Local, Award Winning Author, Bonny Becker,
Receives a 2009 Golden Kite Award for Her Picture Book
A Visitor for Bear
The Golden Kite Award is the only award presented to authors by their peers.
Seattle, WA —Mar. 11, 2009—Local author, Bonny Becker, has won the Golden Kite Award for her picture book, A Visitor for Bear. The Golden Kite Award is the only award presented to children’s book authors and artists by their peers.
The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) announced the Golden Kite Awards last week. The Golden Kite Awards are given each year to the most outstanding children’s books published during the previous year, and written or illustrated by members of SCBWI. The Society has 22,000 members and chose Becker’s book out of over 500 entries. Becker will receive an expense-paid trip to Los Angeles to attend the award ceremony at the Golden Kite Luncheon at SCBWI’s Annual Summer Conference in August.
This has been a big year for A Visitor for Bear. In addition to winning the Golden Kite Award, A Visitor for Bear was named Amazon’s 2008 Picture Book of the Year. It was on the New York Times Best Sellers List for 10 weeks. Additionally, A Visitor for Bear was selected by Oprah Children’s Book Club as a great read for 3-5 year olds.
Becker talks about her experiences as a children’s author and offers writing workshops for students through school visits. She will be visiting Quil Ceda Elementary in Marysville, Washington, on March 18, 2009. “We are looking forward to meeting an award winning author who can share her motivation and excitement for writing with students,” said Randi Krumm, Quil Ceda Elementary.
ABOUT – A Visitor for Bear
When a friendly mouse knocks at his door, Bear sternly points to the "No Visitors Allowed" sign. Returning to his breakfast preparations, he opens the cupboard only to find the mouse tucked inside a bowl. "Perhaps we could have just a spot of tea," the ever-hopeful guest suggests, but he is again shown the door. Despite boarding the windows shut, stopping up the chimney, and plugging the bathtub drain, the persistent rodent keeps reappearing. Finally Bear admits defeat, "I am undone," and agrees to set out a snack. Much to his surprise, Bear enjoys the company and shares jokes and demonstrates a talent at headstands. The visit prompts him to reconsider his sign: "That’s for salesmen. Not for friends." Denton’s softly hued watercolor illustrations capture the humorous interplay between the unlikely companions. The fastidious, pot-bellied bear wears a tiny apron while the wee mouse with a big personality peeks out of such unlikely places as an egg carton.
ABOUT – Bonny Becker
Bonny Becker is the author of 12 children’s books including picture books and novels. Her latest book, A Visitor for Bear is a New York Times Bestseller, Amazon’s 2008 Picture Book of the Year and a recommended book for Oprah’s Children’s Book Club. She’s an instructor for the Whidbey Writers MFA in Writing program and a freelance editor.
Her most recent books A Visitor for Bear and Holbrook, A Lizard Tale are available in bookstores. For more information, visit Becker’s website at http://www.bonnybecker.com or contact Michele Kophs, Event Coordinator, at 360.597.3432.
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