Congratulations are in order for Il Sung Na, author and illustrator of the stunning, whimsical new children’s book, The Dreamer. Ahead of its September release, Na’s book about a pig who admires birds and longs to take flight has received an excellent review from Publishers Weekly.  The review aptly points out that in his determination to soar, the mint-green pig “continues to be himself,” a bird-admiring pig. Publishers Weekly praises Na’s “visual storytelling,” taking note of the way that he uses an interplay of color to add drama, and admires the “atmosphere of cool rationality” that Na creates through plot elements such as an analysis of the pig’s failures, and the artwork depicting blackboard calculations. The moral of The Dreamer is simply, sweetly summarized by Publishers Weekly – “success requires quiet judgment and hard work.”

Pre-order your copy of The Dreamer here and read the full review from Publishers Weekly here.

Painted Words illustrator London Ladd is taking part in an community effort to “bring hope back to Syracuse’s Southside,” starting with two murals under the railroad bridge that serves as an unofficial border between downtown Syracuse and the Southside neighborhood. These murals are meant “to mark the entrance to the Southside with hope,” and depict Martin Luther King Jr. giving his speech in 1961 at Syracuse University, as well as the abolitionist Frederick Douglass, featuring the words of these two prominent historical figures. Ladd is also planning to move into an artist’s loft above a community cafe, where he will start art programs for kids and adults on the Southside. You can read the full article about Ladd and the efforts to change the direction of the Southside neighborhood here.

Publishers Weekly has compiled a list of the bestselling books of 2018 so far, and A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by EG Keller (aka Gerald Kelley) appears on that list. The adorable parody picture book is number 6 on the list of NPD BookScan Top 20 Print books, January 1–July 1, 2018, and has been #1 on the New York Times children’s picture book bestseller list for 15 weeks.

Click here to read the full list of best books of 2018 so far, and here to grab your copy of A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo!

2018 is flying by, and already has us book lovers looking ahead to the next round of exciting children’s book releases. Dylan Teut, who runs the Mile High Reading blog, is not immune to this anticipatory enthusiasm. He’s compiled a list of highly anticipated children’s picture books that will be released in 2019, and Bedtime for Beasties by Leslie Staub and illustrated by Jia Liu was included on that list. We’re not surprised – this adorably creative book is at the top of our must-reads list as well. In this imaginative bedtime story, a little girl takes control of her nightmare and becomes the boss of the beasties in her dreams.

You can pre-order this original tale here and view the Mile High Reading blog’s post here.

Never fear, Nomar Perez‘s newest book is here! Released on May 29th as a #1 new release on Amazon, Never Fear, God is Near is the most recent book in the Best of Li’l Buddies board book series. Illustrated by Perez, this adorable book follows Beacon, a small toucan on a big adventure. Little ones will love following Beacon on his flying test as he dodges trees, flies down to the sea, around a cliff, and up high in the sky. All with his parents nearby reminding him, “Don’t worry!” Beacon’s adventure reminds little ones to “Never Fear, God Is Near” in fun, age-appropriate ways. Packed with  vibrant, full-color illustrations and relationship-reinforcing Bible truths, little ones will delight in this engaging story.

Grab your copy of Never Fear, God is Near here.

Congratulations to Jaime Kim and London Ladd, who illustrated books that have received 2018 Parents’ Choice Awards! Kim’s La La La: A Story of Hope, written by Kate DiCamillo, has won a Parents’ Choice Gold Award, and Ladd’s Midnight Teacher: Lily Ann Granderson and Her Secret School received a Parents’ Choice Silver Award. You can view the complete winners list here and don’t forget to grab a copy of La La La here and Midnight Teacher here.

Congratulations to the following Painted Words artists/authors whose books were included in Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books of the Year 2018 List:

Frank Morrison – One Last Word, Clayton Byrd Goes Underground
Ashley Spires – The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do, Mae and June and the Wonder Wheel
Vanessa Brantley-Newton – The Youngest Marcher
Fabricio VandenBroeck – Thirsty, Thirsty Elephants
Gabrielle Grimard – Stolen Words
Elise Gravel – Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere
Mircea Catusanu – Noah Webster’s Fighting Words
Elizabeth Zunon – One Last Word, The Legendary Miss Lena Horne

One Last Word: Wisdom From the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes with illustrations from 15 artists including Frank Morrison and Elizabeth Zunon was the recipient of the Claudia Lewis Award for the best poetry book of the year for young readers, while The Youngest Marcher illustrated by Vanessa B. Newton, Clayton Byrd Goes Underground illustrated by Frank Morrison, and The Legendary Miss Lena Horne illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, were each recognized for Outstanding Merit. You can view the full list of books here.