Several Painted Words artists are represented in the Kid’s Book Choice Awards nominations! Initial voting is open for the Children’s Book Council’s 2021 Kids Book Choice Awards! Kids ages 3-18 can vote for the nominated Painted Words titles below in their respective categories here.

This round of voting, concluding on September 8^th, will determine finalists for each category,with the ultimate round of voting occurring from late-September to November 14^th.

Best Picture Book Duo

Respect (Simon & Schuster) by Carol Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison

I Got the School Spirit (Bloomsbury) by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Favorite Early Reader Series

Arlo & Pips (HarperCollins) by Elise Gravel

Favorite Picture Book Page

Above the Rim (Abrams) illustrated by Frank Morrison

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures (Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky) by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

For Beautiful Black Boys (Flyaway Books) by Michael W. Waters, illustrated by Keisha Morris

Just Like Me (Penguin Random House) by Vanessa Brantley Newton

Favorite Characters

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures (Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky) by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

For Beautiful Black Boys (Flyaway Books) by Michael W. Waters, illustrated by Keisha Morris

I Got the School Spirit (Bloomsbury) by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Frank Morrison

The King of Kindergarten (Penguin Random House), by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton and My School Stinks! (Philomel) by Becky Scharnhorst, illustrated by Julia Patton have been named to the Today Show’s List of 21 Back-to-School books for kids to calm first day jitters. Congratulations Julia and Vanessa!

See the full list here

Get My School Stinks! here

Get The King of Kindergarten here

Becoming Vanessa (Knopf BFYR) by Vanessa Brantley Newton and , (Philomel) by Becky Scharnhorst, illustrated by Julia Patton have been included on Amazon’s list of best back-to-school books for kids! Congratulations Vanessa and Julia!

See the full list here

Get Becoming Vanessa here

Get My School Stinks here

Publishers Weekly gave Sarah Dillard‘s Blueberry Cake a glowing Starred Review. They praised the book as “a warm, Blueberries for Sal–leaning slice of summer for any reader.” Read the full review here. Blueberry Cake also received a Starred Review from Kirkus.

Pick up a copy, and don’t miss the delicious blueberry cake recipe in the back!

Bookshop

Barnes & Noble

Indie Bound

Publishers Weekly called Remember to Dream, Ebere (Little Brown) by Cynthia Erivo, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow an endearing bed time story. The review goes on to say “Barlow’s illustrations, created digitally with handmade watercolor textures, provide an engaging visual divide between the fantastical dream space and the warmth of home through layers of soft color and light.” The book will be published in September.

Read the full review here

Pre order the book here

Becoming Vanessa (Penguin Random House) by Vanessa Brantley Newton and My School Stinks (Penguin Random House) by Becky Scharnhorst, illustrated by Julia Patton, have been included on Publishers Weekly’s list of Back to School books for 2021.

See the full list here

Get Becoming Vanessa here

Get My School Stinks here

Let The Children March (HMH) by Marcia Clarke-Robinson, illustrated by Frank Morrison, has been nominated for the California Young Reader Medal for 2021-2022.

The California Young Reader Medal (CYRM) program encourages recreational reading of popular literature among the young people of our state. Since its inception in 1974, millions of California children have nominated, read, and voted for the winners of the California Young Reader Medal.

Get the book here

See the list of nominees here

Happy book birthday to Blueberry Cake (Aladdin) by Sarah Dillard.

There’s nothing Little Bear loves more than delicious, delectable blueberries. And one of the very best ways to eat blueberries is in Mama’s sweet, scrumptious blueberry cake. But when Little Bear goes to pick berries so Mama can fix him a treat, he can’t resist eating them all! Can Little Bear figure out how to save some yummy blueberries, or will he once again come home empty handed and never get any blueberry cake?

Booklist calls the book “Equally appealing to preschoolers who are blueberry fans and beginning readers who can manage just a few words.”

Kirkus included the book in its list of the 16 best books to read in July.

Get your Blueberry Cake here