The verdict is in: Mr. Puffball is a star! A Publishers Weekly review called  Mr. Puffball a “quirky, humorous debut.” Featuring Constance’s hilarious black-and-white illustrations, the book chronicles one ambitious cat’s journey from New Jersey to Hollywood and his humorous attempts to break into showbiz. Publishers Weekly wrote, “Emotions run high and dramatic moments are many, but Mr. Puffball’s positive attitude and growing understanding that good friends are what matter most light up the pages.”

The book doesn’t release until September, but you can pre-order a copy now!

Vanessa Brantley Newton’s cover art for Hello magazine has received the “Best Cover Award” for 2014. Congrats Vanessa on this amazing honor!

Elise Gravel has been awarded the Science in Society 2014 Children’s Book Award for her book, The Fly. The awards are granted by Canada’s National Association of Science Writers. The Disgusting Critters series teaches kids about some of the world’s nastiest creatures, serving up lots of gross scientific facts along with a big helping of humor. Congrats Elise!

I Got the Rhythm, illustrated by Frank Morrison and written by Connie Schofield-Morrison, has been included on the 2015 list “Books All Young Georgians Should Read” by the Georgia Center for the Book. The list includes works by authors and illustrators living in Georgia. Books were nominated throughout the year by the writers, educators, and librarians who comprise the Georgia Center for the Book Advisory Council.

“For the Georgia Center for the Book, the ‘Books All Georgians Should Read’ and the ‘Books All Young Georgians Should Read’ lists are a wonderful way to honor the extraordinary talent we have right here in Georgia. They give us the opportunity to inform readers across our state about the diverse body of work  being produced that celebrates Georgia’s literary heritage so well,” said Joe Davich, Executive Director of the Georgia Center for the Book Advisory Council, in a press release.

Congrats to Frank and Connie, residents of Atlanta, GA, on this special honor!

There will be a public awards ceremony held on Thursday, August 13 at the Decatur Library in Decatur, Georgia. More details can be found on the Georgia Center for the Book website.

Over on a Mountain has received an honorable mention from the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards in the Picture Books Five & Younger category.  The Purple Dragonfly is the latest recognition for author-illustrator duo, Marianne Berkes and Jill Dubin, who won an Indie Book Award and a Mom’s Choice Gold Award for Over on a Mountain earlier this year.

A full list of Purple Dragonfly award winners can be found here.  Congrats Jill and Marianne!

Ahead of the release of Welcome Home, Bear, Il Sung Na will be attending ALA 2015 in San Francisco. He will do a book signing on June 28th from 1 to 2 pm at Random House Children’s Books, Booth #3001.

Welcome Home, Bear by Il Sung Na is due to be released July 07, 2015.

Lucie Crovatto was selected for a 2015 Applied Arts Award in Illustration, for her “Simple Pleasures” gift package that showcases Crovatto’s style.

The Applied Arts Magazine selects submissions in several categories including Illustration and Design, and it is “one of the industry’s most prestigious recognitions of creative excellence.”

View Lucie Crovatto’s submission and the other winners here.

The Rat by Elise Gravel was selected for the Prix des Premières Lectures Coup de pouce Clé, in France, and The Fly was selected for the Science in Society Children’s Book Award. The two books are part of Gravel’s Disgusting Critters series.

The Prix des Premières Lectures Coup de pouce Clé is chosen by over 10,000 children every year, and the aim of the award is to promote the love of books to children in a fun and educational way.

The Science in Society Children’s Book Award is presented annually from the Canadian Science Writers’ Association, and The Fly was selected based on its “initiative, originality, scientific accuracy, clarity of interpretation and value in promoting a better understanding of science by the public.”