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.

Congratulations to Betsy Snyder, who illustrated the adorable I Can Explore and I Can Dream interactive board books for early readers. The books have garnered positive reviews from Kirkus Review, and Booklist, praised as “likely to delight many digits” and “a playful choice for toddlers.” Using their fingers, young readers can assist characters in their exploration of the world in I Can Explore, and help pursue their aspirations in I Can Dream. With interactive holes on every page and a satisfyingly funny touch-and-feel cover, this charming board book offers a uniquely entertaining way to play and read together.

Grab your copy of I Can Explore here and I Can Dream here.

Congratulations to Mircea Catusanu, who illustrated Noah Webster’s Fighting Words, and Vanessa B. Newton who illustrated The Youngest Marcher, both of which are featured in the International Literary Association (ILA) Teachers’ Choice 2018 Reading List. Both books appear on page 5 of the list, in the category “Intermediate Readers.”

You can read about the Teachers’ Choice list and view the entire 2018 list here.

Congratulations to Gerald Kelley, Josée Masse, and Frank Morrison, who each illustrated a book that appears on the Children’s Choices 2018 Reading List. This list is compiled based off of votes by 12,500 school children from all around the country, with the books being chosen from more than 800 titles. The list is designed for use by “anyone who wish to encourage young people to read for pleasure,” and is cosponsored by the International Literary Association and the Children’s Book Council. Kelley’s Please Please the Bees, Masse’s Thunder Underground and Morrison’s Clayton Byrd Goes Underground all appear on the list, with Thunder Underground being a finalist for the Children’s Choice Book Awards.

Find the complete Children’s Choices 2018 Reading List here.

Don’t miss these exciting upcoming events with Michael Slack!

Tomorrow, Friday May 4th from 6pm-6:30pm, Slack will be participating in a pajama party at Diesel Book Shop in Larkspur, CA. Kids are invited to put on their PJs and listen to Slack read them a bedtime story- he’ll even sign your copy of the book when it’s over! Click here for more info about this fun event.

Additionally, on Saturday May 19th, Slack will be attending the Turn the Page Children’s Book Festival at Children’s Fairyland Oakland, CA, where children can meet the him and enjoy read-alouds and art activities with their favorite picture book authors and illustrators. Click here for more information.