The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art has revealed the recipients of its 2024 Carle Honors, who will be fêted at an event this fall. This year’s honorees were selected by a jury chaired by Leonard S. Marcus, children’s literature historian and founder of the Carle Honors Committee.
Uri Shulevitz, the Caldecott Medalist and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator, was selected as Artist Honoree, in recognition of his work “in a wide variety of media… [which] demonstrates remarkable versatility as he interprets an equally wide range of literature.” Shulevitz depicts his journey fleeing the German invasion of his native Warsaw and immigrating to New York in his books Chance and How I Learned Geography. His work was spotlighted in the Carle’s 2015 exhibition “Tall Tales and Short Tales: The Art of Uri Shulevitz,” and he intends to leave much of his archive to the museum.
We Need Diverse Books has been named Angel for its work “advocating for essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects the lives of all young people.” Now in its 10th year, the nonprofit organization has grown from a grassroots social media movement to become a major force for diversity, through its many awards, grants, mentorships and internships, public programs, book lists, and a recent initiative, Indigenous Reads Rising. Ellen Oh, founding member and honorary trustee, will accept the award.
KidLit TV is the 2024 Bridge Honoree. Founded by Julie Gribble, the multi-media company connects picture book creators with children around the globe through bookish activities, read-alouds, and other resources promoting a love of reading. The company has been recognized with a Parents’ Choice Gold Award and was selected as one of the American Association of School Librarians’ Best Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning.
The Horn Book, the world’s first critical journal dedicated to children’s literature, founded in Boston in 1924, has been named Mentor. The magazine, The Horn Book Guide, and the prestigious Boston Globe–Horn Book Award together form a “cornerstone in youth literature review” that has endured over the past century.
The awards will be presented at a benefit gala on September 26 at the New-York Historical Society in New York City. In lieu of the traditional art auction, the Carle will shine the light on new work added to its permanent collection, including art by Ludwig Bemelmans, Lucy Cousins, Leo and Diane Dillon, Barry Moser, LeUyen Pham, Beatrix Potter, and Mo Willems. The event will also feature honoree tributes from Grace Lin, Dr. Claudette S. McLinn, and more, as well as a musical performance by Marlo Thomas and Friends, in celebration of the 50th-anniversary exhibition of the book Free to Be…. You and Me, which will open at the museum in November. A reception will follow.
