Ashley Spires has been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Writing for a Preschool Program, for Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe, a series based on her Binky the Space Cat books published by Kids Can Press.

Read more about the nomination here

Get the books behind the series here

The Junior Library Guild has awarded Beautiful Noise: The Music of John Cage (Anne Schwartz Books) by Lisa Rogers, illustrated by Il Sung Na a Gold Standard Selection Award.

Learn more about the Junior Libary Guild here

Learn more about the book here

Publishers Weekly has given a starred review to Summer is Here (Bloomsbury) by Renee Watson, illustrated by Bea Jackson, saying “Jackson (The Twelve Hours of Christmas) employs bright light and sunlit hues to capture the ease and lengthy rhythms of an enjoyable summer’s day…”

The book will be published May 7, 2024. Pre order it here

See the full review here

TeMika Grooms has been featured on the Brown Bookshelf, in their campaign 28 Days Later. During the twenty-eight days of Black History Month, they profile a different children’s or young adult author and children’s illustrator, looking for the best new and unnoticed works by African-Americans. From picture books to novels, books fresh off the presses to those that have lurked in the background unsung for months or years.

In the post, TeMika talks about her journey to publication.

See the blog post here

Congratulations, TeMika!

Frederick’s Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass (Little, Brown) by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by London Ladd, has received an award from the Academia Norteameriana de Lengua Espanol!

Learn more about the award here

Congratulations London!

Happy Book Birthday to Freshman Year (Christy Ottaviano Books) by Sarah Mai. This stylish graphic novel about the unique angst, humor, and self-doubt that comes with going away to college is getting a lot of media attention. Here are some highlights:

2/13/2024: Book Riot, mention, “The Best New Book Releases Out February 13, 2024”

2/13/2024: Book Riot’s All the Books!, podcast mention

2/13/2024: Book Riot, Comics enewsletter mention

2/13/2024: Young Entertainment, roundup, “New Book Tuesday: February 13^th”

2/12/2024: Book Riot, YA enewsletter mention

2/10/224: Arts Fuse, review

2/8/2024: Publishers Weekly, roundup, “New Kids’ and YA Books: Week of February 12, 2024”

1/30/2023: Racket, roundup, “7 Exciting New Books for Young Readers by MN Authors”

1/9/2024: Book Riot, roundup, “19 New YA Comics and Graphic Novels Hitting Shelves January-March 2024”

Congratulations Sarah!

The Black Caucus ALA Best of the Best List for 2023 is out and Painted Words is well represented!

Included on the list are:

Justice Rising (Viking) by Kathryn Russell-Brown, illustrated by Kim Holt

All Aboard the School Train (Scholastic) by Glenda Armand, illustrated by Keisha Morris

Jerry Changed the Game (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books) by Don Tate, illustrated by Cherise Harris

Harlem at Four (Random House Studio) by Dr. Michael Datcher, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Words of Wonder from Z to A (Doubleday) by Zaila Avant0Garde, illustrated by Keisha Morris

My Red, White, and Blue (Philomel) by Alana Tyson, illustrated by London Ladd

How Do You Spell Unfair (Candlewick) by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar (Doubleday) by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

See the complete list here

Congratulations Everyone!

Miles of Style: Eunice W. Johnson and the EBONY Fashion Fair (Lee and Low) by Lisa D. Braithwaite, illustrated by Lynn Gaines has been included in Book Riot’s The Kids Are All Right enewsletter, and in School Library Journal‘s 20 Picture Books to Celebrate Black Artists This Black History Month and Year Round.

The chic biography, Winner of Lee & Low’s New Voices award,  celebrates a visionary who used her influence to showcase the strength and beauty of the Black community.