Rosalyn Schanzer wins Gold Medal from Society of Illustrators

Guild member Rosalyn Schanzer has been awarded the Gold Medal for outstanding achievement in children’s book illustration by the Society of Illustrators for Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem, written and illustrated by Roz and published by the National Geographic Society.

Witches! tells the true story of the victims, accused witches, scheming officials, and mass hysteria that turned a mysterious illness afflicting two children into a witch hunt that took 20 lives and ruined hundreds more.

The Original Art exhibition will be on display at the Museum of American Illustration in New York from October 26 – December 29. The exhibit, founded by artists’ agent Dilys Evans, is now in its 31st year. As the Society describes it, the exhibition is a chance for the public “to better understand the importance of books for children and to appreciate the enormous range of creativity they represent.”

Illustrations in the exhibit are selected by a jury of illustrators, art directors and editors. This year’s show features 150 books selected from 590 entries. One Gold Medal is awarded and two Silver Medals.

Roz is the author and illustrator of 16 books for young people, including How We Crossed the West which garnered starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, and George versus George: The American Revolution as Seen From Both Sides, an ALA Notable Book, SLJ Book of the Year, NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, and Orbis Pictus Recommended book. Roz lives in Virginia with her husband and the family dog, Jones.

See the trailer for Witches!

More information about Roz and Witches!