Ladybug Nominee Profile

The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025)

Roz is not where she’s supposed to be.
 
You see, the robot wasn’t designed to live in the wilderness. But when she washes up on an island, she must learn from the animal inhabitants and adapt to her new, natural surroundings, and before long, the island begins to feel like home.
 
Filled with bestselling creator and award-winning artist Peter Brown’s stunning artwork, this moving picture book is the perfect gift for readers new to The Wild Robot or for longtime fans of the series that sparked a global phenomenon.

Note: This is NOT a continuation of the series. It is a picture book adaptation of the first book in the series, The Wild Robot.

About Peter Brown

Peter Brown is a writer and illustrator, known for his children's picture books. Brown was awarded the Caldecott Medal for his illustration of Creepy Carrots! Six books that he authored & illustrated have been New York Times bestsellers, including Children Make Terrible Pets, The Curious Garden, The Wild Robot, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, You Will Be My Friend!, and The Wild Robot Escapes. Peter lives in Maine with his wife, Susan (X. Fang), and their dog, Pam. His website is: https://www.peterbrownstudio.com/

Activities & Links

• Check out this animated Read aloud at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkjMO0ppSOY
• Here's an interview with Peter Brown about "The Wild Robot on the Island": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCpdGf4i-80
• Check out this activity kit for the animated film, "The Wild Robot" based off of the book series: https://www.dreamworks.com/downloads/WRB_Activity_Kit_HomeEnt_Complete.pdf 
• Design activity: Have students create a model of the island using text clues for the meadows, forests, and beaver pond.
• Here's a fun cut & color robot worksheet: https://rosiereader.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/robot-diy-rosie-reader.pdf

Suggestions for Further Reading

• Check out the other 2026 Ladybug Longlist titles featuring Nature at: https://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/2026/02/ladybug-longlist-nature.html 
• Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots by Michael Rex, a 2022 Ladybug Longlist title is another book about robots that you can count on. 
• For another book illustrated by Peter Brown, consider Creepy Carrots!, a 2013 Ladybug Nominee Finalist title. 

This is one of nine titles nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
We will be posting information about a different nominee each Friday throughout the summer and will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day.

Ladybug Nominee Profile

Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World) by Corey R. Tabor (Greenwillow Books, 2025)

Cranky, crabby Crow does not want to play with Squirrel or do loop-de-loops with Hummingbird. He doesn’t have time for Rat or Bat. From high atop a telephone pole, Cat warns Crow that he will soon be all alone if he turns his friends away with his very cranky “kaw!” one more time. But, unbeknownst to all, Crow has bigger, world-saving fish to fry—he must protect planet Earth from an asteroid headed our way!

About Corey R. Tabor

Corey R. Tabor loves books. He especially loves picture books.
He is the author and illustrator of several award-winning books for children, including the Caldecott Honor-winning Mel Fell, the Geisel Award-winning Fox Has a Problem, Fox at Night, and Fox the Tiger, and the Sir Ladybug graphic novel series. Corey lives in Tacoma, Washington with his family and spends his time making pictures and stories. His website is: https://www.coreyrtabor.com/

Activities & Links

• Check out this Read aloud at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vkd2V2IV2c
• Here's a Q&A with Corey R. Tabor by Publisher's Weekly: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/97672-q-a-with-corey-r-tabor.html
• Check out National Geographic Kids' facts about the American Crow at: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/facts/american-crow 
• Creative Writing exercise: Have children write a story imagining what their own favorite animal would do if they had a secret, world-saving job.
• Create a fun activity to decode the secret messages hidden in the book's end-papers.

Suggestions for Further Reading

• Check out the other 2026 Ladybug Longlist titles featuring Flying Creatures at: https://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/2026/01/ladybug-longlist-flying-creatures.html 
• For more fun books about animals, consider Seals Are Jerks! by Jared Chapman, a 2025 Ladybug Longlist title, and I Am Not a Penguin by Liz Wong, a 2024 Ladybug Longlist title. 
• For more books by the author, check out Mel Fell, a 2022 Ladybug Nominee Finalist and Snail Crossing, a 2021 Ladybug Nominee Finalist. 

This is one of nine titles nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
We will be posting information about a different nominee each Friday throughout the summer and will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day.

