Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book

Award Nominees

2014 - 2015

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.Illustrator: Oliver JeffersPublication Date: June 27, 2013

The First Drawing by Mordicai Gerstein

Imagine you were born before the invention of drawing, more than thirty thousand years ago. You would live with your whole family in a cave and see woolly mammoths walk by! You might even see images of animals hidden in the shapes of clouds and rocks. You would want to share these pictures with your family, but wouldn't know how. Who would have made the world's first drawing? Would it have been you?Illustrator: Mordicai GersteinPublication Date: September 10, 2013

The King of Little Things by Bil Lepp

Long ago in a faraway realm, the King of Little Things ruled happily over all things small, from buttons to beetles, from marbles to macaroni. When King Normous thinks he has finally become the ruler of all the world, he is enraged to learn that the King of Little Things still reigns happily in his tiny kingdom. Normous sends his army to defeat this upstart, but he finds he cannot outfight or outwit a king who holds sway over the little things of the world. After all, it is the little things that keep the big things going.Illustrator: Daniel T. WenzelPublication Date: September 1, 2013

Lost and Found by Bill Harley

When Justin loses the special hat his grandmother made for him, he looks everywhere he can think of to find it. Everywhere, that is, except the lost and found. Mr. Rumkowsky, the old school custodian, is the keeper of all the lost and found items, and everyone is afraid of him, including Justin.

With his grandmother coming to visit soon, his mom upset, and the hat nowhere in sight, Justin finally musters the courage to enter Mr. Rumkowsky's domain. There he discovers a whole world of treasures - lost items Justin's friends (and generations of children before them) have been too afraid to claim. Things keep getting weirder and weirder, until way down at the bottom of Rumkowsky's giant box Justin unearths something completely unexpected...Illustrator: Adam GustavsonPublication Date: October 1, 2012

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne

A boy rides a bicycle down a dusty road. But in his mind, he envisions himself traveling at a speed beyond imagining, on a beam of light. This brilliant mind will one day offer up some of the most revolutionary ideas ever conceived. From a boy endlessly fascinated by the wonders around him, Albert Einstein ultimately grows into a man of genius recognized the world over for profoundly illuminating our understanding of the universe. Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Radunsky invite the reader to travel along with Einstein on a journey full of curiosity, laughter, and scientific discovery. Parents and children alike will appreciate this moving story of the powerful difference imagination can make in any life.Illustrator: Vladimir RadunskyPublication Date: April 23, 2013

Red Kite, Blue Kite by Ji-li Jiang

When Tai Shan and his father, Baba, fly kites from their roof and look down at the crowded city streets below, they feel free, like the kites. Baba loves telling Tai Shan stories while the kites--one red, and one blue--rise, dip, and soar together. Then, a bad time comes. People wearing red armbands shut down the schools, smash store signs, and search houses. Baba is sent away, and Tai Shan goes to live with Granny Wang. Though father and son are far apart, they have a secret way of staying close. Every day they greet each other by flying their kites-one red, and one blue-until Baba can be free again, like the kites.

Inspired by the dark time of the Cultural Revolution in China, this is a soaring tale of hope that will resonate with anyone who has ever had to love from a distance.Illustrator: Ruth GregPublication Date: January 29, 2013

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

Rosie may seem quiet during the day, but at night she's a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. When her great-great-aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal--to fly--Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt's dream come true. But when her contraption doesn't fl y but rather hovers for a moment and then crashes, Rosie deems the invention a failure. On the contrary, Aunt Rose insists that Rosie's contraption was a raging success. You can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit.Illustrator: David RobertsPublication Date: September 3, 2013

Rufus Goes to School by Kim Griswell

All Rufus Leroy Williams III wants is to go to school so he can learn to read his favorite book. But there's one problem: he's a pig and Principal Lipid says: “NO PIGS IN SCHOOL!” Rufus even gets a backpack, a lunchbox, and a blanket to prove he's ready. But Mr. Lipid won't budge. Is there ANYTHING Rufus can do to change his mind? Kim Griswell and illustrator Valeri Gorbachev have created a love letter to reading that's also a charming, original, and child-friendly first-day-of-school story.Illustrator: Gorbachev ValeriPublication Date: August 6, 2013

Seed by Seed: The Legend and Legacy of John

“Appleseed” Chapman by Esme Raji Codell

His real name was John Chapman.He grew apples.But wait. So what?Why should we remember himand read about himand think about himand talk about him today,more than two hundred years after he was born?Why should we call him a hero? Esme Raji Codell and Lynne Rae Perkins show us, in eloquent words and exhilarating pictures, why Johnny Appleseed matters now, perhaps more than ever, in our loud and wired and fast-paced world.Illustrator: Lynne Rae PerkinsPublication Date: August 21, 2012

Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker

The team behind the #1 New York Times bestseller Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site returns with another fabulous book for bedtime! The dream train pulls into the station, and one by one the train cars are loaded: polar bears pack the reefer car with ice cream, elephants fill the tanker cars with paints, tortoises stock the auto rack with race cars, bouncy kangaroos stuff the hopper car with balls. Sweet and silly dreams are guaranteed for any budding train enthusiasts!Illustrator: Tom LichtenheldPublication Date: April 16, 2013

Step Gently Out by Helen Frost

What would happen if you walked very, very quietly and looked ever so carefully at the natural world outside? You might see a cricket leap, a moth spread her wings, or a spider step across a silken web. In simple, evocative language, Helen Frost offers a hint at the many tiny creatures around us. And in astonishing close-up photographs, Rick Lieder captures the glint of a katydid's eye, the glow of a firefly, and many more living wonders just awaiting discovery. Fascinating facts about all the creatures pictured may be found at the end.Photographer: Rick LiederPublication Date: March 13, 2012

Whale Shines: An Artistic Tale

by Fiona Robinson

All day, Whale swims through the ocean, wearing a poster advertising the big upcoming art exhibition. He visits the eel who wriggles abstract patterns in the sand, the squid who paints with ink, and the hammerhead shark who builds sculptures from salvage. Whale sees his friends’ confidence and creativity and wishes he could be an artist too, but he doesn’t know what to make and insists he’s too ungainly to create art. Then one day, with the unexpected help of some bioluminescent plankton, he discovers his own distinct point of view and talent.From the award-winning author-illustrator of What Animals Really Like, hailed by School Library Journal as “sublime silliness,” comes another inspiring tale about defying expectation and finding the artist within.Publication Date: November 5, 2013

World on a String by Larry Phifer

When his best friend, a big red balloon, comes untied in a thunderstorm, Charlie is overcome with sadness. However, inspired by the happy memories of his best friend, Charlie is able to shift his perspective and, ultimately, he imagines his balloon on an amazing journey into the starry night.

Publication Date: June 4, 2013