Three books illustrated by Painted Words illustrators have been nominated for the 2027 Monarch Award, sponsored by the Association of Illinois School Library Educators: Not A Monster, illustrated by Laura Gonzalez (Charlesbridge); Some of Us, illustrated by Huy Voun Lee (Little Brown/Christy Ottaviano Books); and Fix-it Familia, illustrated by Micah Player (Harper Collins). See the full list here. Congrats to Laura, Huy, and Micah!
Several books by Painted Words illustrators were selected as 2026 CCBC Choices, the best-of-the-year list created by librarians at the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lady of the Lines, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri (Calkins Creek/Astra) included in the “Historical People, Places, and Events” category Not Like Everyday, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard (Random House) included in the “Contemporary People, Places, and Issues” category How Sweet the Sound, illustrated by Charly Palmer (Little Brown) included in “The Arts” category A Song For Two Homes, illustrated by Charly Palmer (Random House Studio) included in the “Picture Books” category Congratulations to Elisa, Gabrielle, and Charly! See the full list here.
Congrats to Frank Morrison and Charly Palmer! Frank’s illustrated book, When Alexander Graced the Table (Denene Millner Books), and Charly’s illustrated book, How Sweet the Sound (Little Brown), have been chosen as an ALA Notable Children’s Books! You can see the full list here.
Congratulations to Frank Morrison and Huy Voun Lee! Frank won the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration for When Alexander Graced the Table (Denene Millner Books), and Huy won the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction for Younger Readers for Some of Us (Christy Ottaviano Books). See the full list of 2026 winners here.
Haiku, Ew!, illustrated by Julia Patton and written by Lynn Brunelle (Lerner Books), is the winner of the Animal Behavior Society’s Outstanding Children’s Book Award for 2025! The award was established in 2001 by the Animal Behavior Society’s Education Committee “in order to encourage and reward accurate and compelling authorship of children’s books about animal behavior.” Another book by a Painted Words illustrator, Rats to the Rescue, illustrated by Huy Voun Lee (Lerner Books), was a finalist for the 2025 award, as well! Congratulations to Julia and Huy! See the full list here.
Congratulations to Elisa Chavarri! Her illustrated picture book, La Quinceañera De Mi Hermana, the Spanish edition of My Sister’s Quinceañera, is a Junior Library Guild Selection! The book will be published by Crown Books for Young Readers/Random House in August 2026.
