The inaugural New York Rights Fair is honouring 15 books for excellence in visual design, including the Canadian picture book Town Is by the Sea, written by Joanne Schwartz and illustrated by Sydney Smith (Groundwood Books).

The jury – comprising representatives from Publishers Weekly, Parsons School of Design, and the Hamelin Cultural Association – selected the honorees from 511 titles submitted by 166 publishers. A panel discussion and reception celebrating the books will take place at the fair on May 30.

The New York Rights Fair is a new trade and licensing show dedicated to international rights, distribution, and licensing of content for the adult and children’s markets.