On Tuesday morning, the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, in partnership with the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi, announced the winners of the 2022 Ezra Jack Keats Awards: Paul Harbridge and Gracey Zhang. This annual award "celebrates exceptional early career authors and illustrators for portraying the multicultural nature of our world in the spirit of Ezra Jack Keats."
Paul Harbridge won the EJK Author Award for his picture book Out into the Big Wide Lake (Tundra Books), illustrated by Josée Bisaillon.
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| Paul Harbridge | |
How are you feeling about receiving the EJK Award? How did you find out you had won?
When I found out from my publisher, Tundra Books, that I had been nominated, I was blown away. I waited, hoping beyond hope, that the EJK Foundation would contact me. Then the announcement deadline passed--or so I believed--and I was sad to think I had not won. But the very next day, as I was driving my car, a phone call appeared on the dashboard screen and it was them, telling me the fabulous news! I tell you, I almost crashed my car out of sheer jubilation!
Would you summarize Out into the Big Wide Lake for our readers?
A girl named Kate who lives in a big city is invited by her grandparents to spend the summer with them at their home on a lake. Her mother is hesitant, but her grandmother insists Kate is up for it. Kate is homesick until she makes friends with her grandparent's dog, Parbuckle, and starts helping her grandfather deliver groceries around the lake. Her grandmother even teaches her to pilot the little boat by herself! One day her grandfather is rushed to the hospital and she and Parbuckle are left on the dock with all the groceries. What will Kate do? You will have to read the book to find out! Oh, and by the way, Kate just happens to have Down syndrome.
You write in an author's note that the book's protagonist is inspired by your little sister, Linda. Was she the inspiration for the whole story? How does Linda feel about the character of Kate?
The idea of a child helping his grandfather make deliveries around a lake came to me. And then I asked myself, why couldn't the hero of the piece have Down syndrome like my sister Linda? And then I thought of how Linda and our dog Benjie did everything together.
Linda really loves the book, Kate and Parbuckle. And she gets a kick out of the photograph of her that appears at the beginning of the book.
Do you often get ideas for stories or characters from those around you?
I often get my ideas from childhood memories, but they are just starting points for my imagination. For example, my previous book, When the Moon Comes, was inspired by my father telling me how he played hockey on a frozen beaver pond when he was a boy. Most of the story, though, is my own invention.
For Out into the Big Wide Lake--I grew up in Gravenhurst, Ontario, on beautiful Lake Muskoka and the lake was a big part of our lives. As a teenager, I worked on an island one summer in an area called Millionaires Row and often saw market boats bringing groceries from the mainland.
I loved the slow build to Kate driving the boat. Did you know right away that you wanted Kate to save the day?
Usually as I write, a character comes to life in my imagination. In this book, both Kate and Parbuckle took on lives of their own and, at some point, I knew I wanted there to be a challenge they could face together.
Are you working on anything right now?
Yep. A story about a squirrel. Fingers crossed.
Is there anything else you'd like to tell Shelf Awareness readers?
I'd like to encourage your readers and the young people in their lives to be willing to try new things--you never know if you can do something 'til you give it your best shot.
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| Gracey Zhang | |
Gracey Zhang won the Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Award for her debut picture book, Lala's Words (Scholastic).
How are you feeling about receiving the EJK Award? How did you find out you had won?
Difficult to put into words, but gratitude sums it up best. I received the call while I was in the middle of moving supplies at my studio. I was caught completely off guard but was left speechless and dazed in the best way possible.
Would you summarize Lala's Words for our readers?
A mother learns to see her child in her own light.
May we assume you are a plant lover?
A plant lover, but not the best plant caretaker--I admire from afar.
This is your first authored and illustrated title. Did the story come to you first in pictures? In words? As both?
Lala's story came to me first as a relationship between mother and daughter, but the visuals and story were hammered out in partnership during the process. Like feeling out a path in a cave, lots of bumps and scrapes from trial and error.
What was your inspiration?
Mothers and daughters; seeing the film Ladybird also reaffirmed a lot of feelings that spurred the creation of Lala's Words.
How did you manage balancing your text and illustrations?
Precariously, with lots of sketches, ink brushes and scribbled-out drafts.
I love the limited palette you used. Why did you choose to use only two colors and greyscale? What effect were you hoping to achieve?
I have always loved the richness of gradients you can achieve with black ink--what better way to show the beauty of a concrete jungle!
Could you tell our readers about your illustrative process? Do you always work in gouache and ink?
I always work traditionally, with a mix of inks, gouache and watercolors. I set a large pad of papers down and measure out the rough trim size, say a little prayer and then hope for the best.
Are you working on anything right now?
Many projects! All hopefully coming to light very, very soon.
Is there anything else you'd like to tell Shelf Awareness readers?
Storytime before bed is always a good send-off to sleep, no matter what age.
The Ezra Jack Keats award ceremony will be held virtually on Thursday, April 7, 2 p.m. Eastern, during the Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.