A VOICE OF HOPE: THE MYRLIE EVERS-WILLIAMS STORY, illustrated by London Ladd and written by Nadia Solomon, has received a BCALA Children & Youth Literary Award for Nonfiction! The Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc. (BCALA)  Awards celebrate the diversity of the Black experience, and honor outstanding works of fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults by African American authors.

A VOICE OF HOPE, published by Philomel Books, honors the life and activism of Myrlie Evers-Williams, whose relentless pursuit of justice helped shape the civil rights movement.

Congratulations London!

LADY OF THE LINES, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri and releasing from Astra Books for Young Readers this April, has received a glowing Starred Review from Booklist. The review says:

“This picture-book biography of German mathematician, archaeologist, and preservationist Maria Reiche emphasizes both the continuing mystery of who created these enormous sand etchings and the sheer grit of the woman who revealed them… the illustrations, done in acrylic gouache, use multicolored geometric shapes to highlight the geoglyphs, wonderfully capturing their variety and scale. Readers will be left in awe of the geoglyphs themselves and the persistence of the woman who discovered and protected them. A terrific STEM read.”

Congratulations Elisa!

MPIBA’s Reading the West Book Awards released their longlist of nominees and included THE WIRE ZOO in the Picture Book category. Congratulations to illustrator, Joanie Stone, on this exciting recognition!

THE WIRE ZOO, published by Simon & Schuster, is an inspirational picture book biography that tells the story of how neurodivergent artist Elizabeth Berrien created three-dimensional wire sculptures and went on to become the “godmother” of contemporary wire sculpture.

Between Two Windows, by Keisha Morris, and Adela’s Mariachi Band, illustrated by Erika Rodriguez Medina, have both been selected for the CLEL Bell Awards: Between two Windows in the “Write” category, and Adela’s Mariachi Band in the “Sing” category.

The CLEL Bell Awards are an annual recognition of five high-quality children’s books that provide excellent support of early literacy development in children ages 0-5.

CLEL is the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy organization made up of library and early childhood professionals from around North America dedicated to advancing early literacy through library services and community advocacy.

Between Two Windows was published by Harper Collins, and Adela’s Mariachi Band was published by Charlesbridge.

Congratulations Keisha and Erika!

Miles of Style, illustrated by Lynn Gaines, is a 2025 Black Kidlit Awards winner in the Best Biography category! Published by Lee & Low Books, and written by Lisa D. Brathwaite, Miles of Style tells the story of Eunice W. Johnson, founder of EBONY Magazine and the EBONY Fashion Fair.

Hosted by the Black Kidlit Collective, the Black Kidlit Awards celebrates books created by Black authors, illustrators, and publishers. Their goal is to increase the visibility of Black stories and drive the demand to create more diverse books filled with Black joy, history, family, and friendship.

Congratulations Lynn!

When Alexander Graced the Table, illustrated by Frank Morrison, has received Starred Review from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. The book is written by award–winning chef Alexander Smalls and Denene Millner, and published by Denene Millner Books. Publishers Weekly writes, “The texture of Morrison’s vibrant oil on illustration board art shapes a vibrant visual narrative of food preparation, enjoyment, and familial support.” Kirkus says, “The joy of cooking—and family—brought to brilliant life.”

Congratulations Frank!

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School Library Journal praised Elizabeth Zunon’s new author-illustrated book, Through Sand and Salt, writing in its review, “This beautifully written, vibrantly illustrated book would be a solid choice for sharing the culture and life experiences of desert ­dwellers, whether as windows or mirrors.”  Through Sand and Salt was published by Bloomsbury earlier this month. Congratulations Liz!

Read the full review here.

Bea Jackson‘s debut author-illustrated picture book, Lily’s Dream, made the Kids’ Indie Next List for January/February 2025.  Congratulations Bea!

Peaches, illustrated by Kim Holt and published by Abrams Books, has won a 2024 Northern Lights Book Award in the Food Category!  The Northern Lights Book Awards honor books that ” will leave a lasting impression, stories that will resonate with the reader not only now but in years to come,” according to their website. You can see all the winners here.

Peaches also earned recognition from the Endies Endpaper Award, a list published by School Library Journal, for “Tastiest” endpapers.

Congratulations Kim!

The 2025 Pedro and Daniel Intersectionality Book Awards, which honors books with intersectional protagonists, included books illustrated by two Painted Words’ artists: A Kurta to Remember, illustrated by Avani Dwivedi (Sleeping Bear Press) made the on Longlist, and A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story, illustrated by London Ladd (Philomel), was included on the list of Commended Titles.  Congratulations Avani and London!

You can learn more about the Awards and the honorees here.