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LARC Mocks: 2025 Picture Books

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

2025 Picture Books

Abbott, Zoey.  The Year, a Witch!  K 4/15/25

Abtahi, Olivia.  The Interpreter.  PW 10/14/24, K 11/15/24

Alcantara, Jacqueline.  Tios and Primos.  K 12/1/24

Alper, Sascha.  The Littlest Drop.  PW 1/27/25, K 2/1/25, SLJ 2/25

Andruetto, Maria Teresa.  Clara and the Man with Books in His Window.  SLJ 1/25

Archer, Micha.  Wind Watchers. K 12/15/24

Augustine, Kesi.  Faith Takes the Train.  K 1/1/25

Avery, Sean E.  Frank's Red Hat.  SLJ 1/25

Awan, Jashar. Every Monday Mabel. PW 11/4/24, BL 2/1-15/25

Barnes, Brynne.  Black Boy, Rise.  SLJ 2/25

Barnes, Derrick. I Got You. PW 4/21/25

Beatty, Melinda.  The Witch's Table.  BL 3/1-15/25

Beaton, Kate.  Shark Girl.  BL 2/1-15/25

Bell, Davina.  What To Do When You're Not Sure What to Do.  SLJ 5/25

Bird, Betsy. Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme. PW 1/13/25

Briere-Haquet, Alice.  Thread by Thread.  BL 1/1-15/25

Brockington, Drew.  Kitty Camp.  BL 4/1-15/25

Brown, Peter.  The Wild Robot on the Island.  SLJ 5/25, K 4/15/25

Brown-Wood, JaNay.  On Our Way! What a Day!  K 11/15/24

Burgess, Matthew. Fireworks. PW 2/10/25, K 3/115/25

Cate, Annette.  Seven Little Ducklings.  K 11/1/24

Clanton, Ben.  Papilio.  K 12/1/24, PW 12/16-23/24

Commeh, Kobina. Kwesi and Nana Ruby Learn to Swim.  SLJ 1/25, BL 2/1-15/25

Cooke, Trish. Catch! PW 3/10/25

Cooper, Elisa.  Here Is a Book.  BL 4/1-15/25

Cordell, Matthew. To See an Owl. PW 9/30/24

Croza, Laurel.  Rock.  BL 3/1-15/25

Dandurand, Joseph.  The Bears and the Magic Masks.  SLJ 3/25

David, Mabi.  How Do You Eat Color?  BL 3/1-15/25

de la Pena, Matt.  Home.  K 1/1/25

dePaola, Tomie. Where Are You, Bronte? PW 2/24/25, BL 3/1-15/25

Deedy, Carmen Agra. The Peanut Man. PW 12/2/24, K 1/1/25

Deedy, Lauren Agra. New Shoes for Leo. PW 3/17/25

Denise, Christopher.  Knight Owl and Early Bird.  K 1/1/25

Doremus, Gaetan.  On All Fours.  K 1/1/25

Eady, Antwan. The Gathering Table. PW 3/24/25, K 3/15/25

Fajardo, Sara Andrea.  Crack Goes the Cascaron: An Eggcellent Not-Just-For-Easter Shellebration.  SLJ 12/24

Felt, Julie. My Friend May. PW 3/17/25

Ferry, Beth.  The Peddler of Puddles. K 2/1/25, BL 4/1-15/25

Finck, Liana. Mixed Feelings. PW 10/14/24

Floca, Brian. Island Storm. PW 4/7/2025

Gopo, Patrice. Ripening Time. PW 1/27/25

Graegin, Stephanie. Everyday Bean (Tiny Bean's Big Adventures #1). PW 4/7/2025

Grant, Shauntay.  Bright Lights and Summer Nights.  K 4/1/25

Grigni, Noah.  Mama Moon: A Story About Love and Mental Health.  K 3/15/25

Hall, Michael.  Punch!  A Story about Kindness.  BL 4/1-15/25, SLJ 3/25

Hannigan, Jess.  The Bear Out There.  BL 4/1-15/25

Harjo, Joy. For a Girl Becoming. PW 2/17/25, K 4/15/25

Harris, Shawn. Let's Be Bees. PW 11/11/24, K 12/15/24, BL 1/1-15/25

Harris, Shawn.  The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn's Great Big Wish.  BL 3/1-15/25

