About the Key Colors Award

Clavis Publishing has been organizing the Key Colours Competition since 1996. It started as a competition in Belgium but has since expanded its scope: in 2017 Key Colours China was launched, to discover Chinese talent, and in 2020 the first edition of Key Colours US was held to identify promising American authors and illustrators. Key Colours Belgium has since expanded to Key Colours Worldwide, a competition for talent from all over the world.

Clavis Publishing, New York launches Key Colors, the two-yearly national contest for illustrators of children’s books. Only a children’s book, intended for children from 2 to 7 years old, can qualify for the award. A professional jury will judge the artistic, literary, and child-oriented qualities of the works.

The winner receives $8000 and the winning work will be published by Clavis Publishing. From all entries, a selection will be made for a children’s books exhibition in New York. In addition to the winner, other entries will also be considered for publication by Clavis.

This award, and the resulting picture book(s), will receive a great deal of press in the US and will be promoted at book fairs abroad. For many illustrators, this unique award is the start of a successful international career.

🥇 WINNERS OF THE 2023 EDITION 🥈

🥇 The New Bicycle by Darcy Day Zoells 🥇

A girl living in a very normal house in a very normal neighborhood gets a new bicycle. She starts riding it and travels to a fantasy landscape. She visits the zoo and feels bad for the elephant locked up in his cage. So, she frees him and brings him all the way to his homeland. Then she goes back home. This little road movie has a simple, strong main message as well as clear underlying messages. The art is full of imagination and refers to existing works of art. Very well done.

English and Spanish versions out November 2023!

🥈 What Really Happens at Night by Muge Li 🥈

This is a classic “I don’t want to go to bed yet” story. The everyday questions of a little girl are visualized in the pictures with a lot of imagination, which would surely create laughter and extra stories at the side of the bed when reading this book together. The pictures are clear and very readable for young children, with a nice color scheme. A classic theme, indeed, but very well done.

Coming November 2023!

🥈 How Do You Become Friends with the Moon? by Ghazaleh Bigdelou 🥈

A little girl, a giant dragon, and an octopus are asking many philosophical questions. They’re placed in a very realistic, soft setting. Even though we stay close to this strange company, they’re presented in a large variety of compositions to us, which creates a lot of fun just watching them. It’s a pity the little girl, who is the final protagonist, isn’t always as present as we’d like. The girl, the dragon, and the octopus have one major question: how to please the moon, so that she always stays with us. Of course, the moon will come and grow, but also leave again in the everlasting circle of life.

Coming November 2023!

🥈 How to Spot a Grampire by Leslie McCrary & Sharon Lane Holm 🥈

This very funny story explores the possibility that grandparents could be vampires. How can you find out if they are or not? What would they do? Normal habits of most grandparents are explained as vampire disguises. The pictures of this perfect Halloween book contain a lot of details and have a cartoony feel. They would surely create funny situations in the homes of many grandparents.

Coming Fall 2024!

A recording of the ceremony can be watched here:

WATCH

Gold medal winner of the 2020 Key Colors Illustrators Competition