Bookbird Editorial Team 2019-2022
IBBY Statement for immediate release
The Board of Bookbird, Inc. is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Janelle Mathis and Dr. Petros Panaou as the editors of Bookbird: a Journal of International Children’s Literature, with effect from 2019 to 2022.
Dr. Mathis is a Professor of Literacy and Children’s Literature at the University of North Texas where she teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses centered on international children’s literature and its applications. A former Fellow at the International Youth Library in Munich, she presents regularly at international children’s literature conferences, including IBBY, IRSCL and ILA congresses, and has served on award committees including the Notable Books for a Global Society committee of ILA. Dr. Mathis has published widely on children’s literature studies, and her recent publications include a co-edited volume, Critical Content Analysis of Children’s and Young Adult Literature (2016).
Dr. Panaou is Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia, Department of Language and Literacy Education, where he teaches children’s literature and literacy courses. He has published widely on international children’s literature, on translation studies, and on comparative children’s literature. He also edited a special comparative children’s literature issue of the Greek journal Keimena. He has led multiple internationally funded projects, such as the European Picture Book Collection II, European Mobility Folktales, and Lifelong Readers.
As well as their strong academic experience in the field of international children’s literature, both Dr. Mathis and Dr. Panaou are active members of IBBY. Dr. Mathis has served as president of the US section of IBBY and currently serves on the USBBY Board of Directors. Dr. Panaou also serves on the USBBY Board and is a USBBY State Ambassador. Formerly, he was secretary to the Cyprus section of IBBY, and is currently chairing the scientific committee for the 36th IBBY Congress in Athens, and is guest editor for the upcoming congress issue of Bookbird.
They will succeed Dr. Björn Sundmark who completes his term of office at the end of 2018, and whose excellent work with Bookbird is greatly appreciated throughout the IBBY community.
Valerie Coghlan
President Bookbird Inc.
www.ibby.org
Dublin, Ireland
28 November 2017
