Belgian illustrator wins Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Belgian illustrator Kitty Crowther is the winner of the the 2010 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA), the world's largest children's literature prize. The 5 million SEK award (about US$663,000) was announced in March and presented in June at a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden. The award is given in memory of noted Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, creator of the beloved Pippi Longstocking character.

The ALMA website notes that Crowther "maintains the tradition of the picture book while transforming and renewing it. In her world, the door between imagination and reality is wide open. She addresses the reader gently and personally, but with profound effect." Crowther's principal works are her own picture books, including L'enfant racine, La visite de Petite Mort, Le grand desordre, and the Poka & Mine series.

To learn more about the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and this year's winner, Kitty Crowther, visit the ALMA website.