Heuer, Lourdes.  A Book of Maps for You.  K 2/1/25, PW 1/20/25, BL 1/1-15/25

Hoefler, Kate.  The Couch in the Yard.  K 1/1/25

Howes, Kathy. Where the Deer Slip Through. PW 3/24/25

Hrachovec, Anna. Short Dog, Long Dog: A Book of Opposites.  K 12/15/24

Hudson, Cheryl Willis. When I Hear Spirituals. PW 11/11/24

Jaoui, Sylvaine.  I'm Like a Tree and a Tree's Like Me.  K 3/15/25

Jones, Keenan. Saturday Morning at the 'Shop. PW 10/14/24

Jonker, Travis.  Caboose.  PW 11/11/24, K 11/15/24

Kaba, Mariame & Jane Ball.  Prisons Must Fall.  BL 4/1-15/25

Kang, Angie. Our Lake. PW 1/6/25

Kaufman, Suzanne.  Blue.  K 3/15/25

Kemp, Laekan Zea.  Dream For the Land.  K 4/1/25

Kheiriyeh, Rashin. Rose Weaves a Garden. PW 3/17/25

Khulmann, Torben.    BL 3/1-15/25

Killian, Alex.  In-Between Places.  K 2/1/25

Kim, Hye-Eun.  Pencil.  K 1/15/25

Kim, Jihyun. Blue Sky Morning.  SLJ 1/25

Kinkz, Eliza.  Mistaco.  K 2/1/25

Kirsch, Vincent.  O.K. Is Gay.  K 3/15/25

Klassen, Jon.  Your Island.  BL 3/1-15/25

Kooser, Ted. Seven Skies All at Once. PW 3/31/25

Krans, Angela Pham.  Another Word for Neighbor.  K 4/15/25

Kuo, Julia. Home is a Wish. PW 10/28/24, K 12/15/24

Lam, Thao.  Everybelly.  K 2/15/25, SLJ 2/25, BL 4/1-15/25

Laminack, Lester.  A Cat Like That.  K 11/1/24, BL 1/1-15/25

Laymon, Kiese.  City Summer, Country Summer.  K 1/15/25

Lee, Laura G.  Soy Sauce!  K 11/15/24

Lee, Y.S. Mrs. Nobody.  SLJ 2/25

Limon, Ada.  And, Too, the Fox.  K 11/1/24

Lindstrom, Carole. The Gift of the Great Buffalo. PW 11/4/24

Mahoney, Kristin. A Pocket Full of Rocks. PW 9/30/24, BL 11/1-15/24

Mansour, Vivian.  Pilgrim Codex.  K 12/15/24

Marsol, Manuel.  Astro.  K 1/15/25

Martin, Marc. Dawn: Watch the World Awaken. PW 4/7/2025

Masumoto, David Mas. Every Peach Is a Story. PW 1/27/25, K 4/1/25

Meisel, Paul.  I Want It!  BL 4/1-15/25

Mensah, Bernard. Esi the Brave (Who Was Not Afraid of Anything).  K 1/1/25

Miller, Connie Colwell.  Adam Rocks...and Max Rolls!  BL 4/1-15/25

Montgomery, Ross.  Ant Party.  SLJ 12/24

Moses, Sheila P.  Sharing the Dream.  BL 11/1-15/24

Neal, Christopher Silas. We Leap Together. PW 12/9/24, K 3/15/25

Nelson, Adiba.  Oshun and Me: A Story of Love and Braids.  K 12/1/24

Ohnari, Yuko. Downpour: Splish! Splash! Ker-Splash! PW 1/6/25

Osman, Majdi.  Meena and the Microbiome.  BL 2/1-15/25

Park, Linda Sue.  Smiling Eyes.  SLJ 12/24

Peña, Zeke. Sundust. PW 4/14/25

