2026 Nominations
These are the nominated titles for the 2026 award year. All books on this page were published between November 16, 2024 and November 15, 2025. All of these books have strong early literacy messages or modeling and could be used in storytime, one-on-one with a child, or in helping caregivers support the early literacy of their children.
Titles are organized by the early literacy practices: READ, WRITE, TALK, SING, PLAY. As the committee continues to make decisions, titles will be added here until the Shortlist is announced in December 2025.
READ
READ Criteria
Reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for building all early literacy skills and preparing children to read on their own. Reading shortlist and winning titles will be a collection of books that demonstrate great shared reading practices, show that books can affect lives profoundly, and allow children to practice age-appropriate pre-reading behaviors themselves.
We look for stories about the reading experience, the value of reading, that model great reading behaviors, celebrate books, reading, and literacy, and/or are about loving the library, and loving books.
Books nominated for READ
- Cats Love Books, Too by Maria Coco; May 6, 2025, Bloomsbury Children’s Books; ISBN 9781547613687
- The Day the Books Disappeared by Joanna Ho and Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Dan Santat; July 15, 2025, Disney Hyperion; ISBN 9781368110655
- Orson and the World’s Loudest Library by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson; April 15, 2025, Astra Young Readers; ISBN 9781662602085
WRITE
WRITE Criteria
Writing skills develop in tandem with reading skills and help children build on the key insight that print has meaning. Writing shortlist and winning titles present a variety of ways young children experiment with intentional mark-making: drawing pictures, interpreting their own marks, and using different types of print, such as lists and notes.
We look for books that show children the power of writing and drawing, or demonstrate that developmentally appropriate writing skills also include scribbling, scratching with a stick, tracing shapes with your finger, or movement activities such as lift the flaps or exploring tactile pages.
Books nominated for WRITE
- Angel Draws a Dinosaur by Pavonis Giron; June 24, 2025, Henry Holt & Co; ISBN 9781250435668
- Marabella’s Moment by Maryann Cocca-Leffler; April 10, 2025, Albert Whitman & Company; ISBN 9780807549759
- Zayde Babysits before Passover by Jane Sutton, illustrated by Kate Chappell; Jan. 7, 2025, Kar-Ben Publishing; ISBN 9798765619889
TALK
TALK Criteria
Talking is a foundational early literacy practice, providing ongoing experience with oral language, and allowing children to develop the background knowledge about the world that leads to greater comprehension of the texts they encounter. Talking shortlist and winning titles include books that encourage conversations, foster language play, and model creative adult-child dialog.
We look for books that are all about age-appropriate conversations, about the value of spoken communication, or are books that make it easy to have conversations with children while you read.
Books nominated for TALK
- Rose Signs How Do You Feel? by Rose Ayling-Ellis, illustrated by Margarida Sampaio, with ASL consulting by Patrick Rosenburg; Aug. 5, 2025, DK Children; ISBN 9780593969427
- Warm and Fuzzy by Scott Rothman, illustrated by Brian Won; April 15, Tundra Books; ISBN 9781774884423
- Whose Nose? by Kristina Jones; March 4, 2025, Amicus Ink; ISBN 9798889880011
SING
SING Criteria
Singing supports children’s oral language development of language structures, vocabulary, and phonological awareness. Singing shortlist and winning titles show families and characters who incorporate singing and music into their daily routines, or foster the exploration of rhyme, alliteration, and syllable concepts.
We look for books about singing or chanting, that have songs in them, or make it easy to sing or chant or enjoy rhythms and rhymes together while you read.
Books nominated for SING
- Abuelita’s Song by Gloria Amescua, illustrated by Mariyah Rahman; May 20, 2025, Beach Lane Books; ISBN 9781665957519
- Downpour: Splish! Splash! Ker-Splash! by Yuko Ohnari, illustrated by Koshiro Hata, translated by Emily Balistrieri
- Pop Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird, illustrations by Andrea Tsurumi; March 18, 2025, Union Square Kids; ISBN 9781454960461
PLAY
PLAY Criteria
Playing encourages children to use their growing vocabularies to think about their world, to experiment with how stories work, and to understand relationships. Playing shortlist and winning titles demonstrate and reflect play in a variety of ways: games between parents and children, interactions with a book itself, or by modeling open-ended exploration of toys or found materials.
We look for stories about developmentally appropriate play, or books that celebrate playfulness, imagination, or creative use of materials, that illustrate what great play looks like or that make it easy for adults to play with their children while they read.
Books nominated for PLAY
- A Cup of Quiet by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson; April 15, 2025, Bloomsbury Children’s Books; ISBN 9781547610730
- Mama Hug by Emma Straub, illustrated by Stevie Lewis; Jan. 7, 2025, Rocky Pond Books; ISBN 9780593618592
- This is Our City by Lauren Paige Conrad; April 29, 2025, Minerva; ISBN 9781662651809