Ladybug Nominee Profile

Broken by X. Fang (Tundra Books, 2025)

When Mei Mei accidentally breaks her ama's favorite cup, she's convinced it's the end of the world. What if Ama is angry? What if she yells? What if she kicks Mei Mei out of her house? Mei Mei can't face it. But when Mimi, the innocent cat who witnesses her crime, ends up being blamed, the guilt is too much! Mimi's accusing eyes follow Mei Mei until she just can't take it anymore, and the truth comes spilling out.

With vibrant and moody cinematic illustrations and pitch-perfect pacing, X. Fang's newest picture book is filled to the brim with comedic drama and the comforting sweetness of a grandparent's forgiving hug.

About X. Fang

X. Fang is an award-winning illustrator and maker of books for young readers. She was born in Taiwan, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, bounced around Brooklyn and Philly before settling down in Midcoast Maine with her husband and son. Her website is: https://www.xfang.studio/

Activities & Links

• Check out this Read Aloud at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdMqyegxiaw
• Here's an interview with X. Fang about "Broken": https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/03/13/broken-a-cover-reveal-and-conversation-with-x-fang/
• Reflection exercise: Ask children how Mei Mei might feel at different points in the story. Invite kids to share times when they made mistakes and how they handled them.
• Here's a fun Kintsugi activity for kids: https://rockyourhomeschool.net/resilience-activity/

Suggestions for Further Reading

• Check out the other 2026 Ladybug Longlist titles featuring Emotions & Feelings at: https://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/2026/01/ladybug-longlist-emotions-feelings.html 
• For another book about honesty & apologies, consider I'm Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff and Julie Kwon, a 2025 Ladybug Nominee Finalist. 
• For another book by X. Fang, check out We Are Definitely Human, a 2025 Ladybug Nominee Finalist.
• For more books about family, consider My Dad is a Tree by Jon Agee, a 2024 Ladybug Longlist title, or We Could Fly by Rhiannon Giddens, a 2026 Ladybug Longlist title.

This is one of nine titles nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
We will be posting information about a different nominee each Friday throughout the summer and will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day.

Ladybug Nominee Profile

If I Built a Town by Chris Van Dusen (Rocky Pond Books, 2025)

"My town will be swanky! My town will be swell!
My town will be prized as the best place to dwell!"

Jack has some great ideas for improving the community he lives in. And who better to describe them to than Mayor McKay! As they walk through the park together, Jack eagerly tells the mayor his plans for improving their town.

And what a town he has dreamed up! The zoo is packed with fantastic, Jurassic, and mythical creatures, the mail is delivered by super-fast hover vans, the health clinic travels right to your door, and a parade passes through each and every week. And don't forget the robots! All of Jack's plans include the most exciting and useful serving machines. But best of all, everything is free!

Jack's over-the-top creativity and infectious enthusiasm will inspire budding young inventors. It's a story time romp that you'll want to return to again and again.

About Chris Van Dusen

Chris Van Dusen was born in 1960 in Portland, Maine. He has been writing and illustrating books since 2000 when Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee was published. He lives on the coast of Maine with his wife Lori and a yellow lab named Opal. His website is: https://www.chrisvandusen.com

Activities & Links

• Check out this Read Aloud with the author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll4z-AXOJPw
• Here's an interview with Chris Van Dusen & tour of his art studio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW9u0SbZrao
• Check out these activity sheets for the book: https://assetbucketpublic.7169.prh.com/9780/593/324/981/sales-assets/9780593324981_If%20I%20Built%20a%20Town%20Activity%20Sheets.pdf
• Map drawing exercise: Encourage students to draw a map of their own imagined town/city. Here's a link to some map ideas: https://www.treevalleyacademy.com/pirate-treasure-map/

Suggestions for Further Reading

• Check out the other 2026 Ladybug Longlist titles featuring Imagination & Creativity at: https://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/2026/02/ladybug-longlist-imagination-creativity.html 
• For other books by Chris Van Dusen, check out Big Truck Little Island, a 2023 Ladybug Finalist, The Circus Ship, a 2010 Ladybug Finalist, and If I Built a House, the 2014 Ladybug winner.
• For other books about imagination, consider The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination by Brad Montague, Once Upon a Book by Grace Lin and Kate Messner or Treehouse Town by Gideon Sterer. 

This is one of nine titles nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
We will be posting information about a different nominee each Friday throughout the summer and will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day.

