Monday stuff and items

1) Don't you wish you were at the Edinburgh International Book Festival to hear Garth Nix give a sneak preview of Clariel, the prequel to the Old Kingdom trilogy which we will be publishing NEXT YEAR! Hurry up, next year!*

Also appearing at this fine festival is the marvellous Margo Lanagan and the splendid Shaun Tan. Where, oh, where is our portal to the other side of the world when we need it!

2) The Kill Your Darlings YA Challenge has been FABULOUS. Smart people championing their favourite YA novels: what's not to love? Here's Lili Wilkinson talking about Obernewtyn.

And Holly Harper on Sabriel and Andrew McDonald on Space Demons. 


3) CELEBRATION OF A NATION**

We are sending out huge congratulations and much love to Scot Gardner and Kate Constable because... 

The Dead I Know 

WINNER OF THE CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR: OLDER READERS

Crow Country 

WINNER OF THE CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR: YOUNGER READERS 

Two brilliant books and two wonderful authors. We couldn't be more proud to be their publishers.

But wait, there's more!

HONOUR BOOK, HONOUR BOOK, HONOUR BOOK, HONOUR BOOK!

A Straight Line to My Heart by Bill Condon (Older Readers)
That's Not a Daffodil! by Elizabeth Honey (Early Childhood)

The Dream of the Thylacine by Ron Brooks & Margaret Wild (Picture Book)
The Little Refugee by Anh Do, Suzanne Do & Bruce Whatley (Eve Pownall)

Hearty congratulations to Bill, Elizabeth, Ron, Margaret, Anh, Suzanne & Bruce. HURRAH!

*Although, in another, very real way, please don't hurry up, next year. How is it already late August? So many books to make!

** Trip down memory lane, anyone? 

CBCA Short List 2012

*jazz hands* 

tappity tapity tappity *shuffle-off-to-buffalo*

tappity tappity tappity *knee slide* 

tappity tappity tappity *big-Gene-Kelly-swing-around-a-lamppost finale* 

TA DA! 

*jazz hands* 

That, people, was our Children's Book Council of Australia short list dance. And, let me tell you, it was hot. It was smokin' hot.

It was almost as hot as this lovely lovely list:

Older Readers:

A Straight Line to My Heart by Bill Condon

The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky

The Dead I Know by Scot Gardner

The Coming of the Whirlpool: Ship Kings 1 by Andrew McGahan

Younger Readers:

Crow Country by Kate Constable

Early Childhood:

That's Not a Daffodil! by Elizabeth Honey

Picture Books of the Year:

The Dream of the Thylacine by Margaret Wild & Ron Brooks

Eva Pownall Award for Information Books:

The Little Refugee by Anh Do, Suzanne Do & Bruce Whatley

Playground edited by Nadia Wheatley, illustrated by Ken Searle.

The Crichton Award for New Illlustrators

A Song for Lorkie by Dean Bowen & Jennifer Castles

Grumpy Little King by Michel Streich

Big big huge congratulations to all our clever authors and illustrators, and to everyone on the short lists and on the Notable Books lists for 2012.

We are so pleased and proud.


*jazz hands*

O, speak of that; that do I long to hear

All the way back in April we were holding our breath and hoping in the lead up to the announcement of the CBCA announcements for 2011. And we were delighted to see a whole host of Onion books on the shortlists and the notables lists.

And today, what ho! we have a winner!

We are thrilled that Nicki Greenberg's Hamlet has been announced joint winner, along with Jeannie Baker's Mirror, as the Picture Books of the Year. Yes, thrilled we are!

Hooray for Hamlet!

From the Judges report:

Nicki Greenberg has created an extraordinary and colourful graphic novel as the reader becomes a participant in a sumptuous interpretation of Shakespeare's enigmatic play 'staged on the page'.

But wait, there's more.

Honour book: Early Childhood Book of the Year 2011

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies by Tom Niland Champion, Kilmeny Niland & Deborah Niland

From the judges report:

A delightful mix of silliness and cleverness characterises this charming and amusing picture book, which is both a counting book and absurd fantasy. Exuberant, yet deceptively simple illustrations are full of colour & verve.

Honour Book: Early Childhood Book of the Year 2011

Look See, Look at Me! by Leonie Norrington & Dee Huxley

From the judges report:

Fluid, assured illustrations, reflecting the vastness and beauty of the Outback, enhance and complement Norrington's affectionate text. The brisk pace of the rhythmic text is matched by the energy and glowing colour of the illustrations.

Honour Book: Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

Drawn from the Heart by Ron Brooks

From the judges report:

Ron Brooks, one of Australia's most highly regarded picture-book makers, has produced a superb memoir. His detailed and sometimes highly personal accounts further enhance our appreciation of the wonderful books he has written and illustrated.

So hoorays and hurrahs for Nicki, Tom, Kilmeny, Deborah, Leonie, Dee and Ron.
HOORAYS and HURRAHS!

Congratulations to all the other winners and honour books - and to all the creators whose books are on the shortlists and notables lists. Many congratulations.

