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Hans Christian Andersen Award 1

United States Recipients of the Hans Christian Andersen Award

Melissa A. Wallace

The College of New Jersey


Abstract

Every other year, the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) presents the Hans

Christian Andersen Awards to a living author and illustrator whose entire works have made an

eternal contribution to children’s literature (Nadeau, 2006). Five authors or illustrators from the

United States have already won this award: Meindert DeJong, 1962; Maurice Sendak, 1970;

Scott O’Dell, 1972; Paula Fox, 1978; and Virginia Hamilton, 1992. This paper explains these

authors’ and illustrators’ contributions to children’s literature in short summary and examines the

reasons why they were chosen to receive this prominent award (Nadeau, 2006).


United States Recipients of the Hans Christian Andersen Award

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an

author and an illustrator of children’s books. The International Board on Books for Young

People (IBBY) recognizes these authors and illustrators by the work that they have done and are

judged based on their literary and artistic value. The judges “look for exceptional aesthetic

qualities in writing or illustration, including treatment of plot, character, style, structure or

language and for a portrayal of universal themes with lasting human virtues” (Nadeau, 2006).

Candidates who are highly recognized in their contributions to children’s literature may be

chosen to receive the award again after five years. The recipients receive both a gold medal and a

diploma in light of their honor. The medal has the face of Hans Christian Andersen depicted on

its surface surrounded by the words ‘HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN MEDAILLE’ (Nadeau,

2006).

Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author and poet, most famous for his fairytales.

He is recognized as one of the masters of this genre of literature. His best known stories are The

Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Snow Queen, The Little Mermaid, and The Ugly Duckling. His

writings also included plays, novels, and travel books (Nadeau, 2006). His writings have had a

profound impact on children’s literature and have brought joy to thousands and thousands of

children around the world (Nadeau, 2006). The United States authors and illustrators who have

been given the Hans Christian Andersen Award have received this award because of the firm

impact their work has had on children and adults, as Hans Christian Andersen once had and

continues to have to this day (Nadeau, 2006).


Meindert DeJong

Meindert DeJong was an author who exhibited the work of a true, notorious writer. Prior

to receiving the Hans Christian Andersen Award, DeJong’s books, Shadrach and Hurry Home

Candy, were both named Newbury Honor Books in 1954. A Newbury Honor is a citation given

by the Association for Library Service to Children of the American Library Association. The

honor is given to an author who was runner-up in receiving the Newbury Medal, the most

prestigious award in literature. Another of DeJong’s books, The Wheel on the School, was

awarded the Newbury Medal in 1955.

To continue with his other awards, DeJong received the Josette Frank Award in 1956, for

his book, The House of Sixty Fathers. The award at the time was called the Children’s Book

Award of the Child Study Association. This award is given annually to honor books that portray

"outstanding literary merit in which children or young people deal in a positive and realistic way

with difficulties in their world and grow emotionally and morally” (Palmquist, 2008). The book

also became a Newbury Honor Book in 1957. DeJong received another Newbury Honor Book

award in 1959, with his work titled, Along Came A Dog (Palmquist, 2008).

DeJong’s awards for his work were a contributing factor in determining whether to

present him with the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Also taken into account, was the fact that

DeJong has worked with outstanding illustrator Maurice Sendak, who later received the award in

1970. But the lead causative factor to DeJong receiving this award was his exceptional work in

writing, The Wheel on the School and The House of Sixty Fathers. The exceptional overall

plotline and summary of these two books had a great role in providing for our choice.

In The Wheel on the School, Lina lives in a small fishing village with six other children

her age. The village is known as Shora. Lina writes an essay asking why her village doesn’t have


any storks, prompting her teacher to persuade Lina and the other children to find out the reason

on their own. The children discover that the roofs on the village’s homes are too jagged for the

storks to sit on. Thus, the children learn that by placing a wagon wheel on the roofs, it would

give the storks a place to nest. However, the task of finding a wagon wheel in such a small

village proves to be very complicated. The Wheel on the School teaches children that if people

imagine and wonder, things will begin to ensue and dreams will come true. DeJong writes at the

end of the book, “‘So impossibly impossible that it just had to be. And the long dream –storks on

every roof in Shora –is beginning to come true.’” (DeJong, 1954).