Pierre, Karly. Soggy Like Cush Cush. PW 1/27/25

Pritchard, Caroline Kusin. The Keeper of Stories. PW 11/11/24, BL 2/1-15/25

Rothman, Scott.  Warm and Fuzzy.  BL 4/1-15/25

Safadi, Shifa Saltagi.  The Gift of Eid.  BL 2/1-15/25

Salmieri, Daniel. Next to Me. PW 2/17/2025

Saunders, Kirli. Afloat. PW 12/9/24

Schwartz, Joanne.  Head Full of Clouds.  K 2/15/25, SLJ 2/25, BL 3/1-15/25

Seales, Stephanie. Mi Papa es un cowboy.  SLJ 12/24

Senechal, Jean-Francois.  Colette: The Solitary Bee.  K 3/15/25

Sharpson, Neil. Don't Trust Fish. PW 1/13/25, BL 4/1-15/25, SLJ 5/25

Shea, Bob. Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend. PW 12/9/24, BL 2/1-15/25

Small, Steve.  The Hare Who Wouldn't Share.  K 12/1/24, BL 2/1-15/25

Smalls, Alexander.  When Alexander Graced the Table.  K 12/1/24, PW 1/27/25

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Firefly Season. PW 2/24/25

Smith, Lane.  Recess.  K 4/15/25

Soltis, Sue.  The Moon Moved In.  SLJ 3/25

Spillett, Tasha.  Raven's Ribbons. PW 10/21/24,  K 12/1/24, BL 1/1-15/25

Stead, Rebecca.  Anything.  PW 1/13/25, K 2/1/25, BL 4/1-15/25, SLJ 5/25

Straub, Emma.  Mama Hug.  K 11/15/24

Suleiman, Safa.  Hilwa's Gifts.  BL 2/1-15/25

Tabor, Corey R. Cranky, Crabby Crow. PW 2/17/25

Tagaq, Tanya. I Would Give You My Tail.  SLJ 2/25, BL 4/1-15/25

Tagholm, Sarah.  We Are the Wibbly.  K 1/1/25

Tajsar, Maureen Shay.  Midnight Motorbike.  K 2/15/25

Taussig, Rebekah.  We Are the Scrappy Ones.  K 2/15/25

Taylor, Sean. You're a Poet: Ways to Start Writing Poems. PW 3/3/25

Tolentino, Marcelo.  Sunday.  K 11/1/24, SLJ 11/24

Tourmaline. One Day in June: A Story Inspired by the Life and Activism of Marsha P. Johnson. PW 4/14/25

Vail, Rachel.  You and Me, Anemone: A Story About Friendship and Personal Space.  K 3/15/25, SLJ 5/25, PW 5/5/25

Wagamese, Richard.  The Animal People Choose a Leader: A Richard Wagamese Storybook.  BL 4/1-15/25

Waldman, Jenna.  A Purr-fect Passover.  SLJ 12/24

Wan, Joyce.  Be My Yummy ABC.  SLJ 12/24

Wedlick, Seina. Space for Everyone. PW 10/21/24

Wenzel, Brendan.  Good Golden Sun  SLJ 10/24

Willems, Mo.  Me and Other Bunnies.  K 2/1/25

Xu Bin.  Picking Tea With Baba.  K 4/15/25

Yahu, Yaram.  My Afro is a Rising Sun.  SLJ 12/24

Yang, Kelly.  Little Bird Laila.  BL 1/1-15/25

Zurbo, Matt.  If I Could...  K 4/15/25

 

Caldecott Criteria

  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.