CBCA Shortlist 2011

This morning in the House of Onion:

11.58 AM - click through to the CBCA home page in anticipation of a shortlist.
11.58.30 - refresh screen
11.59 - refresh screen
11.59.1 - refresh screen
11.59.2 - refresh screen
11.59.3 - refresh screen
REPEAT UNTIL
12.00 - view shortlist, SQUEAL, gallop around, congregate, SQUEAL, disperse to call authors, SQUEAL, take a few calming breaths, blog...

Older Readers

About A Girl by Joanne Horniman



Early Childhood

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies by Tom Champion Niland and Kilmeny Niland,
illustrated by Deborah Niland


Noni the Pony by Alison Lester


Look See, Look at Me! by Leonie Norrington and Dee Huxley



Picture Book of the Year

Hamlet by Nicki Greenberg


Two Peas in a Pod by Chris McKimmie



Eve Pownall Award

Drawn from the Heart: A Memoir by Ron Brooks



You can see the full list in all its glory here.
And there are many more exciting things on the Notable Books List.

Big congratulations to all the wonderful authors and illustrators on both lists!

Hip hip hooray!

The CBCA Book of the Year Awards were announced on Friday and we Onions had much to cheer about.

WINNERS! WINNERS!

Younger Readers

• Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch

Picture Book of the Year

• The Hero of Little Street by Gregory Rogers

HONOUR BOOKS! HONOUR BOOKS! HONOUR BOOKS!

Older Readers

• The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke
• A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard
  

Eve Pownall Award for Information Book of the Year

• Maralinga - the Anangu Story by Yalata & Oak communities with Christobel Mattingley, Allen & Unwin

Congratulations to all the the authors and illustrators whose books won or were honoured in their categories.

Duck duck goose

Some time ago we observed that pigs were popular.

And recently we attended the CBCA Victorian judges talk by Suzanne Thwaites who gave a terrific insight into the judging process and warmly enthused about all the books on the CBCA short-list. She also noted that in the course of the judging process (which involves reading a tremendous quantity of books - we are in awe, truly) that 2009 was the year of poultry publishing, with ducks, roosters and chooks regularly featuring in their reading pile. And who doesn't love a duck?

The books that tickled the judges fancy are Bear & Chook by the Sea by Lisa Shanahan & Emma Quay and Kip by Christina Booth (both short-listed, Early Childhood), A Chook called Harry by Phillip Gwyn & Terry Denton (Notable, Younger Readers), Wendy by Gus Gordon (Notable, Picture book) and, of course the magnifiique Mr Chicken Goes to Paris by Leigh Hobbs (short-listed, Picture Book).

So, embracing the spirit, herewith we present the beginnings of a list of a fine tradition of books or characters that suggest that poultry is indeed perennially popular:

It's Useful to Have a Duck by Isol

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

Bear & Chook by Lisa Shanahan & Emma Quay

The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack & Kurt Wiese

Brian Banana Duck Sunshine Yellow by Chris Mckimmie

The Seven Diving Ducks by Margaret Friskey

Uhu* by Annette Rosemary Macarthur-Onslow

The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck by Beatrix Potter

Henny Penny (and friends)

The Little Red Hen

Mother Goose

Donald Duck, Foghorn Leghorn & Camilla the Chicken**

Belle, Rosie & Daffodil***

And we are rather enamoured of Doug Savage's editor-chicken tackling Hamlet on Savage Chickens. A chicken engaged in a task that is relevant to our interests. Why is it relevant to our interests, you ask. Hasn't Hamlet already been edited, you suggest.

And we would refer you to the genius of one Nicki Greenberg who, for some time, has been working on a stunning graphic novel edition of Hamlet - coming soon to a bookshelf near you. When we say soon, here, we mean... October. Trust us, October will be here before you know it. But just to whet your appetite...

* We're not certain that an owl qualifies as domestic fowl... but we are willing to relax the rules a little. We promise we would never consider serving him up for dinner...

** Mr Duck, Mr Leghorn and Ms The Chicken are clearly film stars rather than book stars. We refer you to rule-relaxation note above.

*** Definitely literary chickens.

CBCA Shortlist 2010 - 10 million cheers!

Big big big congratulations to the Allen & Unwin authors shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards 2010.

We are running around the House of Onion squealing like real guinea pigs. One Onion is using the news to propel herself up vast mountains*.

Because look look look:

Older Readers

The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke


Liar by Justine Larbalestier


A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard



Younger Readers

Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch



Picture Book of the Year

Mr Chicken Goes to Paris by Leigh Hobbs


To the Top End by Roland Harvey


The Hero of Little Street by Gregory Rogers


Eve Pownall Award

Maralinga - the Anangu Story by Yalata and Oak Valley Communities with Christobel Mattingley

Congratulations to all the other wonderful authors on the shortlist. Our books are in very fine company.

And more more more cheering for our authors on the list of Notable Books for 2010.

Little Bird by Penni Russon
Winter of Grace by Kate Constable
Worldshaker by Richard Harland
Cicada Summer by Kate Constable
10 Little Hermit Crabs by Lee Fox and Shane McG
Scarygirl by Nathan Jurevicius
Riding the Black Cockatoo by John Danalis

What a bumper crop - we are very pleased and proud.

* You can do it! You can do it! You can! Just channel the bravery of this man.