The House of Sixty Fathers takes place during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Tien Pao,

a young boy, and his family, live in a tiny, meager village in China that is being threatened by

the Japanese. The story is about Tien Pao’s journey home after he is lost down the river. He must

travel through forests and mountains to get back home. Tien Pao suffers from food depravity and

exhaustion and sees the violence of the war first hand. Eventually, Tien Pao reaches home back

to his family (DeJong, 1956). The book teaches children about the love of a family and to never

give up, no matter what the circumstances. The lessons that DeJong’s books teach are the main

reasons why he was chosen to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1962.

Maurice Sendak

After writing and illustrating Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak achieved

international commendation. This book received the Caldecott Medal, which is given to the artist

of the most discerning American picture book for children, in 1964. Prior to Where the Wild

Things Are, Sendak was best known for illustrating books in the Little Bear series by Else

Holmelund (Banks, 2008).


Sendak received the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1970, the same year he wrote

and illustrated In the Night Kitchen. This book had been challenged by many people and banned

in several American states. This is one of the main reasons Sendak was chosen to receive the

Hans Christian Andersen Award. His work creates controversy. In the Night Kitchen has been

noted for its controversy in that a young boy is shown naked throughout the book. This has

caused many to consider censoring the book (Banks, 2008). Many states have prohibited this

book from being read in schools. To create controversy means that the work manufactures an

affect on the public. Sendak is acclaimed for being a controversial illustrator and writer, thus

showing the profound affect he has had on his readers. A true writer is one that impinges on his

audience. Maurice Sendak is a clear representation of this, which is why he was chosen to

receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1970.

Sendak was a member of the National Board of Advisors of the Children’s Television

Workshop, where he wrote and devised an animated sequence for the series, Bumble Ardy.

Sendak was also involved in the growth of the series Sesame Street. He produced a variety of

different segments for television and also contributed to the set designs for many operas and

ballets, making him a true renaissance man. His accomplishments in a variety of different areas

added to the decision making process when choosing Sendak for the Hans Christian Andersen

Award in 1970 (Banks, 2008).

Where the Wild Things Are really influenced the decision making process. The plotline

and pictures represented throughout the book clearly depict Sendak as an advanced author and

illustrator. The book tells the story of a young boy named Max. Max is playing around in his

home and Sendak writes, “The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and

another” (Sendak, 1963). He is punished for his actions and his mother sends him to bed without


any dinner. In his room, Max starts to imagine a wild forest growing in his room. He journeys to

the land of the Wild Things. Max surmounts scary looking monsters and is eventually made the

king of the land. Later, he finds himself lonely and wanting to return home. He returns to his

bedroom, where his dinner is waiting for him (Sendak, 1963).

In the Night Kitchen put Maurice Sendak on the map with its nationwide controversy

mentioned previously, adding to the decision to bestow upon Sendak the Hans Christian

Andersen Award. The story starts out with a young boy named Mickey sleeping in his bed, when

he is suddenly disturbed by noises below him. Unexpectedly, Mickey begins to float in the air

towards a fantastic world known as the “Night Kitchen.” Completely naked, Mickey falls into a

batter of cake mix. While Mickey is hidden beneath the batter, three bakers who all resemble

each other begin to prepare the cake, not realizing that Mickey is inside. Mickey appears as soon

as the bakers are about to put the batter in the oven. Mickey creates an airplane out of dough to

reach a bottle of milk, in order to make up for the absence of ingredients. The milk is poured into

the cake batter, as the bakers finish making the cake. Mickey magically returns to his bed,

“cakefree and dried” (Sendak, 1970).

Scott O’Dell

The contributions Scott O’Dell made to children’s literature were exceptional. He wrote

26 novels for young children, along with three adult novels and four nonfiction books. O’Dell

received many awards for his work, which is the main reason why he was chosen to receive the

Hans Christian Andersen Award. The first award O’Dell received was the Newbury Medal in

1961, with his work Island of the Blue Dolphins. O’Dell had three of his books receive Newbury

Honors –The Kings Fifth in 1966, The Black Pearl in 1967, and Sing Down the Moon in 1970.


Because of his prestigious work, O’Dell was presented with the Hans Christian Andersen Award

in 1972 for his lifetime achievement toward children’s literature (Hall, 2006).

Like Maurice Sendak, Scott O’Dell was a renaissance man of his time. He worked

various fields, contributing to his later awards and recognition for his work. O’Dell’s first job

was with the Palmer Photoplay Company, where he read and criticized movie scripts. This work

led to his first book, Representative Photoplays Analyzed. He later did work with Paramount

Pictures and Metro Goldwyn Mayer (Hall, 2006).

