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The 11th Annual Carle Honors

Celebrating and Honoring Change in Children's Publishing

The 11th Annual Carle Honors Benefit Gala was held in New York City on September 28th, bringing together several hundred authors, editors, illustrators, and supporters of children’s literature. Each year, a board selects honorees in four distinct categories awarded to celebrate “individuals whose creative vision and dedication are an inspiration to everyone who values picture books and their role in arts education and literacy.” In addition to the awards ceremony recognizing the recipients, the gala also hosts a silent auction of original artwork, with proceeds of the event going to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

As one of the few American museums dedicated to preserving and showcasing children’s picture books, the Eric Carle Museum is well suited to select honorees who not only reflect the current state of children’s book publishing, but also represent the drive for change within the industry. Carle Honors founder Leonard Marcus led the committee to select the recipients of the four titles: Artist, Mentor, Angel, and Bridge, which went to Allen Say, Regina Hayes, Jason Low, and Steven Heller, respectively.

As the ceremony began, Eric Carle himself gave a brief speech commenting on his career and the women who guided it, as well as his unique luck in having a family that encouraged his distinct artistic talents. He honored the immense work his late wife Barbara had done for the museum, announcing plans to open a new space at the museum in her honor.

Ceremony host Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked, introduced each of the recipients to the stage, beginning with Mentor Regina Hayes. Honored as a “champion of the art form,” Hayes’ long career speaks to her dedication to children’s book publishing. After 30 years of serving as a publisher, she is now editor-at-large of Viking Children’s Books. Maguire introduced Hayes with quotes and well wishes from her coworkers and friends in the field, who unanimously remarked on her approachable leadership and ability to draw the best out of every mentee.

Next to be honored was Steven Heller, this year’s Bridge for finding “inspired ways to bring the art of the picture book to larger audiences through work in other fields.” Heller was an apt choice, as his visionary work in the field of graphic design has certainly served as a bridge to the children’s book industry for many a graphic designer. As co-chair of the School of Visual Arts MFA Design/Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program, Heller has not only brought young artists and graphic designers into the field, but has also helped establish comic book art forms in the industry; his work as a bridge has opened up children’s book publishing to more varied art forms and mediums.  

This year’s Angel Award went to a truly groundbreaking publisher – Lee & Low Books. Co-owner Jason Low accepted the honor, using his speech as a platform to advocate for Lee & Low’s incredible work in diversifying children’s book publishing. Created in 1991, Lee & Low focuses exclusively on publishing multicultural children’s books, citing the crucial need for a child to see his or herself reflected in literature and art. For 25 years now, Jason Low and cofounder Craig Lee have been working tirelessly to correct a problem that some in the industry are only just waking up to. And their work has not been limited to publishing diverse children’s books – Lee & Low also publishes research and works to raise awareness of the lack of diversity in the industry. Low accepted the honor by arguing for the need to understand representation issues not as “diversity” issues, but as “human” ones that impact us all.

Finally, the Artist Honor for “lifelong innovation in the field” went to Allen Say in recognition of his unique body of work. Say turned to writing and illustrating only at the age of 53 after a successful career in commercial photography. His masterful understanding of both Japanese and Western art forms has translated into beautifully illustrated books that explore his experiences in both cultures. Say humbly thanked those that helped guide him to children’s book publishing, including publisher Walter Lorraine.

To learn more about the Eric Carle Honors or the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, click here

Photos courtesy of Johnny Wolf Photography. 


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