Ladybug Nominee Profile

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe (A Paula Wiseman Book/Beach Lane Books, 2025)

Aggie is very excited to live on her own—until she finds out her new house is haunted. But no fear, the situation is nothing that can’t be fixed with a carefully considered list of rules: No haunting after dark. No stealing socks. No eating all the food.

But the ghost doesn’t like playing by the rules and challenges Aggie to an epic game of tic-tac-toe—winner gets the house.

About Matthew Forsythe

Matthew Forsythe is the award-winning author and illustrator of the books, Pokko and the Drum and MINA. 

He was also the lead designer on the animated show, Adventure Time at Cartoon Network, and the Oscar-nominated film, Robin Robin. He lives in Los Angeles. His website is: https://www.comingupforair.net/

Activities & Links

• Check out this Read Aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkwr9sC90z0
• Here's an interview with Matthew Forsythe about his artistic technique in illustrating his picture books: https://www.brushupmag.com/articles/interview-matthew-forsythe
• Check out these activity sheets for the book at: https://tinyurl.com/ycyzyt3a
• Here's a link to a printable ghost coloring sheet: https://www.firstpalette.com/pdf/ghost-large.pdf 
• Narrative writing exercise: While coloring their ghost sheets, encourage children to develop a ghost character by exploring its personality, appearance, and quirks. 

Suggestions for Further Reading

• Check out the other 2026 Ladybug Longlist titles featuring Friendship & Cooperation at: https://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/2026/01/ladybug-longlist-friendship-cooperation.html 
• Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima, a 2023 Ladybug Finalist title, and There's a Ghost In This House by Oliver Jeffers are some other titles about ghosts. 
• For more books about friendship, consider The Rock from the Sky by Jon Klassen, a 2022 Ladybug Longlist title, or Norman Didn't Do It! (Yes, He Did.) by Ryan T. Higgins, a 2022 Ladybug Finalist title.

This is one of nine titles nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
We will be posting information about a different nominee each Friday throughout the summer and will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day.

Ladybug Nominee Profile

Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave by Drew Beckmeyer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025)

A hilarious and thought-provoking picture book about two little cave rock formations who witness the entire history of the world.

DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.

Time flies for two charming little cave nubs, Stalactite and Stalagmite. Over millions of years, creatures and things pass in and out of their cave, everything from a trilobite, an ichthyostega, and a triceratops, to a ground sloth and a bat.

When you are an ageless rock formation, it’s nice to have a friend who’s always there. But what will happen when the two nubs grow enough to finally touch?

About Drew Beckmeyer 

Drew Beckmeyer received a Caldecott Honor for his picture book Stalactite & Stalagmite. He is an author-illustrator and schoolteacher based in Los Angeles. He is the author-illustrator of I Am a Tornado, The First Week of School, and The Long Island. He is the illustrator of Dear Wild Child. His website is: https://www.drewbeckmeyer.com/

Activities & Links

• Check out this Read Aloud & craft with the author/illustrator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZAO-fFRrsg
• Here's a video with Drew Beckmeyer about his research process in creating this book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E9LybaPooA
• Check out these activity sheets for the book: https://tinyurl.com/y3n4t26p
• Here's a guide to teaching environmental fiction & nonfiction: https://tinyurl.com/fpr7yr43
• Watch SciShow Kids' video about caves, stalactites & stalagmites: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp-AGTtmjjA
• Check out Britannica Kids' webpage about geologic time: https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/geologic-time/390244
• Here's an interview with the author/illustrator about Stalactite & Stalagmite: https://jenabenton.com/2025/03/21/simply-7-with-drew-beckmeyer-stalactite-stalagmite/

Suggestions for Further Reading

• Check out the other 2026 Ladybug Longlist titles featuring Nature at: https://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/2026/02/ladybug-longlist-nature.html
• I Am a Tornado, a 2024 Ladybug Nominee title is another book authored & illustrated by Drew Beckmeyer. 
• For more books about rocks, consider A Pocket Full of Rocks by Kristin Mahoney, a 2026 Ladybug Longlist title, Rick the Rock of Room 214 by Julie Falatko, a 2025 Ladybug Longlist title or When You Find the Right Rock by Mary Lyn Ray, a 2025 Ladybug Longlist title by a NH author/illustrator. 

This is one of nine titles nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
We will be posting information about a different nominee each Friday throughout the summer and will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day.

Ann Patchett to Receive 2026 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction

The Library of Congress has announced that the 2026 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction will be awarded to Ann Patchett at the National Book Festival on Aug. 22, 2026!

