New British Children's Laureate appointed

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Good news for England.  Julia Donaldson has been named as the Children's Laureate for 2011-2013.  With more than a hundred titles to her name, including The Gruffalo, The Snail and The Whale, What the Ladybird Heard, The Princess Mirror-Belle books, and Running on the Cracks.  Donadson has written musicals, plays, poems and songs, and is a well known performer.  The queen of rhyme is a welcome change, especially given her popularity with younger children. The Guardian reports that "To have a children's laureate whose skill lies in appealing to pre-school children who, once hooked by what books offer, are more likely to enjoy reading and become readers for life, is an invaluable asset in the UK's efforts to improve national standards of literacy."  

Donaldson celebrated the honor by including all seven previous children's laureates in an original rhyming poem!


So Canada, when will you be stepping up to the plate and appointing a Canadian Children's Laureate?