Entry forms are rolling in! 

Applicants have until December 15th to upload a book submission,

but they need to register by November 15th or they won’t be eligible for the contest.

Shout out to local artists John Bassett, Bonnie Sylvester and Alexia Parker. Last week we reached out to local media including the Gloucester Daily Times, Cape Ann Beacon, Cape Ann Chamber newsletter, This Week on Rocky Neck and Good Morning Gloucester to help us broadcast the contest and/or seeking volunteer artists. Artists (and writers!) generously stepped forward with intriguing and generous offers! Scroll down to read more about three of the artist volunteers that responded to this recent public appeal. At this time we have more volunteers than requests. Amazing and inspiring!

Glass sculptor, artist John Bassett www.basglas.com, was the first to reach out with a generous and flexible offer. His website links to pages of glorious works.

His offer was quickly followed by Bonnie Sylvester’s thoughtful reasoning: “As an artist and early childhood educator, I would love to add my name to the mix of local volunteer artists that writers may consider. I think it will be a lot of fun to work this way.”  Sylvester works in a wide range of material including mixed media, acrylic, and watercolor. “I believe exceptional picture books are a marriage of story and picture. It’s so important to see the creativity in the author’s vision.”  She has a master’s degree in early education and is a docent at Cape Ann Museum.

Alexia Parker wanted to volunteer after she was urged by a couple of her friends and fans: “I had couple of friends and coworkers who saw it in the Gloucester Daily Times and contacted me. I grew up in Essex…I also work…in Essex. As far as my art goes, I have just recently been exploring avenues to get my name out there a little. Illustrating childrens’ books has been a dream of mine since I was a child, so I thought this could be a fun way to try it out.” She included this stunning collage as an example.

Stay tuned for more exciting news:

The Jury panel will be announced this week!

There will be a second jury panel made up of children. If you know a Cape Ann K-5th grader who likes to read or be read to, and would be excited to be part of the kids jury panel, let your library know! Names will be pulled out of a hat. For more information contact Capeannreads2016@gmail.com.

Cape Ann Reads children’s picture book contest is open to Cape Ann residents of ALL ages, students attending school on Cape Ann and people who work on Cape Ann. One winning book will be published by Cape Ann Reads in 2017, a first-edition printing prize valued up to $10,000. Additional honors will be announced.

Sponsor opportunities:

The 4 Cape Ann libraries and many regional partners have coordinated a calendar of wonderful events throughout 2016. Additional sponsors and support are sought and welcome! After the registration deadline, the contest organizers will announce additional specific prize categories.