Ladybug Picture Book Award

The Ladybug Picture Book Award is designed to promote early literacy and honor the best in recent children's picture books.

ladybug award logo

2024 Ladybug Picture Book Award Nominees

100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle and Lian Cho
A is For Axolotl by Catherine Macorol
Bears are Best! by Joan Holub and Laurie Keller
Beneath by Cori Doerrfeld
Big by Vashti Harrison
Gibberish by Young Vo
I am a Tornado by Drew Beckmeyer
The Mermaid with No Tail by Jessica Long and Airin O’Callaghan
Once Upon A Book by Grace Lin and Kate Messner

NOTE: Nine titles were nominated in 2024 which is a change from previous years.

About the Award

The Ladybug Picture Book Award is designed to promote early literacy and honor the best in recent children's picture books. Librarians from around the state select 9 picture book titles (as of 2024) each spring. Then, during November, New Hampshire children from preschoolers to those in third grade choose the award winner. The winning picture book is announced at the end of the year.

To be considered for nomination, a picture book must meet the following criteria:

be published, in its current edition, within the last three years
be in print
have an author and illustrator both residing in the United States
possess strong child appeal
have artistic quality with text that supports the illustrations
not be a title previously nominated

Voting and Promotional Materials

The deadline for sending in votes for 2024 is Sunday, December 22, 2024 at 11:30 pm.

When tweeting your Ladybug activities please use #ladybugaward.

Ladybug Stickers are available!
Order form for Stickers (note: effective 4/1/2022 shipping fee is $5).

The latest news on the Ladybug Picture Book Award is on the Center for the Book Blog

Previous Winners

2023 Noodle and the No Bones Day by Jonathan Graziano and Dan Tavis
2022 Milk & Juice: A Recycling Romance by Meredith Crandall Brown
2021 Snail Crossing by Corey R. Tabor
2020 There Are No Bears in This Bakery by Julia Sarcone-Roach
2019 Can I be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings
2018 Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
2017 Woodpecker Wants a Waffle by Steve Breen
2016 It's Only Stanley by Jon Agee
2015 Ladybug Picture Book Award went to The Day the Crayons Quit written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers.
2014 If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen
2013 Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a Brave Dog Named Baltic by Mônica Carnesi
2012 Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes written by Eric Litwin with art by James Dean
2011 Memoirs of a Goldfish written by Devin Scillian and illustrated by Tim Bowers
2010 Princess Hyacinth (the Surprising Story of a Girl Who Floated) by Florence Parry Heide and illustrated by Lane Smith
2009 Waking Beauty by Leah Wilcox and illustrated by Lydia Monks
2008 When Dinosaurs Came with Everything written by Elise Broach and illustrated by David Small
2007 The Secret Science Project that Almost Ate the School by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Stephen Gammell
2006 I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont & David Catrow
2005 Judy Schachner's Skippyjon Jones. Read the beautiful thank you note we got from them.
2004 Keiko Kasza's My Lucky Day.
2003 Kate & Jim McMullen's I Stink!