Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award

2010 Winner

Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina by Kirby Larson and Marcy Nethery
Bobbi and Bob Cat are the best of friends. When their hometown of New Orleans was struck by Hurricane Katrina, many lost everything. But not Bobbi and Bob Cat--they still had each other. Only by staying together could they survive. This is the story of their remarkable friendship.

2011 Nominees

Ron's Big Mission by Rose Blue and Corinne J. Naden, illustrated by Don Tate
One summer day in 1959, nine-year-old Ron McNair, who dreams of becoming a pilot, walks into the Lake City, South Carolina, public library and insists on checking out some books, despite the rule that only white people can have library cards.  Includes facts about McNair, who grew up to be an astronaut.

Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Liam discovers a hidden garden and with careful tending spreads color throughout the gray city.

Dark Night by Dorothee DeMonfreid
When he wanders into the forest at night, Felix, terrified by the ferocious animals he sees, finds refuge in an unusual underground house.

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle by Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery
The story of a wild dog who befriended Marine Major Brian Dennis in Iraq, and, when they were separated, trekked seventy miles through the desert winter to rejoin his friend.

Chicken Little by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley
A retelling of the classic story of Chicken Little, who has an acorn fall on his head and runs in a panic to his friends Henny Penny, Lucky Ducky, and loosey Goosey, to tell them the sky is falling.

Imogene's Last Stand by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Enamored of history, young Imogene Tripp tries to save her town's historical society from being demolished in order to build a shoelace factory.

Let's Do Nothing by Tony Fucile
Frankie and Sal have run out of things to do: "We've played every sport ever invented" and "baked enough cookies to feed a small country."  Then Sal hits upon a solution: "Let's do nothing!"  How hard could that be?

Turtle's Penguin Day by Valeri Gorbachev
After hearing a bedtime story about penguins, Turtle dresses as a penguin for school and soon the entire class is having a penguin day.

Three Little Gators by Helen Ketterman, illustrated by Will Terry.
In this adaptation of the traditional folktale, three little gators each build their house in an east Texas swamp, hoping for protection from the Big-Bottomed Boar.

Applesauce Season by Eden Ross Lipson, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein
A child recounts a family's annual applesauce-making ritual, from buying apples at a farmer's market, through cooking and milling the fruit, to eating the finished product on potato pancakes, gingerbread, or even plain.

2010 Nominees

2009 Nominees

 

The Beckoning Cat: Based on a Japanese Folktale by Koko Nishizuka, illustrated by Roseanne Litzinger
A retelling of the traditional Japanese tale describing the origins of the beckoning cat and how it came to be a symbol of good luck.

I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll, illustrated by Howard McWilliam
When Ethan checks under the bed for his monster, he finds a note saying that Gabe has gone fishing and will be back in a week.  He tries out several substitute monsters, but finds that none are as perfect as Gabe.

The King's Taster by Kenneth Oppel, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
The royal chef takes Max the dog, the royal taster, on several international journeys to find a dish for the land's pickiest king.

Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash
Roy receives a saddle for his birthday, and sets out in search of a horse to use it on.

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
A clever take on the age-old optical illusion:  Is it a duck or a rabbit?  Depends on how you look at it!

Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
When grumpy Old Man Fookwire builds feeders to try to keep birds - the only creatures he like - from leaving for the winter, he finds himself in a battle with clever, crafty squirrels who want a share of the abundant food. 

Panda Kindergarten by Joanne Ryder, photographs by Katherine Feng
Photographs and text follow sixteen panda cubs at the Wolong Nature Preserve, where they are raised and observed by scientists and workers while they learn survival skills that will allow them to be re-released into the wild.

Truckery Rhymes by Jon Scieszka
For generations, Trucks have been sharing these beloved tales, rowdy rhymes, and honk-along songs.  Finally these classics have been gathered into one big, noisy, high-octane collection!

Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton
A nervous Splat finds his first day at Cat School much better than he expected.

My Name is Sangoel by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Catherine Stock
As a refugee from Sudan to the United States, Sangoel is frustrated that no one can pronounce his name correctly until he finds a clever way to solve the problem.