The annual Prize for American Fiction, one of the Library’s most prestigious awards, honors an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished by its mastery of the art, as well as its originality of thought and imagination.

The award seeks to recognize strong, unique, enduring voices that, throughout long and consistently accomplished careers, have told us something about the American experience.

Patchett is the author of 10 novels, including “The Dutch House” (Pulitzer Prize finalist), “The Patron Saint of Liars,” “Bel Canto,” “Commonwealth” and “Taft,” as well as nonfiction and children’s books. She was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and received the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. Her books have been translated into more than 30 languages.

For more information about the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, including past winners click here.

2026 Ladybug Voting Materials

The 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award Voting Materials are now available!

Voting materials, including picture ballots, paper tally sheets, as well as an online tally sheet, are available on the Ladybug web page, here.

We will be posting information about a different Ladybug nominee each Friday throughout the Summer and will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day. A post about the first Ladybug nominee will go out on Friday, June 26, 2026 here on the Book Notes Blog.

New Hampshire children, from preschool to fourth grade, will select the winning picture book when they vote in November 2026. The deadline for sending in votes is Sunday, December 20, 2026 at 4:30 pm. 

Dublin Literary Award Winner 2026

Gliff by Ali Smith has been selected as the winner of the 2026 Dublin Literary Award.

About the Book:

"An uncertain near-future. A story of new boundaries drawn between people daily. A not-very brave new world.

Add two children. And a horse.

From a Scottish word meaning a transient moment, a shock, a faint glimpse, Gliff explores how and why we endeavour to make a mark on the world. In a time when western industry wants to reduce us to algorithms and data—something easily categorizable and predictable—Smith shows us why our humanity, our individual complexities, matter more than ever." --Publisher's blurb

2026 Great Stone Face Award winner!

Faker by Gordon Korman is the winner of this year's Great Stone Face Award with almost 400 votes!

"Trey knows how the trick works: His dad gets him into a school full of kids with rich parents. Trey makes friends, and his father makes connections. Soon, there’s the con, where Trey’s dad suckers the other parents into giving him money for one of his schemes. Once the money’s in the bank, Trey, his sister, and their dad go on the run … until they set up somewhere else and start again.

Trey believes his father when he says no one’s getting hurt. After all, these parents have money to spare. Still, Trey’s getting tired of running … and lying … and never having a friend longer than a few months. But how do you get your family to stop lying when your lives depend on it?" --Publisher's blurb

For more information about this award, visit: https://www.nhlibrarians.org/CLNH-Book-Awards

2026 Isinglass & Flume Award winners!

The votes are in and the 2026 Isinglass and Flume Award winners have been announced!

This year's Isinglass (7th and 8th grade) winner is:

 Under the Surface by Diana Urban

"Ruby is terrified to cave to her feelings for Sean and risk him crushing her heart.

Sean is pumped to spend a week with Ruby in Paris on their senior class trip, and he’ll wait however long until she’s ready to take things further.

But when Ruby’s best friend sneaks out the first night to meet a mysterious French boy, Ruby goes after her with two classmates, but caves to another temptation: attending mystery boy’s exclusive party in the Paris catacombs, the intricate web of tunnels beneath the city, home to six million long-dead Parisians. Only they never reach the party.

Underground, as something sinister chases them, they get lost in the endless maze of bones, uncovering dark secrets about the catacombs…..and each other. And if they can’t find a way out, they’ll die in the dark beneath the City of Light.

Aboveground, Sean races to find the girl he loves as a media frenzy over the four missing teens begins." -- Publisher's blurb

 

This year's Flume (9th-12th grade) winner is:

The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall

"Hollis Beckwith isn’t trying to get a girl—she’s just trying to get by. For a fat, broke girl with anxiety, the start of senior year brings enough to worry about. And besides, she already has a boyfriend: Chris. Their relationship isn’t particularly exciting, but it’s comfortable and familiar, and Hollis wants it to survive beyond senior year. To prove she’s a girlfriend worth keeping, Hollis decides to learn Chris’s favorite tabletop role-playing game, Secrets & Sorcery—but his unfortunate “No Girlfriends at the Table” rule means she’ll need to find her own group if she wants in.

Enter: Gloria Castañeda and her all-girls game of S&S! Crowded at the table in Gloria’s cozy Ohio apartment, the six girls battle twisted magic in-game and become fast friends outside it. With her character as armor, Hollis starts to believe that maybe she can be more than just fat, anxious, and a little lost.

