This is a short post, just to celebrate the wonderful distinction earned by acclaimed artist and author, Uri Shulevitz. The Eric Carle Museum announced their 2024 Honors; Mr. Shulevitz was selected for the Artist Honor, and three outstanding organizations and publications, We Need Diverse Books, KidLit TV, and The Horn Book, were recognized in the categories of Angel, Bridge, and Mentor:
Later, I will post more about Mr. Shulevitz’s work, but please check out my previous work about this luminary of his field here and here.
Naturally, The Horn Book promptly reported the awards, as Publishers Weekly. When I did not notice a post on School Library Journal, I contacted them. Here is their announcement that they subsequently posted.
There is a paywall on their site, so if you are not a subscriber, you may not be able to access the article. However, you will notice that the subtitle reports that “The Horn Book, We Need Diverse Books, and KidLit TV are all honored by the Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.”
Of course, the brief article itself does list Mr. Shulevitz’s award, fourth in the list of Honors. The press release from the Museum, listing the Artist Award first, is included. The order of the Awards in no way diminishes the importance of the Angel, Bridge, or Mentor categories. It simply reflects the fact that the Carle Museum is dedicated to the work of picture book artists. If that seems arbitrary, think how it would appear if the American Library Association, in announcing their children’s literature awards, opened with those selected in the categories of translation and informational books. Both those categories are important! Nevertheless, the tradition has always been to first reveal the winners of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals. The Honors were not given in 2023, when a new executive director was hired by the Museum.) In 2022, the SLJ announcement listed Faith Ringgold first, as the artist honored.
What would explain this unusual decision by SLJ? Here is a link to my earlier post about their marginalization of Jewish American Heritage Month.
Uri Shulevitz is an outstanding artist. Although I am ambivalent about the value of awards, they function as a kind of shorthand for recognition. He has won a Caldecott and three Caldecott Honors, as well as numerous others. He is 89 years old. His whole career has been dedicated to bringing, in Keats’s words, truth and beauty to the world of children’s books. Whatever the intention behind SLJ’s choice to avoid celebrating this latest distinction, it is the sad continuation of a trend based on selective appreciation of artists and writers based on their background.
Imaginary Elevators 