Joy Cowley Award facts for kids
The Joy Cowley Award is a special prize given in New Zealand to celebrate amazing children's books. It was started in 2002 by the Storylines Children's Literature Foundation of New Zealand. The award honors Joy Cowley, a famous writer who has made a huge difference in children's literature.
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What is the Joy Cowley Award?
This award is for a picture book story. These stories are usually short, with less than 1000 words. They are written for young children, either aged 0-7 or 7-13 years old.
How the Award Works
The Joy Cowley Award is given out every year. However, it is only given if a story is truly outstanding. The winner receives NZ$1500. They also get an exciting offer to have their book published by Scholastic New Zealand.
Key Dates and Rules
If you want to enter, stories must be submitted by October 31st each year. The winner is usually announced in March of the next year. The winning book is then published the year after that. Only people who live in New Zealand can enter this award.
Past Winners of the Joy Cowley Award
Many talented authors have won the Joy Cowley Award. Here is a list of the winners and their amazing books:
| Year | Author | Book |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Julie Leibrich | The Biggest Number in the Universe |
| 2004 | Jean Prior | The Waka |
| 2005 | Kyle Mewburn | Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! |
| 2006 | Moira Wairama | The Puppet Box |
| 2007 | no award | |
| 2008 | Michelle Osment | Tiny Miss Dott and Her Dotty Umbrella |
| 2009 | June Peka | Magpie Mischief |
| 2010 | Lucy Davey | Out of Bed, Fred! |
| 2011 | Sarah Johnson | Wooden Arms |
| 2012 | Isaac Drought | Alphabet Squabble |
| 2013 | Aimee McNaughton | I Can't Imagine How it Happened |
| 2014 | Emma Vere-Jones | Stan the Van Man |
| 2015 | Joy H Davidson | Witch's Cat Wanted, Apply Within |
| 2016 | Sarah Grundy | The Curious Ar-chew |
| 2017 | no award | |
| 2018 | Elaine Bickell | The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo |
| 2019 | Janelle Wilkey | Omeletta Hen |
| 2020 | Tania Sickling | Grandpa Versus Swing |
| 2021 | Kirsty Wadsworth | "Ihaka, the Unexpected Visitor" |
| 2022 | Melanie Koster | "Tama and the Taniwha" |
| 2023 | Kristin Kelly | "The Squeaking" |
