The Wilderness Society announces shortlisted Karajia & Environment Awards For Children’s Literature • CHILD Magazines

07 Jun The Wilderness Society announces shortlisted Karajia & Environment Awards For Children’s Literature

Posted at 11:36h in Celebrate by Editor

On World Environment Day June 5, 2023

A former Olympian, an Indigenous pop star and a 14-year-old entrepreneur passionate about the eradication of plastic in our oceans feature among many other diverse authors in this year’s shortlists.

In its 29th year, the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature is the world’s longest running award of its kind. The Karajia Prize for Children’s Literature established in 2022 is the first award in Australia that honours children’s books written by First Nations authors with a connection to Country.

2023 Environment Award For Children’s Literature

Fiction:
Sunny The Shark (Remy Lai)
Dear Greta (Yvette Poshoglian)
Tyenna: Through My Eyes – Australian Disaster Zones (Julie Hunt / Terry Whitebeach)
Berani (Michelle Kadarusman)

Nonfiction:
We Are Australians (Duncan Smith / Nicole Godwin / Jandamarra Cadd)
The Abc Kids Guide To Loving The Planet (Jaclyn Crupi / Cheryl Orsini)
On The Trail Of The Plains-Wanderer (Rohan Cleave / Julian Teh)
Australia’s Endangered Bush Creatures (Myke Mollard)

Picture Fiction:
Say No To Plastic! (Ned Heaton / Shane Heaton / Tamzin Barber)
The Tree At Number 43 (Jess Mcgeachin)
A Shorebird Flying Adventure (Jackie Kerin / Milly Formby)
Looking After Country With Fire (Victor Steffensen / Sandra Steffensen)
Kind (Jess Mcgeachin)

For more information about these shortlisted books see: Here

The Environment Award for Children’s Literature was started by a group of environmental educators in 1994 who wanted to work with the Wilderness Society to promote a love of nature through books. Joining the judging panel for this year’s shortlist are Australian actor and regular Playschool host Alex Papps, last year’s EACL winner children’s book author and illustrator Sami Bayly and visual artist, cultural education consultant and preschool teacher Adam Duncan.

“Storytelling has the power to inspire, confront, entertain, reassure and bring us together. And it is a crucial pathway to encourage children to embrace a lifelong love, respect and a sheer wonderment of their natural world. I feel very privileged to be on this year’s judging panel.” — Alex Papps

Past winners of the award include acclaimed Australian children’s authors Tim Winton, Paul Jennings, Jackie French, Aunty Joy Murphy, the late Narelle Oliver, Coral Tulloch, Graeme Base and Wendy Orr.

2023 Karajia Award For Children’s Literature Shortlist

The Heart Of The Land (Cathy Freeman / Coral Vass / Tannya Harricks)
Come Together (Isaiah Firebrace / Jaelyn Biumaiwai)
Ninni Yabini (Cheryl Kickett-Tucker / Tyrown Waigana)
The Dunggiirr Brothers And The Caring Song Of The Whale (Aunty Shaa Smith / Yandaarra)
Our Dreaming (Kirli Saunders / Dub Leffler)
Looking After Country With Fire (Victor Steffensen / Sandra Steffensen)
Miimi Marraal, Mother Earth (Melissa Greenwood)
We Are Australians (Duncan Smith / Nicole Godwin / Jandamarra Cadd)
Open Your Heart To Country (Jasmine Seymour)

For more information about these shortlisted books see: Here

The Karajia Award for Children’s Literature celebrates and recognises the important message of First Nations authors and illustrators that honour a connection to Country. Sharing stories exploring land, community, culture and language. Judges for this year’s Karajia awards include 2022 Karajia award winning author and former AFL player Adam Goodes, Australian actor and regular Playschool presenter Hunter Page-Lochard and Inaugural Karajia winner illustrator and visual artist Leanne Mulgo Watson.