Bird Together Again, written and illustrated by Rebecca Bender, is a nominee for the Blue Spruce Award.
And Too Young to Escape: A Vietnamese Girl Waits to be Reunited with Her Family, written by Van Ho and Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, is a nominee for the Yellow Cedar Award.
Click here to see the full list of award nominees.
The Forest of Reading® is an initiative of the Ontario Library Association (OLA) that helps celebrate Canadian books, publishers, authors and illustrators and promotes a love of reading among Ontario students. Every year, over 270,000 participants read a shortlist of books in their age category and vote for their favourites. Learn more at: www.accessola.org
Pajama Press extends our congratulations to Rebecca Bender, Van Ho, and Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, as well as their fellow nominees. Our sincerest thanks go to the Ontario Library Association for promoting reading and Canadian books through this outstanding program. We also gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Book Fund for our publishing program.
For further information, or to request an interview with any of our authors or illustrators, please contact:
Laura Bowman, Publicity
publicity@pajamapress.ca
Pajama Press is thrilled to announce that Girl of the Southern Sea by Michelle Kadarusman is a finalist for the 2019 Governor General’s Literary Awards in the category of Young People’s Literature – Text.
Michelle has been crafting her novels under the expertise of our cherished Senior Editor, Ann Featherstone, at Pajama Press since 2017. Michelle’s debut novel, The Theory of Hummingbirds, received high literary acclaim and was nominated for the 2019 Silver Birch Award, the 2019 MYRCA Sundogs Award, and the 2018 SYRCA Diamond Willow Award. Girl of the Southern Sea was published in May of this year and has received unanimously positive reviews from literary journals. The Booklist review cites, “In spare and elegant prose, Kadarusman weaves a quiet tale of survival, grit, and integrity.” Pajama Press is delighted to see Michelle’s writing earn such a high distinction with this new nomination for the 2019 Governor General’s Literary Award.
Michelle will be donating a portion of her royalties from Girl of the Southern Sea in support of Plan International Canada’s Because I Am A Girl campaign, and Pajama Press will match her donation. Learn more about Plan International Canada at: https://plancanada.ca
The Governor General’s Literary Awards are the oldest and most prestigious national literary awards in Canada. Founded in 1936, the awards span over seven categories in both English and French and acknowledge the best 70 books to be published in Canada in 2019. More information and the full list of finalists can be found here: https://canadacouncil.ca/press/2019/10/ggbooks-2019-finalists.
Pajama Press extends our heartfelt congratulations to Michelle Kadarusman, her fellow nominees, and their publishers. Our sincerest thanks go to the Canada Council for the Arts for their dedication to high-quality Canadian literature for people of all ages and for their continued support of Canadian authors and illustrators. We also acknowledge the support of the Canada Book Fund, the Ontario Arts Council, and Ontario Creates for our publishing program.
For further information, or to request an interview with Michelle Kadarusman, please contact:
Laura Bowman, Publicity
publicity@pajamapress.ca
Pajama Press is seeking an administrative intern for a placement of 4–5 months. An honorarium will be provided.
Pajama Press is an independent Canadian publisher of award-winning literary children’s books. Our interns receive one-on-one, personalized training throughout their placement and have an extremely high rate of post-internship employment, either at Pajama Press or at other companies in the industry. We are always happy to support and encourage our interns’ development in their areas of strength beyond the initial job description.
Qualifications:
Duties:
Pajama Press welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds and with various physical abilities. Physical requirements of the job include navigating a single step at the building entrance, stooping to access filing cabinets, and handling packages containing multiple books.
Applicants should email erinalladin@pajamapress.ca with a cover letter and résumé saved as attachments. Please include your full name in the attachment’s file name.
Applications will be accepted until September 10, 2019. Applicants for whom we wish to schedule an interview will be contacted by September 16, 2019.
