The Comet: Joe Todd-Stanton

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In The Blue Book of Nebo, the world building and distinct voices of the two main characters, the son and his mother, areexpertly realised and the reader is compelled to questiontheir own relationship with the modern world. Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear is a beautiful story, elegantly told, which brings together a global view ofconservation and an empowering true story of an inspiring female environmentalist, told through dazzling manga art and watercolours. Jeet has craftedevery illustration toimmersethe reader, just as Manon drawsthe reader in completely with her vivid, deliberate prose.

The shortlist for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration features a range of illustrative and artistic styles. Finch’s The Eternal Return of Clara Hart follows a boy who keeps experiencing the same 24 hours again and again after seeing a classmate die in what looks like a tragic accident at a house party. It is the only debut in the running for the writing medal. Russell Williams said it was a “ careful, thoughtful, compulsively readable examination of toxic masculinity and normalised sexual abuse”. The shortlists have been announced for the Yoto Carnegies, formerly the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the UK’s longest running and most prestigious book awards for children and young people.

First News is the UK’s number one children’s newspaper, with a readership of over 2.6 million, including 7,500 subscribing schools. For 100 years, Scholastic Corporation has been encouraging the personal and intellectual growth of all children, beginning with literacy. Having earned a reputation as a trusted partner to educators and families, Scholastic is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, a leading provider of literacy curriculum, professional services, and classroom magazines, and a producer of educational and entertaining children’s media. The Company creates and distributes bestselling books and e-books, print and technology-based learning programs for pre-K to grade 12, and other products and services that support children’s learning and literacy, both in school and at home. With 15 international operations and exports to 165 countries, Scholastic makes quality, affordable books available to all children around the world through school-based book clubs and book fairs, classroom libraries, school and public libraries, retail, and online. Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children, is the headline sponsor of the Awards. The Yoto Carnegies are sponsored by ALCS and Scholastic as the official book supplier, with First News as the official media partner for 2023. Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear is the incredible true story of the promise a young schoolgirl made to a brown moon bear in a small town in Vietnam. Follow Chang through tropical Asian rainforests and unpredictable jungles as she fights to become a conservationist. But these dangerous landscapes are only part of her troubles, disproving critics who say that a young girl can’t be a conservationist proves to be an even bigger challenge. Told as a graphic novel with breathtaking art from Jeet Zdung and STEM facts galore, Chang’s daring story is an accessible and fearless adventure that will inspire any animal-loving, intrepid explorer. This tale about friendship and the strength and resilience of one young girl teaches us that letting go is never easy, and sometimes the biggest challenges in life are the most special. From an incredibly strong shortlist, our panel of librarian judges have debated long and hard to choose our two worthy winners of the Yoto Carnegie Medals 2023.

The Yoto Carnegies are managed by CILIP, the library and information association. The Medals are awarded annually by CILIP and the Youth Libraries Group with longlists announced in February, shortlists in March and the winners announced at a ceremony in June. The Comet illustrated and written by Joe Todd-Stanton, a nominee for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration 2023 Photograph: Flying Eye BooksNow available worldwide, Yoto has won awards and accolades from critics, parents and children alike. TIME Magazine even named it one of the Best Inventions of 2020 and Yoto Mini won a prestigious D&AD Pencil in 2022. This is my home, where the trees tower tall and I can count a hundred stars. We even saw a comet once!’ Lauren Child is an award-winning artist and writer. She is the creator of many much-loved characters, including Clarice Bean, Charlie and Lola, and Ruby Redfort, along with several stand-alone picture books.