But then an in-game crush develops between Hollis’s character and the bard played by charismatic Aini Amin-Shaw, whose wide, cocky grin makes Hollis’s stomach flutter. As their gentle flirting sparks into something deeper, Hollis is no longer sure what she wants…or if she’s content to just play pretend." -- Publisher's blurb

Please keep encouraging teens to apply for the Flume and Isinglass Committee! 

Teen Application Link: https://forms.gle/MRUupeXa4WxNgqYs7

Librarian Application Link: https://forms.gle/3VLKDzaLxtY9NW8o6

Teen Recommendation Link: https://forms.gle/MsTdS3VkirFoH5Yd9

Ladybug Finalists for 2026

Based on two rounds of voting by New Hampshire's library community, we have chosen The Ladybug Picture Book Award finalists for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award. New Hampshire children, from preschool to fourth grade, will select the winning picture book when they vote in November 2026. The deadline for sending in votes will be Sunday, December 20, 2026 at 11:30 pm. Voting materials will be posted on the Ladybug web page in June and a voting guide will be released around Labor Day. 

The 2026 nominees for the Ladybug Picture Book Award are: 

• Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe
• Broken by X. Fang
• Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World) by Corey R. Tabor
• The Day the Books Disappeared by Joanna Ho, Caroline Kusin Pritchard and Dan Santat
• Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson and Dan Santat
• If I Built a Town by Chris Van Dusen
• The Man Who Didn't Like Animals by Deborah Underwood and LeUyen Pham 
• Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale From a Little Cave by Drew Beckmeyer
• The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown 

Ladybug 2026 Shortlist

The first round of Ladybug Picture Book Award voting closed earlier this week and we are ready to move on to round 2.

Eighty-five people weighed in on the long list of nominees and we have eliminated from consideration any title that did not get at least 7 votes. This left us with a shortlist of 18 titles from which NH librarians are invited to vote for the 9 titles that they think should be nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
 
The Final Round 2026 Ladybug Nomination Survey is now open and will remain open until Sunday, 3/22/2026.

PLEASE NOTE that you can only vote once from your device (phone, computer, whatever you use to browse the web) so don't preview the survey, as you will not be able to go back again to vote.

To help make sure as many people as possible in the NH library community have an opportunity to check out these books before voting for the final nominees, we have linked each of the titles below to a video of the book being read. We did not create any of these videos; they are from a variety of sources. Where there was a version available read by the author, we chose that, otherwise we chose the best depiction of the book that we could find.
 
2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award Shortlist:

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe
The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake by Devin Elle Kurtz
Bear and the Three Goldilocks by Patrick Horn and Dan Yaccarino
Broken by X. Fang
Cat Nap by Brian Lies
Cranky, crabby crow (saves the world) by Corey R. Tabor
The Day the Books Disappeared by Joanna Ho, Caroline Kusin Pritchard and Dan Santat
Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson  and Dan Santat
The Humble Pie by Jory John and Pete Oswald 
If I Built a Town by Chris Van Dusen
If We Were Dogs by Sophie Blackall
The Man Who Didn't Like Animals by Deborah Underwood and LeUyen Pham 
Never Give a Baby a Library Card by Erin Sandberg and Tom Booth
Old Blue is My Home by Lita Judge
Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird and Andrea Tsurumi
Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale From a Little Cave by Drew Beckmeyer
The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown
Zip Zap Wickety Wack: A Story About Sharing by Matthew Diffee

2026 Dublin Award Longlist announced!

The Dublin Literary Award 2026 longlist has been announced!

Twenty novels have been selected for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award longlist, including the NH State Library's selection, "The Antidote" by Karen Russell.

The shortlist will be announced on April 7, 2026 and the winning book on May 21, 2026.

Ladybug Longlist: Transportation

Big Boy 4014 and the Steam Team: The World's Largest Steam Engine Roars Back to Life! by Marsha Diane Arnold

"A wonderful non-fiction book with widespread appeal and captivating illustrations. Inspiring in the face of a difficult challenge." -- nominator

Good Luck, Ice Cream Truck! by Sorche Fairbank

"A top circulating book for our kids this year!" -- nominator

Old Blue is My Home by Lita Judge

"A gorgeous, respectful window into housing insecurity from a New Hampshire-based author-illustrator. The story is sure to raise many questions from readers, but, also, hopefully, a more nuanced worldview." -- nominator

This post is one of a series of 14 "bite-sized" pieces into which we have divided the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award Long List to help NH librarians consider all the potential nominees. Please review the full list (or wait until we have covered all the titles) before you cast your vote as you can only vote once.

