For Immediate Release – Toronto, January 15, 2014: At last night’s Digital Book Awards gala held in New York City, The Man with the Violin, published by Annick Press, took home the award for best Ebook Fixed Format/Enhanced—Children. The host for the evening was LeVar Burton, actor and co-founder of Reading Rainbow.

The Digital Book Awards “recognize innovation, creativity, and excellence in all aspects of digital book publishing. Each year, award winners and finalists in 15 categories demonstrate fresh thinking, inspired design, and bold technology integration, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in this constantly evolving publishing arena.”

Written by Kathy Stinson and illustrated by Dušan Petričić, The Man with the Violin is based on the true story of world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, who famously took his priceless instrument down into the Washington D.C. subway for a free concert. With the exception of a few children, no one stopped to listen to the beautiful music. Stinson reimagines that day through the eyes of Dylan, a young boy who could have been one of those children. “Imaginatively illustrated and beautifully written, this offbeat ode to the power of music is a winner.”—Kirkus Reviews, *starred review

Accepting the award for Annick Press, Brendan Ouellette, Digital Development & Online Marketing Manager was joined by Bill Pender, President of Aptara, a leading company in digital content production. Aptara produced the multi-format, interactive ebook that is available for iPad, Kindle, and Kobo. The ebook features points of interaction that are specific to the narrative of the story, including music performed by Joshua Bell.

For further information, contact Brendan Ouellette, brendano@annickpress.com.