The winner of the Grateful American™ Book Prize will receive a cash award and a first-of-its-kind work of art that was unveiled today—a medal created by one of America’s foremost contemporary artists, Clarice Smith. It features a specially conceived “pen in hand” design.

The Prize is intended to be a singular honor, according to co-founder, author and publisher David Bruce Smith. “It is the only book award that honors children’s books of fiction and non-fiction that portray the events and the people that shaped the history of the U.S. It also confers $13,000 in commemoration of the original 13 colonies. And, it honors the creativity of the artist, whose acclaimed works have been widely exhibited in the U.S. and Europe.

Smith has been described as an artist who produces “immensely fulfilling paintings that gratify the eye and also stimulate reflection.”

The Grateful American™ Book Prize for children’s books about history “will make a significant contribution to fulfilling the need for young learners to understand their past, present and future,” according to Dr. Bruce Cole, the former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. And, he said, “it will also encourage established authors and writers who are just getting started to write good, readable books about American history.”