For Immediate Release: October 11, 2023
BC authors Samantha Beynon, Philippa Joly, and Amanda Swinimer Awarded Top Honours in the 2023 Moonbeam Prize!
Gold Medal in the Cultural Experience Category
Oolichan Moon by Samantha Beynon, illustrated by Lucy Trimble
Gold Medal in the Activity Book: Educational, Science, History Category
The Science and Superpowers of Seaweed by Amanda Swinimer
Silver Medal in the Activity Book: Educational, Science, History Category
A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest by Philippa Joly
About the Moonbeam Prize
The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards are intended to increase recognition of exemplary children’s books and their creators and support childhood literacy and life-long reading. The Moonbeam Awards recognize and reward the best of these books and bring them to the attention of booksellers, librarians, parents, and children.
The 2023 GOLD MEDAL winner of the Cultural Experience Award is Oolichan Moon. In the Activity Book: Educational, Science, History category, the winners are The Science and Superpowers of Seaweed (GOLD MEDAL) and A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest (SILVER MEDAL). All three titles are published by Harbour Publishing of Madeira Park, British Columbia.
Oolichan Moon by Samantha Beynon, illustrated by Lucy Trimble, is the recipient of the 2023 Moonbeam Prize Gold Medal in the Cultural Experience Category. Short-listed for the Indigenous Voices Award (2023) and long-listed for First Nations Communities Read (2023), Oolichan Moon is a beautifully illustrated children’s book about passing down traditional knowledge from Nisga’a Elders and the sacredness of traditional foods. A gorgeous celebration of Nisga’a language, history and
culture, Oolichan Moon also includes historical and cultural information about the oolichan fish and related Nisga’a vocabulary. A resident of Kxeen Island (Prince Rupert), Samantha Beynon’s diverse heritage includes Nisga’a, Ts’msyen, and European roots. Inspired by her great-grandfathers, William Beynon and Chief Clah, both writers and learners, Beynon is pursuing a Masters in Educational
Leadership at Vancouver Island University. Lucy Trimble hails from the Frog clan and has maternal roots in Gingolx, BC. Trimble works as an Indigenous Child and Youth Mental Health Clinician for coastal
Ts’msyen communities and is a student at the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art.
The Science and Superpowers of Seaweed by Amanda Swinimer is the recipient of the 2023 Moonbeam Prize Gold Medal in the Activity Book: Educational, Science, History Category. This colourful, activity- packed book is a middle-grade and family-friendly introduction to the enchanting world of seaweed.
Aimed at exploring the science and sustainable harvest of seaweed, this unique field guide features seaweeds from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans while showcasing the beautiful and vital ecosystems of the coasts. “This book is a fascinating guide to one of the world’s most important groups of species,” says academic and environmental activist David Suzuki. Amanda Swinimer lives on the west coast of Vancouver Island. She operates a sustainable business, Dakini Tidal Wilds, hand-harvesting wild seaweed from the beaches and kelp forests surrounding her home. She holds a bachelor of science degree from Dalhousie University with an advanced major in Marine Biology.
A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest by Philippa Joly is the recipient of the 2023 Moonbeam Prize Silver Medal in the Activity Book: Educational, Science, History Category. This middle-grade- friendly introduction to Pacific Northwest flora, with outdoor activities, games and quizzes, encourages children to engage with the natural environment. Drawing on her years of experience as a herbalist and outdoor educator, author Philippa Joly features more than fifty richly illustrated plant profiles, including information on identification and ecology, uses in Coastal Indigenous cultures, and fun activities—all in a way that is accessible and interesting to readers of all ages. Philippa Joly is a clinical and community herbalist, paramedic and outdoor educator based on Denman Island. She runs an outdoor school for kids and leads workshops on herbal medicine, plant identification, ethical wildcrafting, herbal first aid, local healing plants and anti-colonial approaches to wellness.
Oolichan Moon
By Samantha Beynon, illustrated by Lucy Trimble ISBN: 9781550179927 11 in x 8.5 in – 32 pp
Hardcover $24.95 Publication Date: 15/10/2022
The Science and Superpowers of Seaweed
By Amanda Swinimer
ISBN: 9781990776199 8.5 in x 8.5 in – 168 pp
Paperback $24.95 Publication Date: 06/05/2023
A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest
By Philippa Joly
ISBN: 9781990776212 8.5 in x 8.5 in – 232 pp
Paperback $26.95 Publication Date: 06/05/2023
