| Moonbeam Children's Book Awards |
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| Gold Medal Winner: "Sofa Boy" |
“Moonbeam Winners Impress Judges with Dedication to Making a Difference
in Children’s Lives.”
(Traverse
City, MI - Oct. 1, 2009)
It is said
that pictures speak a thousand words and that words can encourage, enrich and even heal. This year’s Moonbeam
Children’s Book Awards have been announced, and the winning books prove these statements to be true. Judges chose
gold, silver and bronze medalists in 36 categories, covering the full range of children’s book genres from picture books
to poetry; holiday to health issues. The awards attracted nearly a thousand entries from throughout North America and
the English-speaking world. Medals will go to authors, illustrators and publishers from 32 U.S. states, 5 Canadian provinces,
and 7 countries overseas.
Two books tied for the 4-8 year old picture book gold medal, and both teach valuable
life lessons: Sofa Boy, from Shake the Moon Books, warns about spending too much time with television and video games,
while The Tale of Rusty Horse, from Mustard Seed Books, tells of an old mechanical rocking horse that gives up the chance
to become a live pony to allow a handicapped child to continue riding him. Another two gold medalists help children
learn sign language: Good Morning, Critter Friends, from Sign Ware uses both illustrations and a near life-size doll to practice
signing. My Baby Can Talk: First Signs, from Baby Hands Productions promotes teaching children signs before they are
able to verbally form words. Numerous award-winning books encourage children to be generous and compassionate, to stand
up to bullies, and to believe in fulfilling their dreams. The diversity of the winning publishers proves that promoting childhood
literacy knows no boundaries, as medal-winners came not only from long-established publishers and university presses, but
from small presses, foundations, and self-published entrepreneurs.
“This year’s Moonbeam award
winners confirm that books can change children’s lives,” says Moonbeam Awards founder Jerrold Jenkins, father
of four children ranging in ages 7 to 17. “They’ve already had a big impact on the judges and the kids that read
them, so we know these books were created to enrich childrens’ lives. The Moonbeams are all about rewarding these books
and bringing them to the attention of parents, booksellers, librarians – and to the kids themselves.” The
Moonbeam Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and are
judged by expert panels of youth educators, librarians, booksellers, and book reviewers. Award recipients receive gold, silver
and bronze medals and stickers depicting a mother and child reading and silhouetted by a full moon. Jenkins Group has
been involved in book packaging, marketing and distribution since 1988, and many of its employees now have children and grandchildren
who strongly influence the company culture with their youthful exuberance and love of books.
