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The first phase of voting for the Public Book Awards ‘Pens of the Year’ concluded with 132,457 votes, with readers highlighting their favourite books by choosing from eight different award categories.‘Apenanti’ by Thodoris Papaioannou and Irini Samartzi was voted by the reading public as one of the top 10 children’s books of the year!The second phase of voting has already begun and will run until 22 May. Let’s vote for the book “Apenanti” to reach the top of children’s literature: http://bit.ly/Apenanti2016

The shortlists for this year’s IBBY Greece Awards for writing, illustration and translation of books published in 2015 were announced last week.We were delighted to see two of our books nominated: The book by Thodoris Papaioannou, illustrated by Iris Samartzi, *Apenanti* (Across), is nominated for the award for picture book illustrator and author, for both the illustrations and the text, and the graphic novel "Democracy" by Alekos Papadatos, Avraam Kawa and Annie Di Donna is nominated for the award for author of a book for teenagers and young adults.The winners will be announced and the awards presented to the creators on Saturday 2 April 2016 at 7.00 pm at the annual celebration for World Children’s Book Day, at Aeriofylakio 1 – Amphitheatre at Technopolis, Municipality of Athens (100 Piraeus Street, Gazi).

By Olga Sella, KATHIMERINI 4/2/2012 The historic publishing house with new initiatives. The third generation – Marilena Panourgia and Nikos Argyris, children of Chrysoula and Katerina Karidi – have been working at “Ikaros” Publications for some time now. They manage the long history of the publishing house founded by their grandfather, Nikos Karydis, with respect and inspiration, but they also listen to the reading needs of the fourth generation, their own children – little Elli and little Aphrodite. Thus, alongside the books of Nobel Prize-winning poets, from this month, February, a major, brand-new publishing programme aimed at young readers will begin to unfold. Yes, Ikaros Publications is also turning its attention to children’s books, showcasing Greek authors whilst also introducing the Greek public to significant international authors. The criteria for each publication will be its educational value, high-quality texts and carefully crafted illustrations. And specifically for children’s books, a new logo has been designed: a little ‘Ikaros’, a... Little Ikaros! Bridge and perspective The bridge to the well-known ‘Ikaros’ catalogue of publications is formed by the series entitled ‘If I were to read: poets of the 1930s generation’ (in collaboration with the Benaki Museum), conceived and created by the artist Alexis Kyritsopoulos, who draws inspiration from the poems of the great poets of the ’30s generation and writes a new fairy tale, which he naturally illustrates. The first two books in the series are titled ‘Just a Little More’ (inspired by a poem by Giorgos Seferis) and ‘Fireworks’ (inspired by poems by Nikos Engonopoulos).Also featured in the ‘Ikaros’ publications is Evgenios Trivizas with two distinct books: ‘Tzo and Tsiou’ (illustrated by Liza Iliou) written following a meeting between the popular author and the Ethiopian activist Johannes Gebregeorgis in Stockholm, who asked Trivizas to write a subversive and subversive version of the English children’s book ‘Curious George’. The book will be published in a special bilingual edition (English-Amharic) for the children of Ethiopia. Eugenios Trivizas’s second book will be titled ‘The Camel’s Complaint’ (illustrated by Nikos Koutsis), featuring a solitary Bedouin, tirelessly accompanied by a camel, who at one point asks him to relieve her of her hump so that she may become light and swift as a gazelle. Young readers will see bustling Arab bazaars, seedy harbours and cosmetic surgeons’ waiting rooms come to life before their eyes, and will witness a hilarious allegory.Foreign-language books With an experienced storyteller, Filippos Mandilaras, translating the foreign-language books, we will be treated to a wide variety of tales. Such as the bunnies Tick and Tella in various stories by the multi-award-winning Axel Scheffler. The book ‘Goldilocks and Just One Bear’ by Leigh Hodgkinson, which offers a subversive take on the well-known fairy tale. Mr and Mrs Deer, who didn’t have a baby of their own but would very much like to have one, and one day find one on their doorstep. Except it was growling (‘What a Strange Baby! Grrr!’ by Simon Puttock. A tender story that speaks of the value of a gift and the joy one feels when giving, in the book ‘A Gift for Everyone’ (author Birdie Black, illustrator Rosalind Beardshaw).To help the youngest readers become familiar with the book, Ikaros Publications is producing pop-up books. The first book in the series is *I Play and Read on the Farm*. Finally, for the first time, the Greek public will be introduced to the award-winning children’s book illustrator Oliver Jeffers, with the release of the book ‘Oops... It’s Stuck’, which tells the story of a kite that gets stuck in the branches of a tree. Not only is the story delightful, but the illustrations are also impressive. The first children’s books The truth is that Ikaros Publications have reissued children’s books before. There are already two in their catalogue, published as far back as 1948! These are ‘Children’s Songs’ by Minos Dounias and the well-known children’s fairy tale ‘Dili-Dili’, both illustrated by the artist Spyros Vassiliou. In fact, “Dili-Dili” was reprinted in 2006 and reached a new generation of readers, whilst in 2010 it was released as a free app for iPhone and iPad devices, and to date more than 2,500 e-readers have downloaded the app.At a time when most news concerns postponements, cancellations or cutbacks, a historic publishing house is venturing into new territory, drawing on the experience and discernment that have characterised its journey to date.

