The International Board on Books for Young People have awarded artist Peter Sís with this year’s prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award.
“Now I am on the list with two of my professors and my mentor, Maurice Sendak,” says Sís, referring to illustrators Jiří Trnka and Quentin Blake, whom he studied with. “I still can’t believe it.”
Considered one of children’s literature’s most prestigious honors, the Hans Christian Andersen Award is granted biennially to an author and an illustrator “whose complete works have made lasting contributions to children’s literature,” reads IBBY’s statement.
Sís, originally from the Czech Republic, was selected from among 30 illustrators who were nominated for this year’s honor. The 10-member jury praised Sís for his “use of different design and artistic techniques, as well as his innovative approach using a subtle balance to depict well-documented and historical events and fantastic elements.” School Library Journal
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