Presented to: Rick Walton
For:
Most adults seem to lose their connection to childhood as they grow up. Clearly, Rick Walton has not. His ability to communicate with children in a way they both understand and appreciate is a rare gift. His stories show that he knows well what it's like to be a child, and the proof is that children love them.
From the beginning, when he published his first original collections of riddles, Walton has used his love of language to shape the books he writes. Whether explaining adverbs, as in Suddenly, Alligator!, or playing around with compound words, as in the delightful Once There Was a Bull... Frog, Walton combines fun, energetic storytelling with an education most children don’t even realize they’re getting.
Over the course of his twenty-year career, with more than fifty books for children to his credit--and many more to come--Rick Walton has more than left his mark on the field of children's literature; he has in many ways set the standard for aspiring writers to strive toward. We are pleased to present this award to Rick Walton for his exceptional contribution to Mormon literature.