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LARC Mocks: 2024 Picture Books

Working list of starred reviews to be considered for the Mock Caldecott and Newbery Award

2024 Picture Books

Abed, Omar.  The Book That Almost Rhymed.  BL 12/1-15/23

Acabado, Hana. My Mama is a Work of Art.  SLJ 3/24

Adefris, Fasika & Sara Holly Ackerman. The Gabi That Girma Wore.  SLJ 12/23

Adusei, Denise.  Cesaria Feels the Beat.  K 4/15/24

Aguila, Maria Dolores. Barrio Rising: The Protest That Built Chicano Park.  K 3/1/23

Ahlberg, Allan.  Under the Table.  BL 3/1/24

Ali, Marzieh A.  A Ramadan to Remember.  SLJ 12/23

Anganuzzi, Clara.  The Ocean Organizer.  SLJ 1/24

Antrobus, Raymond.  Terrible Horses.  PW 1/29/24, K 2/1/24

Archer, Micha.  What's New, Daniel?  K 1/1/24, BL 2/15/24

Arnold, Elana K.  The Fish of Small Wishes.  BL 12/1-15/23

Barr-Green, Craig.  Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf.  K 2/1/24

Becker, Aaron. The Last Zookeeper. PW 12/4/23, K 1/1/24

Behar, Ruth. Across So Many Seas. PW 11/6/23, K 12/1/23

Bell, Cece. Animal Albums from A to Z. PW 12/11/23, BL 2/15/24

Best, Cari. This Baby. That Baby. PW 11/13/24, K 12/1/23

Blackall, Sophie.  Ahoy!  K 2/15/24, HB 3/24, BL 4/1/24

Blackman, Nailah.  Love, Lah Lah. SLJ 12/23

Bonilla, Lindsay.  The Storyteller.  K 2/1/24

Brown-Wood, JaNay. Jam, Too?  K 12/15/23, PW 2/5/24

Buchet, Nelly.  Big Sister, Long Coat. SLJ 2/14

Callendar, Kacen. Infinity Alchemist. PW 11/6/23

Carzoo, Breanna. The Squish. PW 2/19/24

Castillo, Lauren.  Just Like Millie.  BL 1/1-15/24

Catchpole, James.  You're SO Amazing!  SLJ 12/23

Cecil, Randy.  The Spaceman.  BL 2/15/24, K 3/1/24

Conklin, Melanie. When You Have to Wait.  K 11/15/23

Coppo, Marianna.  The Book That Can Read Your Mind.  BL 1/1-15/24

Cronin, Doreen. Mama in the Moon. PW 1/22/24

de la Pena, Matt. The Perfect Place. PW 2/12/24

DiCamillo, Kate.  Orris and Timble: The Beginning.  BL 1/1-15/24

Downing, Julie.  Hello, Sun.  K 2/15/24

Doyle, Ruth.  You Are Part of the Wonder.  K 12/1/23

Dubuc, Marianne. Everyone Gets a Turn. PW 12/4/23, K 1/1/24

Eady, Antwan. The Last Stand. PW 10/9/23, K 12/1/23, BL 1/1-15/24

Eagleton, Ian.  Nen and the Lonely Fisherman.  K 2/1/24

Eggers, Dave.  Soren's Seventh Song.  BL 2/1/12024

Emenanjo, Bunmi. I'll See You in Ijebu.  K 3/1/24

Emmons, Lauren.  No Cats in the Library.  SLJ 1/24

Fay, Sandra. The Three Little Tardigrades. PW 12/4/23

Ferry, Beth.  Solar Bear.  BL 3/1/24

Finck, Liana.  You Broke It!  K 11/1/23

Fissher, Tiny.  Bird is Dead.  K 4/1/24

Fujimoto-Johnson, Sharon.  The Mochi Makers.  K 2/1/24

George, Kaylin Melia.  Aloha Everything. K 2/14/24

Gibb, David.  Two Wheels. K 2/15/24

Good Marable, Karen.  Yaya and the Sea.  K 2/1/24

Grant, Shauntay.  When I Wrap My Hair. K 11/15/23

Ha, Ann Kim. A Friend for Eddy. HB 3/24

Ham, Jo.  Oops! Rabbit.  SLJ 2/24

Handy, Bruce.  There Was a Shadow. K 3/15/24

Hannigan, Jess.  Spider in the Well.  K 1/15/24

Harmony, Cynthia.  A Flicker of Hope: A Story of Migration.  K 12/15/23, PW 1/22/24

