“Remember Us with Smiles” wins Christopher Award

Category: Books for Young People

CHICAGO, March 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Loyola Press announces today that Remember Us with Smiles (2022) by Grace and Gary Jansen and illustrated by Barbara Bongini has been awarded the prestigious Christopher Award in the category of Books for Young People. The 32-page hardcover book is a tender story about the power of family, experience, and memory.

Since its release, Remember Us with Smiles has garnered national praise and attention from the likes of Angela C. Santomero, cocreator of Blue’s Clues, New York Times bestselling author Kimberly Snyder, and internationally acclaimed author Deepak Chopra.

“Our book celebrates the everyday,” stated coauthor Gary Jansen, “and offers the unspoken acknowledgement that life’s most precious moments can come in the most ordinary circumstances.”

“On behalf of the Christopher Awards, congratulations on creating such a touching book about the extraordinary ordinary moments that parents lovingly spend with their children,” said Tony Rossi, The Christophers Director of Communications.

Since 1949, the Christopher Awards have annually saluted media (TV programming, feature films, books for adults and children) that affirm the highest values of the human spirit and reflect the Christopher motto, “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” Their goal is to encourage artists to pursue excellence in creative arenas that have the potential to influence large audiences in a positive way. To learn more about the history of the Christopher Awards or read about previous winners, visit TheChristophersBlog.org.

Praise for Remember Us with Smiles

Deepak Chopra, international bestselling author of On My Way to a Happy Life: “Storytelling is what distinguishes our species from all others. The earlier our children participate in storytelling, the better will be the future of humanity. Remember Us with Smiles will spark the creativity of children of all ages and help them tell their own stories.”

Angela C. Santomero, author, creator of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and co-creator of Blue’s Clues: “Gary Jansen’s warmth and beautiful spirit literally exudes from each page. This is the perfect preschool book to curl up to at the end of each day as parents and kids read, snuggle, reminisce, and best of all, smile. Remember Us with Smiles will no doubt be a beloved book and a phrase that all parents will include in their hopes and dreams!”

Lisa M. Hendey, founder of CatholicMom.com and author of I’m a Saint in the Making: “While we parents work to create lasting memories in our children’s lives, it’s often the simplest moments of everyday life that make the most lasting impressions. With gentle, engaging prose by Gary and Grace Jansen and delightful illustrations by Barbara Bongini, Remember Us with Smiles will help every family create and treasure their own magical moments. Destined to touch and impact hearts!”

About the Authors

Gary Jansen is a popular speaker and the author of several books, including the multi-award-winning MicroShifts, Station to Station, The 15-Minute Prayer Solution, and the memoir Holy Ghosts. Jansen has appeared on A&E, the Sundance Channel, the Travel Channel, Coast to Coast AM, CNN.com, and NPR. His writing has been featured in the Chicago Sun-Times, USA Today, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, Angelus, and Religion Dispatches. Jansen worked at Penguin Random House for 25 years, where he was the editor of several New York Times best sellers. He is now the executive editor of acquisitions at Loyola Press.

Grace Jansen worked in the public school system for more than 20 years. She is now a personal trainer who looks to inspire people of all ages to be their best selves. Gary and Grace live in New York with their two sons.

About the Illustrator

Barbara Bongini was born in Milan. She knew at an early age that she would be an artist. She went to an artistic high school and later enrolled in the Illustration program at the IED (European Institute of Design). After graduation, she pursued a career in children’s publishing, illustrating several series for different age groups for the largest Italian publishing houses. Barbara is also an author of several series of children’s game-books and an album on modern art for children. When not illustrating, Barbara loves spending time with her 2 kids, watching cartoons.

About Loyola Press

An apostolate of the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus, Loyola Press embraces the Jesuit passion for helping people find God in all things. We continue the Jesuit tradition of excellence and service by providing inspiring faith-filled content for children and adults and by being people for others.

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SOURCE Loyola Press