Ladybug Longlist: Swimming Creatures

The Den That Octopus Built by Randi Sonenshine

"Beautifully illustrated circle story that encompasses the life cycle of an octopus. Lots of fun facts in the back including author's notes. " -- nominator 

Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson

"Hilarious mildly informational book that presents facts in a fun way while jokingly telling you to be suspicious of fish. Tickles the funny bone. This book is a perfect blend of educational and humor. It's a great book to read aloud and the kids respond to it very well! I read this at story-time and my group was all giggles. It's the perfect book for making learning fun." -- nominators

A Friend for Eddy by Ann Kim Ha

"An unlikely friendship - does it spell danger? Attractive pictures showing an interesting perspective. And how first impressions are not always correct, but someone may also surprise you." -- nominator

Parrotfish Has a Superpower by Jill Esbaum

"A wildly enthusiastic presentation of a somewhat niche fact (that parrotfish generate much of the world's beach sand), followed by a fun true-false quiz to extend/reinforce the learning." -- nominator

The Search for Carmella by Chloe Savage

"Creative look at science and exploration - while also showing through illustrations that we sometimes miss things when we are focused on something else." -- nominator 

This post is one of a series of 14 "bite-sized" pieces into which we have divided the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award Long List to help NH librarians consider all the potential nominees. Please review the full list (or wait until we have covered all the titles) before you cast your vote as you can only vote once.

Ladybug Longlist: Nature

The Everything Trail by Meg Fleming

"Beautiful illustrations that are not traditional make you feel like you are in the redwood forest with the characters." -- nominator

How the Forest Feels by Wendi Silvano

"Get our kids outdoors - we have a nature play group that meets weekly in town - this is the perfect read aloud before they go walking down a trail!" -- nominator

I Hear the Snow, I Smell the Sea by Janice Milusich

"Creative textured illustrations help guide the text through the seasons in a very relatable way for children of NH." -- nominator

Mighty: The Story of an Oak Tree Ecosystem by Henry Cole

"Beautifully illustrated book that shows the growth of an oak tree over 100's of years. Stunning illustrations with descriptive words." -- nominator

Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale From a Little Cave by Drew Beckmeyer

"This book is educational as well as entertaining. It goes through the life of a stalactite and a stalagmite from the beginning of time through the future when they finally become a column. It brings in other creatures that have entered their cave; such as a trilobite, a dinosaur, a bat, and people." -- nominator

The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown

"This is a sweet adaption of the novel that is especially beautifully illustrated." -- nominator

This post is one of a series of 14 "bite-sized" pieces into which we have divided the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award Long List to help NH librarians consider all the potential nominees. Please review the full list (or wait until we have covered all the titles) before you cast your vote as you can only vote once.

Ladybug Longlist: Imagination & Creativity

Built to Last by Minh Lê

"A story of helping and what to do when things fall apart. Is a friendship really worth saving?" -- nominator

How to Write a Poem by Kwame Alexander

"The simple, lyrical text is less of a "how-to" lesson and more an exploration of what moves us to read, write, and love poetry. Colorful, collage-style illustrations are an inspiration in themselves, with lots to look at on each page. " -- nominator

If I Built a Town by Chris Van Dusen

"Fabulous illustrations and rhyming text appeal to all ages." -- nominator

Look by Gabi Snyder

"Visually interesting book with creative illustrations. Patterns to be found on every page, therefore engaging." -- nominator

Nothing: John Cage and 4'33" by Nicholas Day

"Charming, funny, and full of heart, this is a great introduction to the ideas and experiences to be found in art that might seem weird or pointless at first glance. Raschka's quirky illustration style is the perfect match to this creatively-told story about musical innovation." -- nominator

A Pocket Full of Rocks by Kristin Mahoney

"I think children will see themselves in the protagonist's small adventures and creativity with the things they find throughout the year. Could be a great jumping-off point for nature crafts or talking about collections." -- nominator

This post is one of a series of 14 "bite-sized" pieces into which we have divided the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award Long List to help NH librarians consider all the potential nominees. Please review the full list (or wait until we have covered all the titles) before you cast your vote as you can only vote once.