Greenaway Greats for Artsmark 20!

February 3rd 2022

Librarians often comment that they can’t remember a time when they couldn’t read. It was different for me - I clearly remember the frustrations of not being able to read!  Perhaps it is because I grew up as the youngest child of four.  My parents and siblings were all keen readers, so books, comics and magazines were always around the house.  My access points for these were either when people read aloud to me or when there were illustrations or photographs that enabled me to piece together my own stories. This is where I first discovered the powerful impact illustrations can have on our reading experiences.

The power of pictures

Think back to the first school picture books that made a real impression upon you and chances are they were illustrated.  Even before we can read words, pictures help to build some of the habits and behaviours of the reader, feeding minds and imaginations!  These are some of the reasons behind setting up the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration, the UK’s oldest and most prestigious award for children’s book illustration which recognises the many ways illustrations help to convey meaning, mood, information and emotion.

It is 65 years since the inaugural medal was given to Edward Ardizzone’s sea-faring adventure, Tim All Alone.  Since then, the award has recognised a huge variety of styles and forms; picture books, pop-ups, non-fiction books, graphic novels, poetry and nursery rhyme collections to name just a few! A roll call of some of the past winners include many pioneers of the field including Shirley Hughes, Raymond Briggs, Lauren Child, Helen Oxenbury, John Burningham, Janet Ahlberg and Shaun Tan! 

Reading for pleasure through illustration

There’s a wealth of artistic techniques and talent which help to illuminate and better understand the world readers inhabit and the emotions they encounter as part of that.  Winning the Kate Greenaway Medal often means a huge amount to the illustrators; Shaun Tan winner of 2020 Medal described how '"surprised, delighted and then deeply honoured"' he was to win the award and to be "'in the fine company of so many brilliant artists and authors, many of whom inspired my own love of illustrated stories a young West Australian scribbler."’

In 2022 the awards team, Arts Council England and Peters have been planning exciting ways that some of the past Kate Greenaway winners can be used to help open the doors to reading for more children and young people. Tying in with Artsmark20, celebrating 20 years of Artsmark, we’re planning a Greenaway Greats campaign.  Mirroring the annual Kate Greenaway Awards Shadowing Scheme, the Greenaway Greats will offer children and young people the chance to begin reading for pleasure and debate illustrated books with friends and classmates, all helping with developmental reading and writing. 

Celebrating creativity with Artsmark

Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools and education settings, accredited by Arts Council England. It provides schools with the framework to develop and celebrate arts, culture and creativity to support their pupils’ learning, development and wellbeing. This year marks 20 years of Artsmark, and today children in nearly 4500 schools and education settings are benefitting from being engaged in the programme.

In this special anniversary year, Artsmark is celebrating the vital role reading and libraries play in the creative lives of children and young people throughout their education. Greenaway Greats celebrates what Arts Council’s work for children stands for – giving young people the opportunity to have their voices heard, spark their imaginations and nurture creativity.

Take part in the Greenaway Greats Reading Schemes for Schools 

We’re busy choosing a range of illustrated texts that show the role that illustration can play to introduce readers to a range of styles and artistic media. Books to allow young readers to come together and voice their views, which inspire them to take part in creative activities and find their own voices.  A special selection of some our favourite tried and tested past winners are being curated into 10 brilliant books for primary schools and 10 brilliant books for secondary schools. 

The Greenaway Greats Reading Schemes for Schools will launch on Thursday 3rd March with the reveal of the Greenaway Greats titles and accompanying resources.  Schools can take part by purchasing the book packs from official Carnegie and Kate Greenaway supplier, Peters, with a 26% discount. By pre-ordering your book packs, your school will be among the very first to receive these when the Greenaway Greats scheme launches on World Book Day!

Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to spark young people’s imaginations around books and reading!

Find out more at www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/greenaway-greats