The Canadian author and illustrator Jon Klassen has won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, one of the most prestigious prizes in children’s literature.
Klassen is best known for his Hat Trilogy of children’s books, which began with I Want My Hat Back and continued with This Is Not My Hat and We Found a Hat. The second book in the series won both the Caldecott Medal and the Kate Greenaway Medal; both prizes recognize excellence in illustration. He is also noted for his collaborations with author Mac Barnett; the pair’s Shape Trilogy won extensive praise from critics.
Klassen’s other books include The Rock From the Sky and The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale; the latter was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize.
In a citation, the jury for the Lindgren Award said, “Through his subtle and evocative storytelling in words and pictures, Jon Klassen opens new perspectives on our place in the universe. What happens when a rock falls from the sky, when hats disappear or a skull begins living a life of its own? With precision, emotion, and inventive wit, life’s challenges of uncertainty and hopefulness are portrayed in an interplay of color and form. Jon Klassen’s brilliant tales stand out for their effortless elegance and ambiguous depth, where the reader becomes a co-creator.”
The Lindgren Award, which comes with a cash prize of 5 million Swedish kronur, or about $545,000, was established by the Swedish government in honor of the writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002). Previous winners include Maurice Sendak, Philip Pullman, Shaun Tan, and Jacqueline Woodson.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
