The winners of the Joan Betty Stuchner – Oy Vey! – Funniest Children’s Book Award were announced on Saturday, May 24. Created in memory of beloved children’s author Joan Betty Stuchner, two prizes of $752.81—one for board books/picture books and one for juvenile fiction/non-fiction—are awarded biennially to Canadian authors or illustrators whose work tickled the judges' funny bones the most. The winners and the remaining finalists are listed below.
Picture Book
WINNER
Squirrel-ish, written and illustrated by Bambi Edlund (Owlkids Books)
FINALISTS
How to Make a Peanut Butter Sandwich in 17 Easy Steps, written and illustrated by Bambi Edlund (Owlkids Books)
Cone Dog, written by Sarah Howden, illustrated by Carmen Mok (Owlkids Books)
The Island Before No, written by Christina Uss, illustrated by Christie Hudson (Tundra Books)
Parker’s Place, written and illustrated by Russ Willms (Clarion Books)
Fiction
WINNER
Izzy’s Dog Days of Summer, written by Caroline Adderson, illustrated by Kelly Collier (Kids Can Press)
FINALISTS
Pluto Rocket: New in Town, written and illustrated by Paul Gilligan (Tundra Books)
Mortified, written by Kristy Jackson, illustrated by Rhael McGregor (HarperCollins Publishers)'
At the Speed of Gus, written by Richard Scrimger (Scholastic Canada)
Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive, written and illustrated by Melanie Watt (Tundra Books)
ABOUT JOAN BETTY STUCHNER
Joan Betty Stuchner was a children’s author who loved to make people laugh. She passed away unexpectedly in 2014. The Joan Betty Stuchner – Oy Vey! – Funniest Children’s Book Award honours her warm and generous spirit by encouraging authors and illustrators to keep her life-affirming humour alive.
For more information, visit vclr.ca.