Two children’s books, one written by a Surrey author and another by a Delta author, have been shortlisted for a 2015 BC Book Prize.
Stop, Thief!, by Cloverdale’s Heather Tekavec and illustrator Pierre Pratt, is nominated for the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize, as is The Most Magnificent Thing, written and illustrated by Delta resident Ashley Spires.
The award is presented to the best illustrated book written for children.
The books ares nominated in one of seven categories in this year’s prizes. Winners of the 31st annual awards will be announced at the Lieutenant-Governor’s BC Book Prizes Gala in Vancouver on April 25.
Stop, Thief! (Kids Can Press) is Tekavec’s ninth book. It tells the story of Max, a dog who sets out to find out who’s stealing the farmer’s fruits and veggies. Is it a tiny blue bug? Or, are the real thieves hiding in plain sight? Illustrator Pierre Pratt has illustrated more than 50 books for kids. He lives in Montreal and Lisbon.
Spires’ The Most 
Magnificent Thing (Kids Can Press) is a humorous picture book about a girl and her canine best friend, who convinces her to go for a walk when she gets frustrated and wants to give up on making the most magnificent thing.
The book is Spires’ fourth picture book. She also has a series of graphic novels featuring Binky the cat.
Stop, Thief! and The Most Magnificent Thing are shortlisted in the illustrated children’s literature category alongside Norman, Speak! by Caroline Adderson and illustrated by Qin Leng (Groundwood Books); Dolphin SOS, by Roy Miki and Slavia Miki, illustrated by Julie Flett (Trade
wind Books); and Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin, by Chieri Uegaki, and illustrated by Qin Leng (Kids Can Press).
Other categories include fiction, non-fiction, British Columbia, poetry and non-illustrated children’s literature.
The BC Book Prizes were established in 1985 and celebrate B.C. writers and publishers.
– with files from Jennifer Lang