I am currently illustrating my 34th picture book. For 19 years I’ve been illustrating children’s books, that’s a long time and a lot of books. Over the course of my career, a few books have touched my soul. One has been Shark Baby. Written by author Ann Downer, Shark Baby tells the story of a baby shark, searching for his identity. Who of us can’t relate to that?
As you can read in my dedication, I traveled across the country to do hands-on research for the illustrations:
After the book was released, I was excited to meet Ann Downer, who also lived in Massachusetts. Ann and I did school visits and many book signings together; in and out of Boston, and at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. With Ann being a year older than I and both of us mothers, I felt a real connection to her. I loved getting together with Ann. I had secretly hoped to illustrate more of Ann’s books. One day she told me she was ill. The doctors were having a challenging time nailing down a diagnosis. The next time we met she told me she was dying of ALS. Ann passed away two years after Shark Baby was released, one year after she was diagnosed with ALS.
The world lost a most cherished author. You see, Ann was already a famous author before she wrote Shark Baby. You can read about her books at Simon and Schuster. Or on her Wikipedia page. Or find her books on Goodreads. Or on Amazon.
I cherish Shark Baby. For me, it is wrapped up in many precious memories; researching it, illustrating it, promoting it with Ann. I would love to share it with others. So as the illustrator, and in honor of Ann, I submitted it to the Firebird Book Awards for illustration.
I am honored to say Shark Baby, written by Ann Downer, has won first place in three categories of the FIREBIRD BOOK AWARDS:
First place: Illustration Children
First place: Illustration General
First place: Picture Book All Ages
https://www.speakuptalkradio.com/?powerpress_pinw=12876-podcast
Here is the press release:
EIGHTY FOUR AUTHORS AWARDED THE FIREBIRD BOOK AWARD
April 2021 – Speak Up Talk Radio announced the winners of 2021’s first quarter FIREBIRD BOOK AWARDS contest. Eighty four winners were announced in 98 categories.
One of the winning entries was from Massachusetts, illustrator Shennen Bersani, whose book titled Shark Baby won in First Place in these three categories: Illustration Children, Illustration General, and Picture Book All Ages.
Authors and publishers from around the world submitted their work to the Firebird Book Awards. A panel of 12 judges within the writing and publishing space then read every book and independently scored each entry according to a set of standardized criteria that evaluates the quality of the writing as well as production aspects. Only entries with the highest of scores are awarded the coveted Firebird.
Patricia J. Rullo, founder of the Firebird Book Awards, says, “This quarter’s entries were a joy to read and speak to the talent out there. At Speak Up Talk Radio, our mission is to offer radio interviews and podcasting services to help authors expand their reach. In addition to additional prizes, our winners have the opportunity to be interviewed and aired on iHeart Radio, Pandora, as well as 50 additional online venues, giving them new ways to speak up and share their work.”
Pat adds, “We’ve included a charitable component to our awards by making all entry fees tax-deductible to the author. In return, we personally make and send handmade fun and whimsical pillowcases to women and children in homeless shelters via Enchanted Makeovers, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All entry fees fund this project. In this way, authors can get notoriety for their work while doing good for others. It’s been such a rewarding venture for everyone.”
The Firebird Book Awards run quarterly contests so authors can receive recognition on a timely basis. Authors from all genres, mainstream, independent, and self-published are welcome. Additional winning authors and titles as well as entry information is available at https://www.speakuptalkradio.com
Shark Baby is available in English and Spanish and can be purchased at Arbordale Publishing.
About the book:
“Who am I?” wonders Shark Baby. When his “mermaid’s purse" egg case is torn loose in a storm, he finds himself on a journey through different ocean habitats: kelp forests, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows. He learns what kind of shark he isn’t, but not what kind he is. He needs to find the “mermaid" to learn where he belongs, but the ocean is big and full of dangers. Will he find out who he is—and what he can do—in time?