Don’t Call Me Grandma, Illus. By Elizabeth Zunon, Wins New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards in Family Issues Category
November 27, 2017
Don’t Call Me Grandma, written by New Mexico native Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Liz Zunon, has won a New Mexico-Arizona Book Award! The New Mexico-Arizona Book Award is run by the New Mexico Book Co-op, an organization that seeks to promote local writing from New Mexico, Arizona, and the American South West.
Don’t Call Me Grandma is the story of a young girl’s complex relationship with her prickly and glamorous grandmother. It won the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award in the category of Parenting/Family Issues Book, sponsored by the New Mexico Book Co-op. Congratulations, Liz and Vaunda!
The full list of winners of the 2017 New Mexico-Arizona Book Award can be found here. Don’t Call Me Grandma is available for purchase here.
Seven of Painted Words’s Authors/Illustrators’ Books Included in Bank Street’s Best Children Books of the Year 2017
May 2, 2017
Every year, the Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education compile a list of the best children’s books of the previous year. Based on criteria such as literary excellence, quality of illustration, diversity, and emotional impact, these books are recommended for parents, librarians, and children. This year, Bank Street has chosen seven of Painted Words’s books as some of the best books of 2016!
Under Five:
- Spare Dog Parts, written by Alison Hughes and illustrated by Ashley Spires
- Who Wants a Tortoise?, written by David Keane and illustrated by K.G. Campbell
Five to Nine:
- The Quickest Kid in Clarksville, written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Frank Morrison
- Mouse Scouts: Make a Difference, by Sarah Dillard
- Don’t Call Me Grandma, written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Liz Zunon
Nine to Twelve:
- Fluffy Strikes Back, by Ashley Spires
- Echo Echo: Reverso Poems about Greek Myths, written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Josée Masse
Bank Street’s full list of recommended books can be found here. Congratulations to our Painted Words artists and authors!
Liz Zunon, Frank Morrison, and Il Sung Na Included on CCBC Choices 2017 List
March 28, 2017
The CCBC Choices list is an annual selection compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center on the best children’s books of the year. This year, three of Painted Words authors illustrators have been included on the list under various categories!
Picture Books for School Age Children:
- The Quickest Kid in Clarksville, written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Frank Morrison
- Don’t Call Me Grandma, written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Liz Zunon
Concept Books:
The full list of selected books is available here.
NPR’s Best Books of 2016 Includes Il Sung Na’s The Opposite Zoo and Don’t Call Me Grandma, Illus. by Liz Zunon
December 7, 2016
The National Public Radio (NPR) put out a list of books chosen by their staff as being the best of 2016. Included in the children’s section is Don’t Call Me Grandma, written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Liz Zunon, and The Opposite Zoo by Il Sung Na.
Don’t Call Me Grandma is the story of a young girl’s relationship with her prickly but fascinating grandma. NPR praised the fact that this story presents an unconventional and more fully realized version of a grandmother than most childrens’ literature. They describe Liz’s illustrations as “genius.”
The Opposite Zoo teaches children about opposites through the medium of a whimsical, brightly colored zoo after it closes for the night. They describe the picture book as “spacious” and inviting.
Congratulations, Il Sung and Liz! The full list of recommended books can be found on NPR’s site here. You can purchase Don’t Call Me Grandma here and The Opposite Zoo here.
Don’t Call Me Grandma, illus. by Elizabeth Zunon, Reviewed By The School Library Journal
April 7, 2016
Don’t Call Me Grandma, written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, received high praise in a review from The School Library Journal. The SLJ praised the picture’s book sparse storytelling and portrayal of a complicated great-grandmother and writes that, “Elizabeth Zunon has been a force to reckon with.” They call the book as a whole, “Sharp and smart.”
You can read the full article here and purchase a copy of Don’t Call Me Grandma here.