Harper, Janelle. My Block Looks Like. PW 10/30/23, K 11/15/23

Harris, Shawn.  The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn.  BL 1/1-15/24

Hartman, Brooke.  All Aboard the Alaska Train.  BL 12/1-15/23

Havrelock, Deidre.  Why We Dance: A Story of Hope and Healing.  K 2/15/24

Heikkila, Cecilia.  Finding the Way to Faraway Valley.  BL 2/1/12024

Henkes, Kevin. Finding Things. PW 2/12/24

Hest, Amy. Bunny Should Be Sleeping. PW 12/11/23, K 1/15/24

Hest, Amy.  Big Bear and Little Bear Go Fishing.  PW 2/19/24, K 3/15/24

Hilderman, Tasha.  Metis Like Me.  SLJ 3/24

Ho, Joanna & Liz Kleinrock. Eyes That Weave the World's Wonders. SLJ 12/23

Hopkinson, Deborah. On a Summer Night. PW 2/19/24

Howard, Amalie. Bumps in the Night. PW 11/6/23

Impala.  Come Closer, Tatita.  K 1/1/24

Jackson, Brentom.  Elijah's Easter Suit.  BL 11/1-11/15/23, K 12/15/23

Jaleel, Aaliya . EidTale: An Eld al-Fitr Adventure.  SLJ 3/24

John, Jory.  You're Going to Love This Book!  SLJ 2/24

Kadi, Marion.  Harriet's Reflections. K 12/1/23, BL 2/1/12024

Kane, Karen.  Monster Hands. K 3/15/24

Keller, Shana.  Do You Know Them?  Families Lost and Found after the Civil War.  BL 12/1-15/23, K 11/15/23

Kemp, Laekan Zea.  Desert Song.  K 4/1/24

Krishnaswami, Umi. Look! Look!  K 2/1/24

LaRochelle, David.  Go and Get with Rex.  BL 2/15/24

Lee, Jessica.  A Garden Called Home. SLJ 2/24

Levington, Rebecca Gardyn.  Afikoman, Where'd You Go/ A Passover Hide-and-Seek Adventure.  SLJ 3/24

