The third edition of the Piccolo Galileo Prize concluded with an intense award ceremony, where our young readers had the opportunity to engage with authors and illustrators, ask them questions, and discover the magnificent world of publishing and scientific dissemination.

The School Encounter

The award ceremony, hosted in the prestigious Aula Magna of the Natural History Museum of Milan, began with a session dedicated to primary and lower secondary schools. The event welcomed children and young students who had the chance to listen to the finalist authors and illustrators talk about their works, their sources of inspiration, and the hidden effort behind creating a scientific book for young readers.

Introduced by Chiara Di Benedetto, president of the Scientific Jury, the guests shared their creative experiences and answered the curious questions of the young audience. Among the participating authors and illustrators were:

• Giovanni Colaneri, author of Blob, finalist in the Junior Category;

• Sara Arosio, illustrator of Tutto questo un giorno sarà tuo, finalist in the Junior Category;

• Valentina Gottardi and Maciej Michno, authors of Lumen, finalist in the Junior Category;

• Pino Pace and Allegra Agliardi, authors of Rotte del mare, finalist in the Young Category;

• Elisa Palazzi and Federico Taddia, authors of Bello Mondo, finalist in the Young Category;

• Luca Malagoli, author of Telemark, finalist in the Young Category.

The session concluded with a creative activity that engaged the youngest participants, who, together with the authors and illustrators, experimented with designing the cover of their first scientific book.

Who knows? One day, their books might be displayed in bookstores everywhere!

The Final Award Ceremony

In the afternoon, the prize director Alessio Scaboro introduced the final phase of the event, where the young members of the Public Jury played a crucial role in determining the winners of the third edition of the Piccolo Galileo Prize by combining their votes with those of the Scientific Jury.

The finalist authors and illustrators had only three minutes to present and convince the young jurors to choose their book. Through interactive presentations and evocative sounds, such as those of the sea, the Public Jury cast their votes using small remote controls, deciding the winners.

The Winning Books

From the combined votes of the Public Jury and the Scientific Jury, the winners of the third edition of the Piccolo Galileo Prize were:

• Junior Category: Blob by Giovanni Colaneri, published by Hopi Edizioni;

• Young Category: Rotte del mare by Pino Pace and Allegra Agliardi, published by Quinto Quarto.

For the Stranger Category, the vote was cast by the Young Jury, who read and evaluated the competing books over the summer. The winner was:

• Prendere il sole, prendere aria by Isabel Minhos and Bernardo Carvalho, published by Hopi Edizioni.

But that’s not all.

The Natural History Museum of Milan awarded a special mention to a work distinguished for its high educational and informational value, closely aligning with the work and research of a naturalist. Chiara Fabi, director of the Museum, granted this special recognition to Britta Teckentrup, author of Di corvi e cornacchie, published by UovoNero.

Looking Ahead

The third edition of the Piccolo Galileo Prize proved to be a great success, reaffirming the importance of scientific dissemination in shaping future generations. The passion and enthusiasm shown by young readers, schools, and authors remind us how essential it is to nurture curiosity and the desire for knowledge in children.

We look forward to the next edition, with new books, new discoveries, and new little scientists ready to explore the world through reading!

Keep in touch with the lastest from Piccolo Galileo prize here: https://www.premiopiccologalileo.it/