By: Kate Davis
If you’re reading this blog post, you’re probably a picture book buff. An early literacy enthusiast. An alphabet aficionado. An illustration insider. A storytime superfan. And definitely a library loyalist.
No matter how much we love picture books, it can be overwhelming to find the right book at the right time for the right kid or the right program. It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to choosing picture books for our littlest literature lovers, but that’s where CLEL Bells and other quality-based awards come in.
We here at CLEL Bells analyze, comprehend, explore, and delight in picture books written for a 0-5 year-old audience. With such a developmentally wide age span, our focus is finding the best books that highlight early literacy as well as model engaging extension activities that inspire caretakers to take a story from page to playtime.
As a Programming and Inclusivity Consultant for a library system in Wisconsin, I create detailed booklists on important, topical themes–like neurodiversity, deaf and hard-of-hearing characters, immigration, early literacy, and ethnic diversity. Creating a quality booklist can be daunting because of the innumerable books available–it’s impossible for one reader to read them all. So I depend on award lists, like those compiled by the CLEL Bells, to assist me in incorporating own voices authors/illustrators, authenticity, ethnically-balanced characters, relatable themes, and foundational social-emotional and literacy-based skill practices.
When creating a booklist, I do a major dive into compiling titles, then cross-referencing those titles with my system’s catalog to see what’s available. I read reviews, blogs, and professional journals, assess ratings, conduct read-alouds, discuss with colleagues, and ask opinions of just about anyone who would allow me to geek out about a book. But not every title requires such diligence–resources like CLEL Bells are here to help!
Every book that the Bells team selects to be a winner or honor book has been thoroughly vetted for all the qualities I look for in a book–high quality illustrations, a high level of correlation between text and illustrations, opportunities for extension activities, clever methods of expanding early literacy practices, inclusive characters, free of marginalization, and full of robust background information that children can absorb to build cultural awareness.
Now in my third year on the CLEL Bells committee, I’ve read hundreds of contending picture books—each one a tiny universe of its own. But I’ll admit, not every book leaves a clear trail in my memory. Sometimes, all that’s left is a whisper—a fleeting image, a mood, a single quirky detail. While I compiled my book list of grandparent titles, for example, I couldn’t shake the vision of a grandmother… and a pickle. That was it. No title, no author—just pickle and grandma.
I spent two hours on a literary treasure hunt, digging through spreadsheets, notes, websites— feeling like Max sailing through a wild rumpus of information. And then it hit me… the answer wasn’t lost in the land of the Wild Things—it just needed a little organizing to bring it home.I printed the winner and honor book lists, layered them with my notes, and like magic, the mystery unraveled. It wasn’t a pickle. It was a hot dog.
And thus, my Awards Binder was born. I print out cover image icons for many awards so that when I hit upon a new booklist theme, I can flip through the pages and have an instant visual reminder of a storyline I’m trying to recall. Or I can jot down a note next to an image as a cue to remember that it has a character with a distinguishing characteristic. It’s become my own personal catalog of quality books that I can reference when I’m lost in the woods of a theme.
In a world with picture books aplenty, finding the right title for the right moment can feel like chasing shadows—until you have the right tools to guide you. That’s the magic of resources like CLEL Bells: curated, thoughtful, and rooted in best practices for early literacy. Whether you’re a librarian, educator, caregiver, or just a passionate advocate for young readers, these award lists act as compass points, helping us navigate a landscape rich in stories and illustrations that matter. With tools like the CLEL Bells, we can all create meaningful connections between books and the children we serve—one hot dog (or pickle) at a time.
