During IBBY Canada's Annual Meeting of Members on Saturday, March 28, author-illustrator Howie Shia was awarded the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award for his debut picture book Ra! Ta! Ma! Cue! (Annick Press). Selected from 134 books submitted by 40 publishers, Shia receives $1,000.
Howie Shia is a Toronto-based illustrator, writer and animation director. In awarding the Cleaver to Howie Shia, the jury writes about Ra! Ta! Ma! Cue!:
“The Grown-Ups have left to chase away the Growlies and have been gone for a while. The kids decide to act! ‘Ra! Ta! Ma! Cue!’ is the drum beat that rallies the kids to gather and join in the journey to find the Grown-Ups. With their instruments, the kids march bravely through overgrown and abandoned landscapes, picking up more friends along the way and using the rhythm and power of ‘Ra! Ta! Ma! Cue!’ as they go. As the kids work together, they move from a world of neutral greys and whites to swaths of colour. Even when the Growlies battle back, the kids rally around the stomping of yellow boots and their world of sound and colour prevails.
Ra! Ta! Ma! Cue! communicates teamwork, empowerment, determination, and love with splashes of colourful paint and paper cut-out shapes that win over the darkness of the Growlies—so original!"
The jury also selected two honour books from the list of 10 finalists: Everybelly by Thao Lam (Groundwood Books) and Little Moments in a Big Universe by Todd Stewart (Owlkids Books).
About the two honour books, the jury said:
Everybelly
“In Everybelly, Maddie visits friends and neighbours at the local pool. The reader is introduced to them by name but only sees them from Maddie’s perspective—from the belly down! We see scars, freckles, wrinkles, hair, tattoos, and—bellies! Maddie observes how bellies and bodies come in all shapes, sizes, and skin tones, and that her favourite, her mother’s, is soft and just right. Thao Lam works her magic with paper collage, creating a remarkably fully dimensional, patterned, and diverse world, as seen from a child’s belly-level perspective. Bodies of all ages swim and move, and are to be nourished and loved. A wonderful message for all.”
Little Moments in a Big Universe
“In Little Moments in a Big Universe, a space explorer crashes on a new planet with his robot. Help is offered by the people of the planet, and the explorer and robot work with them to repair the damage to the forest from the crash. Even though the explorer looks different from the people of the planet, they bond through sharing stories and celebrating special occasions.
The detailed, illustrated endpapers—front and back—will inspire you to learn more about space and chemistry. Bold colours and luminous shades sweep you on a journey to unfamiliar new worlds within solar systems, galaxies, and the universe. This book, in oversized format, makes you feel like you are looking out the window of your spaceship as you travel through a universe made just for you.”
The jury for the 2025 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award jury was comprised of Nadine King (Chair), and committee members Shannon Babcock and Josie Gair.
For the complete shortlist, click here.