Ikaros Publications is delighted to announce the publication of books aimed at children.In Ikaros’s long history, amongst the books by great poets and prose writers, there are two books illustrated by Spyros Vassiliou that were aimed at young readers: Minos Dounias’s Children’s Songs (1948) and the folk tale Dili-Dili (1948).  In 2006, Dili-Dili was reprinted and rediscovered by readers, and in October 2010 it was released as a free app for iPhone and iPad devices. To date, more than 2,500 readers have downloaded the app.Today, we are announcing Ikaros’s entry into the children’s book market with a significant number of titles. A new logo has been designed for these books, reminiscent of the classic ‘Ikaros’ logo.  The publishing schedule runs from February 2012 until the end of the year. The books are as follows: Alexis Kyritsopoulos, Series: ‘If I Read’ – poets of the 1930s generation Co-published with the Benaki Museum This series serves, in a way, as a bridge between Ikaros’s classic books and children’s books. Alexis Kyritsopoulos draws inspiration from the poems of the great poets of the 1930s generation and writes a new fairy tale, illustrated by himself.Alexis Kyritsopoulos, Just a Little MoreA fairy tale inspired by the poems of Giorgos Seferis.Alexis Kyritsopoulos, BengaliA fairy tale inspired by the poems of Nikos Engonopoulos.♦Eugenios Trivizas, undoubtedly the best-known and most beloved children’s author, could not be missing from Ikaros’s catalogue of children’s books, especially from its very beginnings. Eugenios Trivizas,  Joe & Tsiou, illustrated by Liza IliouA humorous adaptation of the well-known English story Curious George, which overturns the image we have had until now of the famous little monkey, whilst emphasising freedom and respect for the environment.  The book will also be published in a special bilingual edition (English – Amharic) for children in Ethiopia. Joe and ChiuEugene Trivizas, The Camel’s Complaint, illustrated by Nikos KoutsisAhmet Hamamet, the solitary Bedouin, has a camel that tirelessly accompanies him on all his journeys. She is his comfort, his hope and his only companion. So, when the camel confides in him her dream of becoming as light as a gazelle and asks him to rid her of her hump, the Bedouin does not hesitate for a moment. Eugene Trivizas’s wild imagination and Nikos Koutsis’s skilled pen bring to life, in a thrilling way, the bustling Arab bazaars, the seedy harbours, the misty streets of London, the waiting rooms of cosmetic surgeons, the enchanting oases, the raging sandstorms and the bewildering optical illusions that make up this hilarious yet tragic allegory. The Camel’s ComplaintAntonis Dimitrakopoulos, The Dewdrop, illustrated by Ersi SpathopoulouThe Dewdrop wanders through nature trying to find an answer to her question: Do you know my name? A tender story by debut author Antonis Dimitrakopoulos, brought to life by the dreamlike illustrations of Ersi Spathopoulou.The catalogue will also include translated books from the international market, carefully selected for their high aesthetic quality and educational value.Axel Scheffler, series: Tick and TellaTranslated into Greek by: Philippos MandilarasThe multi-award-winning Axel Scheffler, creator of The Gruffalo, is the author of the Tick and Tella series. Two little rabbits learn to overcome their obstacles and fears through tender everyday stories.Tick and Tella - The Super SkateboardTick and Tella - The Little PondTick and Tella - The MonsterLeigh Hodgkinson, Goldilocks and Just One BearWe all know that when Goldilocks turned the three bears’ house upside down, they said goodbye to her with great relief. But have you ever wondered what happened next? Years later, the little bear gets lost in the big city, and guess who he meets! A clever and funny sequel to a much-loved fairy tale, by an award-winning illustrator. Simon Puttock, What a Strange Baby! Grrr!, illustrated by Nadia Shireen Mr and Mrs Deer didn’t have a baby of their own but they would have loved to… Just imagine their joy when one day they found a tiny little baby on their doorstep.  But – how strange! – this baby wouldn’t stop growling… They called their friends to help them, but, one by one, they vanished… How strange! Helen Stephens, How to Hide a LionWhere can a little girl hide a huge lion? It’s not easy, but Ellie has to do her best. Because Mum and Dad aren’t too keen on having lions in the house. Will Ellie be able to hide her lion forever?♦Birdie Black, A Gift for Everyone, illustrated by Rosalind BeardshawHow many gifts can you make with a roll of fabric that’s red, warm and so, so Christmassy? Countless! A warm, tender story about the value of giving and the joy we all feel when we give, with wonderful illustrations by the acclaimed illustrator Rosalind Beardshaw. A book destined to become a classic.♦Play & Read seriesCorina Fletcher & Britta Teckentrup, Play & Read on the FarmAn original pop-up book that transforms into a three-dimensional farm for endless play. Play & Read on the FarmOliver Jeffers, Oops... It Got StuckIkaros Publications presents, for the first time in Greece, the multi-award-winning illustrator and children’s book author, Oliver Jeffers. In the first book to be released, titled Oops... It’s Stuck, Floyd’s kite gets stuck in the branches of a tree. His attempts to get it down lead to hilarious scenes!