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Illustration from Piece by Piece by Erin Frankel; illus. by Stacy Innerst. The following books will receive starred reviews in the March/April 2026 Horn Book Magazine: 102 by Matthew Cordell (Little, Brown) My Subway Runs by James Gladstone; illus. by Pierre Pratt (Groundwood) Navigating Night by Julie Leung; illus. by Angie Kang (Schwartz/Random) The Great...
Not only is Island Storm, written by Brian Floca and illustrated by Sydney Smith, my favorite picture book of the year, it’s one of my all-time favorite picture books. This is the book I would be an advocate for if I were on the actual Caldecott committee this year, except that it wouldn’t be on the table; it’s not eligible. Sydney Smith is Canadian. So, it’s one of those CaldeNott books...
Way back in May of 2025, Brian Wilson emailed to ask us if he could write about Fireworks for Calling Caldecott, so we have to credit Brian with seeing this winner coming before the year was half over. I admit I thought the gatefold might mean no gold for this book, but Cátia Chien’s colorful, exuberant illustrations won the day. This...
This week on hbook.com... January Notes from the Horn Book Newsletter: 5Qs for Hyewon Yum about A Spoonful of the Sea + 6 picture books about food traditions passed from one generation to another, 4 page-turning tales where Black history or identity affects the action, and 8 novels about coping with...
Three more dawns / Three more days / Three days more! (You’re welcome for the Les Mis earworm). We hope the Caldecott committee members get to Chicago before the bitterly cold temps and monster snowstorm hit. If you can’t be bundled up at home, maybe hunkered down in a hotel to vote on the most distinguished picture book of 2025 isn’t such a bad gig? (Whatever you’re doing this weekend, if you’re affected by the extreme weather,...
Our 2026 mock vote winner—by a lot more than a whisker—is: Cat Nap, written and illustrated by Brian Lies. And our one honor book is: Fireworks, illustrated by Cátia Chien, written by Matthew Burgess. Congratulations to Brian Lies and Cátia Chien, and to all of you Calling Caldecott voters! Thanks so much for playing along...
Perhaps now more than ever, Martin Luther King Jr. Day provides an opportunity to reflect not only on the life of the great civil rights leader, but also on how far we've come — and how very far we still have to go. Below is an updated list of recommended...
This week on hbook.com... From the January/February 2026 Horn Book Magazine: Field Notes: Storytime Smash Hits by Hannah Peterson Calling Caldecott: Night Light by Cathryn M. Mercier A Knot Is Not a Tangle by Sylvie Shaffer Books we missed by Adrienne L. Pettinelli 2026 Calling Caldecott Mock Ballot —...
Now is the time, dear Calling Caldecott readers! Our mock Caldecott poll is open, and it's time to select your top three choices for the most distinguished picture book of 2025. Over the last four-and-a-half months, we’ve covered thirty eligible books (or is it twenty-nine?). We've looked at the ecletic NYT/NYPL’s Best Illustrated list — which doesn’t have to contend with eligibility rules — and we’ve...
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