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“The River Bride”

“The River Bride: A Grim Latino Fairy Tale” was staged by the Arizona Theater Company in December 2018. The play draws from Brazilian mythology, featuring a boto – a shapeshifting dolphin that seeks to seduce women. The press release provides a brief summary of the play:   Once upon a time, in a fishing village […]

Mock Caldecott 2019

On January 13, 2019, UF faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, librarians, and community members gathered at the Alachua County Library for the Center’s annual Mock Caldecott.       During this event, attendees read a selection of the best picture books from 2018 in an attempt to predict which book will win this year’s prestigious […]

Dr. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas Talk

On September 12, 2018, Dr. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas spoke at the opening reception for the George A. Smathers Library’s current exhibit, “Racism, Representation, and Resistance in Children’s Literature 1800-2015.” Dr. Thomas delivered her talk, entitled “Stories That Matter, Harm, and Heal,” to a large and enthusiastic audience. Dr. Thomas’s talk centered on two important questions […]

Animated Fairy Tales Get A Real World Edge At ‘Animation Reimagined’ (Modern Eden Gallery)

Curated by Michael Cuffe of Warholian, the ‘Animation Reimagined’ exhibition will bring together many animated classic icons – both past and modern-day – “fantastically recreated in new paintings and from new perspectives”. The exhibition is free to the public and opens Saturday April 14, 2018, at The Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco. You can […]

Jacqueline Woodson is the laureate of Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2018

Congratulations to American author Jacqueline Woodson, who has won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2018! The jury’s citation reads, “Jacqueline Woodson introduces us to resilient young people fighting to find a place where their lives can take root. In language as light as air, she tells stories of resounding richness and depth. Jacqueline Woodson captures […]

The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh: A Presentation by Kathryn Aalto

Bestselling author and garden historian Kathryn Aalto explores how the real-life Ashdown Forest, a wildlife haven spanning more than 6,000 acres, moved both A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepherd to create the cherished tales that remain wildly popular today. Aalto discusses the landscape of Ashdown Forest and shares iconic moments for the book in […]

2018 Mock Caldecott

On January 14, 2018, a group of UF faculty, graduate students, librarians, and community members got together to choose our top picture book of 2018–our “Mock Caldecott” winner. Although there are many excellent picture books published around the world, since we wanted to predict the Caldecott winner, we limited our choices to books illustrated by […]