Lindstrom, Eva.  I Do Not Like Water.  K 4/1/24

Liu, Dane. Laolao's Dumplings. HB 1/24

Lucianovic, Stephanie.  Touch the Sky.  K 4/15/24

Maijala, Marika.  Rosie Runs.  K 11/15/23

Manley, Curtis.  Climbing the Volcano: A Journey in Haiku.  BL 1/1-15/24

Massio, Lina.  Threads: Zlata's Ukrainian Shirt.  K 11/1/23

Matias, Carlos.  Emergency Quarters.  PW 2/26/2024, K 3/15/24

McDonald, Megan.  Is This a House for Hermit Crab?  K 12/15/23

Meganck, Margaux.  Speck: An Itty-Bitty Epic.  K 2/1/24

Miura, Tomo.  LIttle Sisters.  K 12/15/23

Moreira, Henrique Coser. The First Day of May. HB 1/24, BL 2/1/12024, SLJ 3/24

Mylie, Charlie. Hello Day: A Child's Eye View of the World. PW 2/5/24

Newman, Leslea.  Joyful Song: A Naming Story. PW 2/26/2024, K 3/1/24

Noel, Melvina.  Mama's Library Summers.  K 3/15/24

Nguyen, Viet Thanh.  Simone.  K 3/1/24

Ofelia, Jamie.  Miguel Must Fight!  K 2/1/24

Poll, Willie.  My Little Ogichidaa: An Indigenous Lullaby.  SLJ 2/24

Raschka, Chris. Tomorrow's Lily. PW 12/18/23

Redniss, Lauren.  Heatwave.  K 3/1/24

Retener, Joelle.  Marley's Pride.  K 3/1/24

Robert, Nadine. The Walk of the Field Mouse. PW 12/11/23, K 2/1/24

Sala, Felicita. If You Run Out of Words. 2/15/24

Salazar, Aida. When Moon Blooms. PW 11/13/24

Scanlon, Liz Garton.  Everyone Starts Small.  K 1/15/24

Scott, Jordan.  Angela's Glacier.  BL 1/1-15/24, SLJ 2/24

Seales, Stephanie.  My Daddy is a Cowboy.  K 4/15/24

Sedaris, David.  Pretty Ugly. K 1/1/24

Sendak, Maurice.  Ten Little Rabbits. SLJ 10/23, PW 10/23/23, HB 3/24

Sobel, June.  The Goodnight Train Easter. SLJ 12/23

Soo, Phillipa.  Piper Chen Sings.  K 2/1/24, PW 2/5/24

Sorell, Traci. Being Home. PW 2/12/24, K 3/1/24

Spencer, Rene.  Bye Land, Bye Sea.  K 2/15/24

Sterer, Gideon.  Treehouse Town.  BL 1/1-15/24

Talkhani, Zeba.  The Most Exciting Eld.  SLJ 3/24

Tanaka, Saki.  Between Words: A Friendship Tale.  K 4/1/24

Thompkins-Bigelow, Jamilah.  Sister Friend. K 4/1/24

Thurman, Brittany.  Forever and Always.  K 11/15/23, SLJ 1/24

Tripplett, Natasha.  The Blue Pickup.  K 12/1/23

Valasse, Bruno.   Shine.  K 2/15/24

Vere, Ed. The Elephant and the Sea. PW 2/26/2024, K 4/1/24

Wang, Ann Suk. The House Before Falling into the Sea. HB 1/24, K 1/15/24

Watson, Renee. Summer is Here. PW 2/12/24, K 4/1/24

Weber, Frank.  More Dung! A Beetle Tale. K 3/15/24

Wenzel, Brendan.  Two Together.  PW 1/29/24, K 2/1/24

White, Dianne.  Finding Grateful.  K 3/1/24

Wiley, DeAnn.  Homegrown. SLJ 3/24

Willems, Mo. Are You Big? PW 10/30/23, HB 1/24, K 1/1/24

Wong, Jack.  All That Grows. K 2/15/24, SLJ 3/24

Yoon, Helen.  Is This Easter?  K 11/15/23

Young, Jessica.  Two Homes, One Heart.  K 2/1/24

Yuksel, M.O.  Ramadan Kareem. SLJ 12/23, BL 2/1/12024

Yuksel, M.O.  Sami's Special Gift.  SLJ 3/24

Yuly, Toni.  The Pelican Can!  K 4/15/24

Criteria

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  1. In identifying a “distinguished American picture book for children,” defined as illustration, committee members need to consider:
    1. Excellence of execution in the artistic technique employed;
    2. Excellence of pictorial interpretation of story, theme, or concept;
    3. Appropriateness of style of illustration to the story, theme or concept;
    4. Delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting, mood or information through the pictures;
    5. Excellence of presentation in recognition of a child audience.
  2. The only limitation to graphic form is that the form must be one which may be used in a picture book. The book must be a self-contained entity, not dependent on other media (i.e., sound, film or computer program) for its enjoyment.
  3. Each book is to be considered as a picture book. The committee is to make its decision primarily on the illustration, but other components of a book are to be considered especially when they make a book less effective as a children’s picture book. Such other components might include the written text, the overall design of the book, etc.

Note: The committee should keep in mind that the award is for distinguished illustrations in a picture book and for excellence of pictorial presentation for children. The award is not for didactic intent or for popularity.