The Twelve Hours of Christmas (Little, Brown) by Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Bea Jackson has received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.

Kirkus says: Filled with expressive faces and bright red and green hues against white backgrounds, the illustrations have an old-school feel; they beautifully capture the joy of a Christmas morning spent with relatives and the cozy fun of a winter day. 

Publishers Weekly says: Carrying the charm of old-school watercolor paintings and the cinematic appeal of film, Jackson’s light-dappled illustrations further contribute a seek-and-find element via the kitten hiding across the spreads.

Publishers Weekly also featured the book in its 2023 Holiday Books for Kids and Teens guide.

Congratulations Bea!

The California Reading Association has announced the Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award winners. Among the honorees are:

• Jerry Changed the Game! (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books) by Don Tate, illustrated by Cherise Harris
• Bottle Tops: The Art of El Anatsui (Lee & Low) by Alison Goldberg, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon
• Justice Ketanji: The Story of US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (Orchard Books) by Denise Lewis Patrick, illustrated by Kim Holt

Congratulations Everyone!

See more about the awards, and the full list here

The Jane Addams Peace Association has announced the finalists for the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award 2024. Included on the list is:

• Justice Ketanji (Orchard) by Denise Lewis Patrick, illustrated by Kim Holt
• My Red, White, and Blue (Philomel) by Alana Tyson, illustrated by London Ladd
• How Do You Spell Unfair (Candlewick), by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Congratulations Everyone!

See the full list of finalists here

Kirkus has released it’s list of the Best Books of 2023 and it includes:

Jump In! (Bloomsbury) by Shadra Strickland

All Aboard the Schooltrain (Scholastic) by Glenda Armand, illustrated by Keisha Morris

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

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

Congratulations Everyone!

See the full list here

My Bollywood Dream (Candlewick) by Avani Dwivedi is on School Library Journal’s list for Best Picture Books of 2023. Here’s what they have to say about the book!

Nothing about this book should have worked, yet just as Bollywood musicals come together to celebrate spectacle and love, so does Dwivedi’s story. Her aspirations to direct the tale of her life have begun, in colorful pages in and out of the cinema, cast with everyone she encounters in her daily life.

Congratulations Avani!

See the full list here

Get the book here

Amazon’s Best Books of 2023 list is out! I’ll Hold Your Hand (MacMillan) by Maggie C. Rudd, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri, is on the list for books for ages Baby to 2. This Book is Banned (Source Books) by Raj Hadar, illustrated by Julia Patton is on the list for kids ages 6 to 8.

Congratulations Elisa and Julia!

See the full list here

The NSTA (National Science Teaching Association) has named The Pie that Molly Grew (Sleeping Bear) by Sue Heavenrich, illustrated by Chamisa Kelllogg, an Outstanding Science Trade Book for 2023.

See the full list here

Get the book here

The California Reading Association has awarded a Eureka! Honor to Jerry Changed the Game!(Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books) by Don Tate, illustrated by Cherise Harris. The Eureka! Non-Fiction Book Award assists teachers, librarians, and parents in identifying outstanding nonfiction books for their students and children.

Read more about the award here

Get the book here

School Library Journal has given a starred review to My Bollywood Dream (Candlewick) by Avani Dwivedi. Congratulations Avani!

★Dwivedi, Avani. My Bollywood Dream.

­illus. by Avani Dwivedi. 40p. Candlewick. Aug. 2023. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781536228427.

Gr 2-4–Told through beautiful imagery and lyrical prose, this book soars in language, illustration, and cultural importance. A young unnamed narrator describes her love of Bollywood films. As she, Ma, and Baba travel through Mumbai to the theater, the narrator imagines life as a Bollywood movie, including choreographed dancing, heroic feats, and abundant color and food. Great imagery, metaphors, and similes—“Bollywood music is like listening to the first monsoon rain—the rhythm is steady and familiar”—parallel what the young girl sees on the screen and what she envisions in her real life. In an author’s note, Dwivedi describes Bollywood as a bridge between her and her desi ­community after she moved to the United States. Lyrical language depicts the depth, joy, and mystique of the very specific aspects of this elaborate style of filmmaking. The text incorporates words such as “khushi” (“with happiness”) and phrases (“Aab maaza aayega!” or “Now this should be fun!”) to bring Mumbai culture to life. VERDICT This is a well told and colorful rendering of the importance of art through film, and one young girl’s ­connection to her culture.–Tracey S. Hodges

On her popular blog A Fuse #8 Production, Librarian Betsy Bird has announced the Evanston Public Library’s 101 Great Books for Kids List: 2023 Edition, and  Not a Monster (Charlesbridge), by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez, illustrated by Laura González is on it! Bird calls the book “Adorable, engaging, and informative!”

Congratulations Laura!

Get the book here