PENGUIN YOUNG READERS AND THE CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL’S ANNA DEWDNEY READ-TOGETHER AWARD CELEBRATES 10 YEARS

New York, NY – March 12, 2026 – 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award, the book award created by Penguin Young Readers, Every Child a Reader, and the Children’s Book Council in honor of the late Anna Dewdney (1965-2016), author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling series Llama Llama. Since 2016, the award has been given annually to a picture book that is both a superb read-aloud and reflects Anna Dewdney’s mission to spark compassion, empathy, and connection through reading. The award commemorates Dewdney’s life and work and celebrates her commitment to reading with young children and putting books into as many little hands as possible.

To celebrate this milestone, Penguin Young Readers, Every Child a Reader, and the Children’s Book Council are asking the public to help select the winning picture book from a longlist of publisher submissions. Until April 17, 2026, parents, caregivers, librarians, educators, and booksellers can visit https://everychildareader.net/anna/ to vote from a list of titles published between 2021 and 2025. Once votes have been tallied, a shortlist of finalists will be read by an independent selection committee chaired by Anna’s daughter and teacher Berol Dewdney.

The winner of the award will be announced in June with a public virtual conversation with the winner hosted by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader. Penguin Young Readers will purchase and donate 250 copies of the winner’s book to a school, library, or literacy organization of their choice.

Berol Dewdney said: “Watching the Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award grow over ten years has been a profound joy. My mother believed that when we read together, we become more human—that when we open the pages of a book, we are opening our hearts. Her life, and this award, are about honoring those moments of connection, creating more of them, and celebrating the power of storytelling to foster empathy and love.”

New Publishing

On April 7, 2026, Viking Books for Young Readers will publish the latest picture book in the Llama Llama series, LLAMA LLAMA GRADUATION DAY! (Hardcover, 9780593353233, $18.99, Ages 2-5). In this sweet and poignant installment, the school year is coming to an end, and Llama Llama isn’t so sure he’s ready to say goodbye to his teacher or classmates. Change can be scary, but with the help of his friends and family, Llama Llama guides readers through it. With signature catchy rhymes and bold, beautiful art, LLAMA LLAMA GRADUATION DAY! is the perfect readaloud for celebrating important milestones. 

About Llama Llama 

Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama series has become a cultural touchstone, branching out to all types of media, including the Netflix animated series “Llama Llama” starring Golden Globe Award-winning actress Jennifer Garner. Llama Llama Red Pajama has been adapted by Dolly Parton for a musical performed at Dollywood, performed by musicians such as Ludacris, Migos, and Camila Cabello on the radio station Power .106 Los Angeles, and was chosen as Jumpstart’s Read for the Record book in 2011, setting the world benchmark for the most readings of a single book in one day.  

Other books in the #1 New York Times bestselling Llama Llama series include Llama Llama Red Pajama, Llama Llama Holiday Drama, Llama Llama Misses Mama, Llama Llama Time to Share, Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa, Llama Llama Loves to Read, Llama Llama Mess Mess Mess, Llama Llama Loose Tooth Drama and several others.  

About Anna Dewdney

Anna Dewdney passed away in September 2016, at the age of fifty, from cancer. A teacher, mother, and enthusiastic proponent of reading aloud to children, she continually honed her skills as an artist and writer and published her first Llama Llama book in 2005. Her passion for creating extended to home and garden, and she lovingly restored an eighteenth century farmhouse in southern Vermont. She wrote, painted, gardened, and lived there with her partner, Reed, her two daughters, two wirehaired pointing griffons, and one bulldog. Anna was a warm-hearted, wonderful, wise soul who will be forever missed, but whose spirit lives on in her books.

About Every Child a Reader

Every Child a Reader (ECAR) is an award-winning 501(c)(3) national organization that celebrates and supports the powerful impact that books have on young people. ECAR oversees national reading programs, provides free books to students in need, fights book bans, and produces free and diverse educational resources to a network of over 2,500 schools, libraries, bookstores, and community groups. Every Child a Reader’s signature campaigns are Children’s Book Week, the longest-running literacy initiative in the country since 1919; the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, with the Library of Congress; Get Caught Reading, a free poster program of diverse role models; and the Anna Dewdney Read Together Award, promoting family reading time, celebrating its 10 th anniversary in 2026.

About the Children’s Book Council

The Children’s Book Council (CBC) is the nonprofit trade association for children’s book publishers in North America. The CBC manages a portfolio of national book awards, creates educational programming, promotes diversity in book publishing, compiles curated reading lists for teachers, librarians, and booksellers, and fights against the banning of books. CBC’s awards include Kids Favorites, Best STEM Books, a Social Justice Book Prize, the Free Speech and Graphic Novel Advocate, and more.

For Publicity Inquiries, please contact Garrett Bond at gbond@penguinrandomhouse.com.