“Brief biographies of 52 intrepid women, spanning the globe and all centuries, are flanked by large, full-color illustrations and by maps that show the women’s adventuring sites….The artwork, reminiscent of art deco travel posters, is a gorgeous complement to the eclectic curation. The biographies are written in a conversational style, often including a short quote from the subject….An exciting labor of love—for kids of all gender identities. (Collective biography. 8-12)” ★
Click here to read the full review
Limited quantities of her latest novel, Girl of the Southern Sea, will be autographed and given away at ALA Annual! Find Michelle at the following times in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center:
Saturday, June 22 at 2:00pm — Publisher’s Spotlight Booth #1256
Sunday, June 23 at 11:00am — Ingram Publisher Services Booth #2213
Some reviews for Girl of the Southern Sea:
“A gripping, emotional realistic novel describing the grim realities of growing up in Indonesian poverty….VERDICT A riveting read featuring a determined and talented teenager.”—School Library Journal
“In spare and elegant prose, Kadarusman weaves a quiet tale of survival, grit, and integrity….Peppered throughout are stories that Nia crafts, based on Indonesian legends about the princess of the Southern Sea. With nuanced characters, this is a lovely gem for fans of irrepressible girls and contemporary stories set outside of the U.S.”—Booklist
“Punctuating Nia’s thoughtful, present-tense narration with her stories about Dewi, Kadarusman effectively weaves a gentle tale of love and loss and illuminates the power of storytelling. A thought-provoking peek into a culture deserving of more attention in North America.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A stark setting combines with striking characters…The novel does not offer simple solutions but instead wraps up Nia’s story in a way that demonstrates her willingness and ability to stand up for herself. Girl of the Southern Sea is an uplifting novel about hope and the power of storytelling.”—Foreword Reviews
The first review is in for Lili Macaroni, and we are very delighted to receive a ★ Starred Review ★ from Kirkus Reviews to start things off.
“Self-confidence is hard to come by when classmates make fun of the things that make Lili Macaroni herself….Boulanger’s changing perspectives and use of shadows to stand in for other kids’ teasing set the mood, Lili’s exuberant brightness changing to more somber tones with her sadness. Lili and her family are white; there is one black classmate. From Québec, a wonderfully empowering message to be yourself, with a strategy to ease heartache added for good measure.”
Click here to read the full review
Pajama Press is thrilled to announce that we have two winning books on the 15th Annual 2019 Green Earth Book Awards list.
The Flooded Earth by Mardi McConnochie is the winner of the award in the Children’s Fiction category.
And Bat Citizens: Defending the Ninjas of the Night by Rob Laidlaw is the Honor Book for the Children’s Nonfiction category.
The Green Earth Book Award was founded in 2005 by the environmental non-profit group The Nature Generation. The mission of the award is “to draw attention to the authors and illustrators whose books best inspire youth to grow a deeper appreciation, respect, and responsibility for their natural environment.” Learn more at www.natgen.org/green-earth-book-awards/.
Pajama Press extends our congratulations to Mardi McConnochie and Rob Laidlaw. Our sincerest thanks go to The Nature Generation for their dedication to inspiring environmental stewardship in young people and for their support of the authors and illustrators who strive to do the same.
Before You Were Born will be hitting shelves in a few short weeks—just in time for Mother’s Day—and to celebrate, author Deborah Kerbel and illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo have created some sweet swag and limited edition art prints to give away to you, they’re first readers, as a way of saying “thank you” for your early support.
*And if you enjoy Before You Were Born please leave a review on your bookseller’s website or Goodreads
PLEASE NOTE: This giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the US only as Before You Were Born is currently only available in North America. Shipping and Handling of prizes is free to Canadian and US residents. One Swag Pack gift per pre-order.
Swag Packs:
Everyone who pre-orders a copy of Before You Were Born by May 3, 2019 will receive:
20 randomly selected entries will receive:
3 randomly selected entries will receive:
1 randomly selected GRAND SWAG PACK entry will receive:
“When a young girl’s father is too sad to get out of bed, she paints him a picture and the two go on an imaginary adventure together….Author/illustrator Dufft’s watercolor illustrations skillfully combine an assured, realistic watercolor style to portray Paula and her father, with a rudimentary childlike stroke to visually highlight the imaginative adventure. Light and shadow are used to great effect to convey mood…A gentle, touching story of loss and resilience and of the beneficial role imagination plays, with visually intelligent and well-executed illustrations.”
Click here to read the full review