From the Desk of Phil and Erin Stead,
In conjunction with this year's Newbery and Caldecott Awards we, the Steads, are proud to announce to The First Annual Steadbery and Phildecott Awards. The criteria for selection is as follows:
Authors and illustrators selected for the awards must have had their book published in the United States during the previous calendar year. However, the author or illustrator need not be a United States citizen or resident.
And now for the awards.
The First Annual Steadbery Award, for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature in 2009, goes to (in an ironic twist)...
WHEN YOU REACH ME, by Rebecca Stead
In the interest of full disclosure we discolose that we have nothing to disclose about our relation to Rebecca Stead. As far as we know we are not related. We are proud though to claim her as a Stead.
And now for the Phildecott.
We are pleased to announce three winners of The First Annual Phildecott, going to the finest works of illustration for a children's picture book. In alphabetical order...
POUCH! by David Ezra Stein
THE SNOW DAY by Komako Sakai
WAITING FOR WINTER by Sebastian Meschenmoser
There are three Phildecott Honor Books this year.
THE CURIOUS GARDEN by Peter Brown
FEELING SAD by Sarah Verroken
ONLY A WITCH CAN FLY by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo
Congratulations to this year's winners and honorees. Congratulations as well to this year's ALA award winners.
To your left is how my dog, Wednesday, goes to work with Phil and me. Her office is that red tent she's sleeping in (that's my desk behind it). Phil and I work in a pretty small room together so the tent can be a little cumbersome. But I have a desk, Phil has a desk, so Wednesday needs a place to work as well. It's only fair, I guess. 
Hello again! Apologies for the long stretch. I'd say that it's a new year and I'll be much better at posting, but that would probably be a lie. But I'll do my best. It's winter in Ann Arbor. My dog is happy. I love the snow. Phil, I think, is neutral. 
