Bookpage has given a starred review for Itty Bitty Betty Blob (Hippo Park) by Constance Lombardo, illustrated by Micah Player.

The review says  “Constance Lombaro’s straightforward, sweetly witty prose will have readers rooting for Betty as well as nervously holding their breath on her behalf as she dares to embrace being different. Micah Player’s boldly drawn, emotion-infused illustrations expertly embody everything from Ghoultington Academy’s imposing gothic architecture to the puffs’ extreme cuteness and manic energy. There are a lot of fun little details for itty bitty bibliophiles to discover upon rereads too. Itty Bitty Betty Blob’s nicely balanced combination of humor, emotion and inspiration makes it an absolute treat of a read—a warm and wonderful reminder to celebrate our differences and dare to share joy with others.”

Here is more praise for Itty Bitty Betty Blob!

“Children will enjoy the humor…and will be heartened by Betty’s willingness to embrace what makes her different…A light touch delivers an increasingly common but important message.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A ‘sweet-tempered be-yourself’ tale.” —Publishers Weekly

“Itty Bitty Betty Blob is not your typical monster, being a small, round pink creature who loves rainbows, flowers, dancing, and singing…Most of the illustrations are in black, white, and gray, whereas Betty appears pink in several pictures. Humorous artwork reveals Betty’s body flattening out during sleep, shower time, and while sliding under a log in the forest. Youngsters will get a kick out of this latest tale about just being yourself.” —Booklist

Itty Bitty Betty Blob will be published June 6, 2024. Pre order it here

Poppy Harlow and Laura Jarrett, authors of The Color of Love (Viking), illustrated by Elisa Chavarri, appeared on NBC’s the Today Show, and New York Live, promoting the book, which publishes May 14.

See the videos here and here and here

Get the book here

Congratulations Elisa!

The Children’s Book Committee of Bank Street College of Education has released their list of The Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2024 Edtion, highlighting the best books of 2023.

Included on the list are:

How Do You Spell Unfair? (Candlewick) by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Baking with mi Abuelita (Random House) by Julissa Mora

Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar (Doubleday) by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

You So Black (Denene Millner Boos/Simon & Schuster) by Theresa the S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D., illustrated by London Ladd

Jump In! (Bloomsbury) by Shadra Strickland

Nesting Dolls (Crown)  by Vanessa Brantley Newton

Beautiful Noise (Anne Schwartz Books) by Lisa Rogers, illustrated by Il Sung Na

Black Girls, A Celebration of You! (HarperCollins)by Dominique Furukawa, illustrated by Erika Lynn Jones

Not a Monster (Charlesbridge) by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez, illustrated by Laura Gonzalez

Alphabuddies: G is First! (HarperCollins) by Beth Bacon and Karen Kane, illustrated by Eric Barclay

Unstoppable (Little Bees Books) by Michael G. Long, illustrated by Bea Jackson

Breaking to the Beat! (Lee & Low) by Linda J. Acevedo, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Abuela’s Super Capa (HarperCollins) by Ana Siqueira, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri

The CBC has announced the CBC Favorites Awards 2024 and several Painted Words artists are on the list!

Making the Children’s favorites list are:

How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee (Candlewick) by  Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Frank Morrison

Loud Librarian (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum) Jenna Beatrice; illustrated by Erika Lynne Jones

Making the Teachers favorites list are:

Giraffe Math (Christy Ottaviano Books) by Stephen Swinburne; illustrated by Geraldo Valério

How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee (Candlewick) Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Frank Morrison

Congratulations everyone!

See the full list here

From My Head to My Toes (Henry Holt) by Aly Raisman, illustrated by Bea Jackson has debuted at #7 on the New York Times Chidlren’s Books Best Seller list!

The book is a joyful ode to loving and caring for our bodies, from Olympic gold medalist and advocate Aly Raisman and bestselling artist Bea Jackson.

My body is my own.
My body is just right for me,
From my head to my toes

From My Head to My Toes gently introduces young readers to the topics of consent and bodily autonomy in a positive way. Cheerful and informative, this story focuses on the powerful message of self-love. Aly’s inspiring words are paired with expert-vetted resources, giving adults the tools to begin having these essential conversations with kids from a young age.

Get the book here

Learn more about the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the Children’s Book Council (CBC)  and view the full list here.

Not A Monster (Charlesbridge) by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez, illustrated by Laura Gonzalez has received a Blueberry Honor for nonfiction picture books.

The Blueberry Award list has been curated by librarians, collection development managers, our city’s Sustainability Manager, our school’s sustainability manager, dedicated staff from the Evanston, Illinois Ecology Center, and early childhood development experts to assure parents, teacher and kids that these books are excellent and truthful, but in age-appropriate ways, designed to support delight first and group climate action second.

See the full list here

Get the book here

Ashley Spires has been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Writing for a Preschool Program, for Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe, a series based on her Binky the Space Cat books published by Kids Can Press.

Read more about the nomination here

Get the books behind the series here