Over on the Ten Tiny Things blog, we’ve taken a break from our (ir)regularly scheduled tinies to bring you some news of the not-so-tiny kind …

Ten Tiny Things has just been announced as the winner of the Australia/New Zealand division of the SCBWI 2013 Crystal Kite Award!

The Crystal Kite Award is peer-voted by members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a global organisation to which I have belonged for many years.

Here is an excerpt from the notification illustrator Kyle Hughes-Odgers and I received yesterday:

As you know, members voted for the book they felt represented excellence in children’s literature, and you came out on top.  We here at SCBWI headquarters are thrilled for you, as are all your friends and associates in the SCBWI.

In the media release which followed shortly after, I noted that SCBWI is an organisation that has meant a lot to me over the years, both personally and professionally. It’s so lovely to have my work awarded by this wonderful community.

Kyle observed that illustrating a children’s book has been a dream since he was a child, so to be recognised by people in the industry on his first attempt is very humbling.

We are both thrilled that Ten Tiny Things has found such a receptive audience. Although you can’t consciously write for the zeitgeist, we really believe it’s a book whose time is now, and it’s wonderful to know that readers and colleagues feel the same.

To read the official media release from Fremantle Press, click here.

To see the complete list of winners and learn more about the Crystal Kite Awards, click here.

To view lots of really cool tiny things from all over the world, go and explore this blog.

To find lots of really cool tiny things in your own neighbourhood, step outside and look around you … (No link is available; you will have to find this for yourself!)