Ros Schwartz won the award in the category of books for 9 to 11 year old children, with her translation of Jean-Claude Mourlevat’s Jefferson, a book about a hedgehog falsely accused of the murder of a barber.

Ros says “I absolutely loved translating this book. It’s an eco-thriller featuring a cast of endearing anthropomorphic animals, full of quirky humour and suspense.” Since the publication of Jefferson, she has already translated two more books by Mourlevat, in The Upside Down River series. She says she enjoys alternating the challenges of translating children’s books with other genres. 

In terms of the prospects of the book on the UK market, Ros is optimistic: “All the kids I’ve given copies to really enjoyed it!”

The Prix Albertine Jeunesse award is given by Villa Albertine, a French government-sponsored institution offering residential fellowships to French artists and intellectuals in the United States. This year’s prize was based on the votes of over ten thousand children in the U.S. and Canada, who were asked to judge the quality of each shortlisted book in both languages.

Winners in the other categories are Who Left the Light On? (La lumière allumée) by Aude Maurel and Richard Marnier, translated by Emma Ramadan, 365 Penguins (365 pingouins) by Jean-Luc Fromental and Joëlle Jolivet, and The Last Giants (Les derniers géants) by François Place, translated by William Rodarmor.