Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books 2025 includes Not Like Every Day, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard (Random House), A Fairy Finds Her Song by Bea Jackson (Simon & Schuster), and Some of Us, illustrated by Huy Voun Lee (Christy Ottaviano Books). See the full list here.
Congrats to Gabrielle, Bea, and Huy!
Some of Us, illustrated by Huy Voun Lee (Christy Ottaviano Books) and Pushing Hope, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown (Calkins Creek) were included on School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2025 list. See the full list here.
Congrats to Huy and Keith!
Charnelle Pinkney Barlow‘s latest author-illustrated picture book, Two Artists, Grandad and Me (Doubleday Books), has received its third starred review! The book is inspired by her relationship to her grandfather, Jerry Pinkney. Congrats to Charnelle!
★ “Pinkney Barlow pays homage to her late grandfather, illustrator Jerry Pinkney in a heartwarming reflection about artmaking’s improvisational process . . . It’s a portrait of ‘two artists’ at work that takes young creators seriously.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
★ “This radiant, deeply personal picture book honors creativity, legacy, and love and shows how one generation’s generosity can not only inform but inspire imagination in another.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
★ “The soothing narrative evokes the beloved bond between grandfather and granddaughter, while descriptive language has a vividness that fully captures the girl’s discovery of her inner artist.” —The Bulletin, STARRED REVIEW
The New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids in 2025 includes Freedom Celebration: A Juneteenth Party, illustrated by Keisha Morris (Harper Collins), and How Sweet the Sound: A Soundtrack for America, illustrated by Charly Palmer (Little Brown). You can read the full list here.
Congrats to Keisha and Charly!
Kirkus Reviews’ Best Picture Books of the Year list includes 4 books illustrated by Painted Words artists:
Some of Us, illustrated by Huy Voun Lee (Christy Ottaviano Books/Little, Brown)
When I Hear Spirituals, illustrated by London Ladd (Holiday House)
When Alexander Graced the Table, illustrated by Frank Morrison (Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster)
How Sweet the Sound, illustrated by Charly Palmer (Little Brown)
Congratulations to Huy, London, Frank and Charly!
Lady of the Lines, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri is a Booklist Editor’s Choice for 2025, and an Evanston (IL) Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids. Congratulations Elisa!
Congrats to Sarah Hwang! Bunny Hop is included in Booklist’s Top Early Reading books for 2025. Booklist writes, “A mischievous pink rabbit hops into a kitchen on a quest for a delicious meal in this adorable beginning reader. The sweet artwork helps young children understand the story’s rich adjectives and expressive verbs, making it an effective tool for language learning.” You can find the full list here.
Family Feast, illustrated by Frank Morrison and written by Carole Boston Weatherford (Crown/Random House), was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday in the Picture This! segment. You can listen to the segment with Frank and Carole here.
The book was also featured in the Washington Post’s weekly Book Club Newsletter, and has been included in Publisher’s Weekly’s Thanksgiving Books for Young Readers 2025 roundup, and The Horn Book Magazine’s Holiday High Notes 2025 list.
With three starred reviews, the book has been heaped with lots of love this holiday season!
The Gathering Table, illustrated by London Ladd, has been included in NPR’s “Books We Love” of 2025 list. You can see the full list here.
Congratulations London!
Erika Lynne Jones is the ArtCentre of Plano’s 2025 Literary Artis
t Honoree. The award honors “individuals, businesses, and organizations that have made significant contributions to the arts.” Learn more about the ArtCentre of Plano here.
Congratulations to Erika on this wonderful honor!