Scott began writing for adults for many years prior to his writing of children’s books. In

1934, his first novel for adults was published, Woman of Spain. He still worked as a magazine

editor at this time and sold many of his stories to newspapers and magazines. In 1947, O’Dell

became the book editor for the Los Angeles Daily News (Hall, 2006).

With a wide range of jobs behind him, O’Dell began his work with children’s books

when Island of the Blue Dolphins was published and launched him on a new career. This book

was one of the main reasons why O’Dell was chosen to receive the Hans Christian Andersen

Award. The main character in the book is a girl named Wonapalei, or as a nickname, Karana.

Her people live in a village called Ghalas-at on the island, gathering roots and fishing to supply

the tribe. One day, a ship of Aleuts arrive on the island and attempt to persuade the natives into

letting them hunt sea otter on the island in return for other goods. The Aleuts lie to the islanders

and try to leave their island without paying them. When they are confronted by Chief Chowig,

Karana's father, a battle breaks out, taking lives on both sides (O’Dell, 1960).

Karana begins to make a life for herself after her brother is killed and her father leaves

the island. The Aleuts later return to the island and Karana meets a young girl whom she

befriends. Karana realizes her loneliness on the island. She sees the sails of a ship and dresses to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_otter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleut


meet the boat at the shoreline. At the end of the book, Karana ends up joining the people on the

boats and travels with them on their journey. This plotline in O’Dell’s book was well-written and

provided for a strong impact on its readers, contributing to O’Dell winning the Hans Christian

Andersen Award (O’Dell, 1960).

The King’s Fifth, published in 1966, was also another reason why O’Dell received the

award. The novel is a children’s historical fiction novel that describes the point of view of a

young Spanish Conquistador on the Spanish Adventurers search for gold in the New World of

the Americas. Estéban is the main character in the novel and the story begins in his jail cell,

where he is awaiting his trial for tax evasion. He is also suspected of finding a treasure without

submitting the Quinto Real, or the "King's Fifth", a tax on precious metals, such as gold,

produced by the King of Spain. Everyone around Estéban wants him to reveal where he found

the treasure. He agrees to draw his jail guard a map, but uses the provided writing materials to

write a secret journal. In this journal Estéban describes how he joined a small army band of

Spaniards to seek the "Seven Golden Cities of Cíbola” (O’Dell, 1966). O’Dell’s interpretation of

this time period and his manner of writing this novel clearly shows how great of a writer he was

and is also the reasoning behind why Scott O’Dell was chosen to receive the Hans Christian

Andersen Award.

Paula Fox

Paula Fox is the author of many novels for adults and children and two memoirs. Her

novel The Slave Dancer, published in 1973, received the Newbury Medal in 1974, leading to Fox

later winning the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1978 (Rossi, 2007). Fox developed a

respect for reading as a child. After various jobs, she became a teacher of writing workshops and

a professor of literature at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Fox’s writing has

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quivira_and_C%C3%ADbola

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_people

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinto_Real


earned her a place among America’s most noted children’s book authors (Rossi, 2007). “In her

novels for young adults, she tackles issues of estrangement, death, AIDS, and race; her ability to

address these topics honestly and bluntly makes her style unique” (Rossi, 2007). This reasoning

contributed to Fox winning the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

In 1971, she was also a finalist for the National Book Award for Blowfish Live in the Sea

and again in 1979 for The Little Swineherd and Other Tales. Her book A Place Apart was

selected as one of The New York Times Outstanding Books in 1980. It received the American

Book Award three years later (Rossi, 2007). Her awards and accomplishments made her a clear

target for receiving the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

The Slave Dancer was Fox’s most famous and controversial novel and is one of the main

reasons why Paula Fox was chosen to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award. It tells the

story of a young musician’s journey from his capture in New Orleans to his life of slavery

playing for the slaves captured in West Africa on their trip to America. The novel begins with a

historical account of the shipwreck of a boat named The Moonlight which sank in the Gulf of

Mexico, June 3, 1840. This serves as foundation for the plot of the story. The main character in

the story is a young boy named Jessie, who is kidnapped and brought aboard The Moonlight,

where he is forced to play his fife for the slaves on the ship. He hated the slaves and doing

anything that had to do with them (Fox, 1973).

