I am beyond thrilled that Sun in My Tummy has been nominated as a finalist for the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction.
The Norma Fleck Award fis one of seven national awards celebrating excellence in children’s literature administered by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.
The CCBC is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping Canadian parents, educators, and caregivers foster a love of reading in children and teens. It’s been going strong since 1976 and I remember their smiling book logo from my own childhood.
In the words of the CCBC: “The nominated titles represent the exceptional quality of the work by Canadian creators from across the country. Each nominated title will capture the imaginations of young readers and was chosen by our juries to represent the best in their category.”
“Congratulations to all of the finalists for the 2023 CCBC Book Awards,” says Urve Tamberg, President of the CCBC’s Board of Directors. “This year’s shortlisted titles celebrate outstanding contributions to Canadian children’s literature. Compelling and groundbreaking, these books illuminate the diverse experiences young people experience today from coast to coast. This year’s books are both relevant and inspiring, yet also brimming with wonder and delight. Most importantly, they are narratives that will resonate with young readers and challenge them to see the world from a different perspective.”
The jury had this to say about Sun in My Tummy:
“A beautiful and tender book that shows our interconnectedness to the earth… Alary uses free verse to introduce the concepts of matter and energy, creating a simple yet effective explanation for young children to help them understand how the sun’s light becomes fuel for our bodies through the food we eat… With gentle, lyrical text and radiant illustrations, Sun in My Tummy is fantastic at explaining complex scientific ideas in a simple way.”
I am so grateful to the CCBC for the honour of being included on this stellar list of books, and am thrilled for my collaborators, illustrator Andrea Blinick, and thankful for the wonderful team at Pajama Press, who made this book a reality and are celebrating with us.
Huge congratulations to all the nominees–especially my sister Pajama Press author, Michelle Kadarusman, whose marvellous book, Berani, is a finalist for the Canadian TD Children’s Literature Award!
You can learn more about the award and see the full list of finalists here.
Laura Alary 