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!
Check out illustrator Cherise Harris‘s Drawing Tutorial for “Read & Learn with Simon Kids” for Carla and the Tin Can Cake Party, written by Chef & TV host, Carla Hall. The book is a follow up to Cherise’s previous collaboration with Carla Hall, Carla and the Christmas Cornbread. Learn more about the book here.
Join Author-illustrator Elizabeth Zunon at upcoming events in Rochester and Albany, NY! See below for more details:
-Saturday, November 8: I’ll be at the Rochester Children and Teens Book Festival, reading “Through Sand and Salt: a Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara” at 11:05am. (https://www.rcbfest.com/)
-Tuesday, November 11: “My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden’s Childhood Journey” Story-time and book signing at the Albany Institute of History & Art, 11am during Family Free Day (https://www.albanyinstitute.org/event/family-free-day-6)
Alyssa Bermudez‘s graphic memoir, Run Home, has received a second Starred Review from Publishers Weekly. The review says, “It’s a heartfelt and touching exploration of identity, loss, friendship, and family that offers hopeful messaging about turning to loved ones for support, developing positive coping mechanisms, and being open to any and every opportunity for personal growth.” Read the full review here.
Congratulations Alyssa!
Run Home will be released from Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan on January 27, 2026.
Author-illustrator Chris Monroe joined Minnesota Reads for an interview about her latest picture book, String Ball, which published in May 2025 from Lerner/Carolrhoda Books. Minnesota Reads is a radio show produced at The North 103.3, and you can listen to the full interview here.
The book has received great reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and School Library Journal:
“Crafting meets cat curiosity in this purr-fectly elegant, nearly wordless story from Monroe.”―Publishers Weekly
“This work of limited words is a fun little adventure of a classically mischievous cat getting into a pickle.”―Booklist
“Featuring spare visuals yet extravagant in its storytelling, a satisfying tale for impatient kittens everywhere.”―Kirkus Reviews
“A fun book that requires a sense of story and an attention to detail.”―School Library Journal