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.
As we announced in March, the 2023 nominees for the Ladybug Picture Book Award are:
- Big Truck, Little Island by Chris Van Dusen
- Cat Problems by Jory John and Lane Smith
- Chez Bob by Bob Shea
- Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison and Brianne Farley
- Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
- Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima
- If You Find a Leaf by Aimee Sicuro
- Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
- Noodle and the No Bones Day by Jonathan Graziano and Dan Tavis
- Pizza: A Slice of History by Greg Pizzoli
Voting and Promotional Materials
The 2023 Ladybug Picture Book Award Voting Guide
Votes for the 2023 award must be received by 11:30pm on Sunday, December 17, 2023. They can be submitted via the online tally or using the official tally sheet.
You are encouraged to have kids vote using the 2023 Picture Ballot, but votes cannot be sent to us for counting in that format.
When tweeting your Ladybug activites please use #ladybugaward.
Order form for Stickers (note: effective 4/1/2022 shipping fee is $5).
- 2022 Voting Results Flyer
- Ladybug Winners flyer (through 2022)
- Bookplates for Ladybug winners 2014-2022
- Bookplates for Ladybug winners 2012-2019
- Bookplates for Ladybug winners 2003-2011
The latest news on the Ladybug Picture Book Award is on the Center for the Book Blog
The Ladybug Picture Book Award is designed to promote early literacy and honor the best in recent children's picture books. A committee of children's librarians from around the state selects 10 picture book titles 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
Previous Winners
- 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!
