Penguin Young Readers, the Children’s Book Council, and Every Child a Reader have announced the finalists for the first annual Anna Dewdney Read Together Award, given in honor of the late picture book author and illustrator Anna Dewdney, creator of the bestselling Llama Llama series. The award will be given to a picture book published in the U.S. during the previous five years that inspires empathy and connection and makes for an exceptional read-aloud.
This year’s five finalists are: Edward Gets Messy by Rita Meade, illustrated by Olga Stern (Simon & Schuster); Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson (Putnam); Mother Bruce by Ryan Higgins (Disney-Hyperion); Toby by Hazel Mitchell (Candlewick); and Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin (Holt).
The finalists have been determined by a committee of librarians, teachers, and booksellers, including Berol Dewdney, early childhood educator and daughter of the late Anna Dewdney. The winner will be announced during Children’s Book Week, May 1–7, 2017. The author and illustrator of the winning book will share a prize of $1,000 from the Children’s Book Council, and Penguin will donate $5,000 worth of copies of the winning book to a school, library, or literacy organization chosen by the award winner(s).