The Moonlight comes into contact with an enemy and Jessie and a young slave boy hide

under the deck so they won’t get killed or injured. A terrible storm murders the rest of the crew

when The Moonlight sank. The two boys woke up and swam to the shore where they were

rescued and taken care of. Jessie was told how to return back to his homeland (Fox, 1973). This


novel is the main reason why Fox was chosen to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Her work astounds her readers, just as this novel clearly did.

Virginia Hamilton

Virginia Hamilton stated about her work,

‘I see my books and the language I use in them as empowering me to give utterance to

the dreams, the wishes, of African Americans. I see the imaginative use of language and

ideas as a way to illuminate a human condition...I've attempted to mark the history and

traditions of African Americans, a parallel culture people, through my writing, while

bringing readers strong stories and memorable characters living nearly the best they know

how. I want the readers, both adults and children, to care about who the characters are. I

want readers to feel, to understand, and to empathize.’ (Daniels, 2006)

Virginia Hamilton had this goal in her mind prior to writing some of the most well known

stories of all time. Because of her efforts to promote her positive view of personal strength,

pride, and childhood in her stories, Hamilton was chosen to receive the Hans Christian Andersen

Award in 1992. In nearly all that she has written Hamilton incorporated life as it was described

to her (Daniels, 2006). The themes in Hamilton’s work portray a true representation of the time

period, where she dominantly featured issues such as segregation due in large part to her own

mixed African American and Native American birthright (Daniels, 2006).

Hamilton wrote what she felt in a clear and concise manner in order to allow the reader to

better understand the situation that was going on throughout the novel. This led her to receive

countless awards for her prestigious work. She won the Edgar Allen Poe award for The House of


Dies Drear and the John Newbery Medal and the National Book Award in 1974 for M.C.

Higgins, the Great (Daniels, 2006).

She continually emphasized how certain things in life affect her characters and really

gave the reader a chance to sympathize with the situation. She always brought about life lessons

in her work, especially by portraying the theme of having pride in oneself throughout many of

her novels. She also received a Newbury Honor Award for her publication of The Planet of

Junior Brown (Daniels, 2006). Her prior recognitions and style of writing are two of the main

reasons why Hamilton was chosen to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award, along with the

compelling plotline behind her most prominent novel, M.C. Higgins, the Great.

M.C. Higgins, the Great won the Newbury Medal for its excellence in children’s

literature. It also won the National Book Award, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the

only book to ever do so. The book is a coming of age novel that tells the story of Mayo Cornelius

Higgins. The novel goes into great detail about his childhood and early adult life. The setting

takes place along a mine on Sarah’s Mountain, a fictional mountain in West Virginia near the

Ohio River (Hamilton, 1974). The success of this novel was the final motive in choosing

Virginia Hamilton to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1992.


References

Banks, L.R. (2008). Maurice Sendak (1928–) Biography - Personal, Addresses, Career, Member,

Honors Awards, Writings, Adaptations, Sidelights. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from

Brief Biographies Web site: http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1957/Sendak-Maurice-

1928.html

Daniels, T (2006). Viriginia Hamilton. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from VG: Artist

Biography: Hamilton, Virginia Web site:

http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Bios/entries/hamilton_virginia.html

DeJong, M (1954). The wheel on the school. New York, NY: Harper & Brothers Publishers.

DeJong, M (1956). The house of sixty fathers. New York, NY: Harper & Brothers Publishers.

Fox, P (1973). The slave dancer. Scarsdale, NY: Bradbury Press.

Hall , B (2006, June 29). Scott O'Dell . Retrieved November 30, 2008, from Scott O'Dell: More

About Scott O'Dell Web site: http://www.scottodell.com/moreabt.html

Hamilton, V (1974). M.c. higgins, the great. New York, NY: The Macmillan Company.

Nadeau, F (2006). Hans christian andersen award. Retrieved November 19, 2008, from

Curriculum Lab: CCSU Burritt Library Web site:

http://www.ccsu.edu/library/curriculumlab/Award%20Books/HansChristianAndersen.ht

m

O'Dell, S (1960). Island of the blue dolphins. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

O'Dell, S (1966). The king's fifth. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Palmquist, V (2008). Birthday Bios: Meindert DeJong. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from

Children's Literature Network Web site:

http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/birthbios/brthpage/03mar/3-4dejong.html


Rossi, J (2007). Paula Fox. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from Pennsylvania Center for the

Book Web site: www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Fox__Paula.html

Sendak, M (1963). Where the wild things are. New York, NY: Harper & Row, Publishers.

Sendak, M (1970). In the night kitchen. New York, NY: Harper & Row, Publishers.

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