Promoted by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair this initiative rewards the best books in terms of graphic and editorial design. Also this year, along with the traditional Fiction, Non-Fiction and New Horizons categories, there is the Opera Prima section, devoted to the works of new authors and illustrators with the aim of acknowledging the publishers' efforts in seeking new talent. There is also a prize for Best Digital Publication.
The 49th edition of the Children's Book Fair in Bologna opened on the 19th of March 2012, with 28 mainstream and independent publishing houses from Poland are among the exhibitors at this year's edition of Europe's biggest book fair devoted to the world's littlest readers. The jury gave out the prizes to the top five children's books of the past year.Wszystko Gra / All's Play, published by the Warsaw-based WYTWÓRNIA publishing house won as Best Nonficion book. The book takes children into the ranks of the orchestra and shows them how various instruments work and how they are brought together by musicians to create a harmonious concert. The illustrations are so detailed that readers can almost hear the music play.
The BolognaRagazzi jury applauded the book for its
authentically different graphic tradition from our own, marking a break no less powerful than the Gutenberg revolution. The illustrations do not hail from just one genealogy; they have not been created with reference to just one artistic school or tradition. Elements from ancient styles, snippets of the most recent visual expressionism, and passing references to a wealth of authors, eras, hybrid styles and traditions have been harness with consummate skill to put sound and rhythm into graphic form. Everything is bound together by a unifying element: a lightness of touch, that ineffable and disquieting lightness of touch so dear to Italo Calvino. The numerous references ironically left as clues on the pages beg to be studied and classified. However, the sheer novelty of this book defies all critical assault. The graphic narrative often reveals a playful freshness that is difficult to place. Refined yet joyously carnivalesque, its world is a children’s playground.
Last year's winner for Aleksandra and Daniel Mizieliński's Co z ciebie wyrośnie? / What will Become of You?, the Dwie Siostry publishing house is back at the fair with some of their freshest books, such asŚniadanie króla / The King's Breakfast by Alan Alexander Milne, illustrated by Eryk Lipiński. Dwie Siostry is among Poland's most intriguing publishers, focused on publishing the most creative, intelligent and beautifully-illustrated books on the market. Other great publishers include Czerwony Konik, Hokus-Pokus and Muchomor - all in attendance as exhibitors in Bologna this month.
Polish musical literature is also a highlight of the country's presence at the 49th edition, with PWM (National Music Publishers) presenting Joanna Wiśnios' Bajka o Mozarcie / Story of Mozart and Story of Musical Instruments, as well as Agnieszka Mucha, Monika Mucha'sZaklęcie Fryderyka / Fryderyk's Spell, bringing children into the wonderful world of music, opera and ballet.
The Bologna Children's Book Fair is the most important event for the industry. Poland's presence at the event draws more and more attention to the unique literature these publishers have to offer, with innovative takes on the country's rich tradition of storytelling and illustration.
See more on this year's edition of the Bologna Children's Book Fair atwww.bolognachildrensbookfair.com