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Barnett to Visit Indiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas with ‘Behold, The Picture Book!’

National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Mac Barnett continues his national tour this fall, sharing his passion for picture books with children and adults alike through his initiative “Behold, the Picture Book! Let’s Celebrate Stories We Can Feel, Hear, and See.” Mac will visit Elkhart, Indiana; Greensboro, North Carolina; Hanover, Pennsylvania; and Manvel, Texas.

As the ninth national ambassador, Barnett aims to shift adult perceptions of this quintessential American art form, ultimately elevating the picture book to its rightful place in the world of literature. Barnett believes that each picture book is a literary invitation, where children and adults can come together on equal terms to experience enriching storytelling.

“I love reading out loud to kids – it’s what made me want to become a children’s author – so I’m excited to get out there and share some of my favorite picture books. But I’m just as eager to talk to adults about this great art form, to discuss how meaningful and powerful picture books are,” said Barnett. “We launched the tour last spring in Coronado, and as I always am when I talk about books with children, I was blown away by kids’ curiosity and depth. One father who came to our event at the library told me that he would never read a picture book to his kids the same way again. I’m tempted to say that if I reached just that one dad, my whole ambassadorship was a success, but I’m aiming for a lot more people than one, so I’m going back on the road.”

Barnett will host public events at the following locations:

• Tuesday, Sept. 23, 6 p.m.: Guthrie Memorial Library, Hanover, Pennsylvania.
• Tuesday, Oct. 14, 6 p.m.: Concord Junior High School, Elkhart, Indiana.
• Thursday, Oct. 23, 6 p.m.: Alvin ISD Liberty Alumni Hall, Manvel, Texas.
• Saturday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m.: Harrison Auditorium (North Carolina A&T State University), Greensboro, North Carolina.

Public events are free but may require reservations. Barnett will also host closed programs at area schools in each host community. Every student in those schools will receive one of his acclaimed picture books, donated by Candlewick Press, as part of the National Ambassador program’s overarching mission to enhance young people’s connection with books. The tour is coordinated with primary support from Every Child a Reader, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program partner, an award-winning literacy charity.

To follow Barnett’s journey across the country, visit his National Ambassador page on the Library of Congress website. To submit a proposal for Barnett’s 2026 tour stops, visit everychildareader.net/ambassador/events. The deadline for applications is Monday, Sept. 22, 2025.

As the world’s largest library – one uniquely charged with the development and preservation of civic, intellectual and creative vigor – the Library of Congress advances its engagement and commitment to readers across the country through programs like the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. The ambassadorship was established in 2008 to raise awareness of the importance of young people’s literature for lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.

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About Mac Barnett

Mac Barnett is a New York Times-bestselling author of stories for children. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Barnett’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Germany’s Jugendliteraturpreis, China’s Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Award, The Netherlands’ Silver Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil. He is the co-creator, with Jon Klassen, of “Shape Island,” a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their best-selling Shapes series of picture books. Barnett lives in Oakland, California.

About the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is an initiative of the Library of Congress, in partnership with Every Child a Reader, with generous support from The Library of Congress James Madison Council. The program was established in 2008 by the Library, the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader to emphasize the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education and the development and betterment of the lives of young people. Previous National Ambassadors include authors Jon Scieszka (2008–2009), Katherine Paterson (2010–2011), Walter Dean Myers (2012–2013), Kate DiCamillo (2014–2015), Gene Luen Yang (2016–2017), Jacqueline Woodson (2018–2019), Jason Reynolds (2020-2022) and Meg Medina (2023-2024).

About Every Child a Reader

Every Child a Reader is a 501(c)(3) award-winning literacy charity whose popular national programs include Children’s Book Week, the longest-running literacy initiative in the country, celebrating 106 years in 2025; Get Caught Reading, a classroom poster project; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, in partnership with the Library of Congress.

About the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States – and extensive materials from around the world – both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

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Media Contacts: Deb Fiscella, Library of Congress, dfiscella@loc.gov | Rachel Kirby, Candlewick Press, rachel.kirby@walkerbooksgroup.com

Public Contact: Anya Creightney, Library of Congress, acre@loc.gov | Shaina Birkhead, Every Child A Reader, shaina.birkhead@cbcbooks.org

Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man to Anchor Children’s Book Week, the Nation’s Longest Running Literacy Initiative, on November 3-9, 2025

New Dog Man “Get Caught Reading” posters and 50,000 free books will be distributed to schools and libraries across the U.S. as part of “Power Up with Reading” Children’s Book Week Celebration

New Dog Man Book Coming November 11, 2025

 

NEW YORK (May 8, 2025) – The Children’s Book Council and its award-winning charitable arm, Every Child A Reader, in collaboration with Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, announced today that Dog Man, the #1 worldwide bestselling literary phenomenon by Dav Pilkey, will be the anchor for Children’s Book Week on November 3-9, 2025. As the longest running national literacy initiative in the United States, this fall’s Children’s Book Week celebration will have a “Power Up with Reading” theme and will come on the heels of the publication of Pilkey’s new Dog Man book, Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, releasing simultaneously in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and New Zealand on November 11, 2025.

The Dog Man series celebrates creativity and imagination and explores universally positive messages, including the importance of doing good, empathy, and compassion. As part of the “Power Up with Reading” Children’s Book Week initiative, Caldecott Honoree Dav Pilkey has created an original “Get Caught Reading” poster featuring his beloved characters Dog Man, Li’l Petey, and Petey “caught” reading a book. With a bright and inviting palette, the full-color 17” x 22” Dog Man poster will be displayed in schools, libraries, and bookstores across the country. Every Child a Reader’s “Get Caught Reading” poster campaign was created to inspire a love of reading, and has previously featured notable figures including award-winning musicians Alicia Keys and Queen Latifah, Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, actors Keira Knightley and John Lithgow, as well as iconic characters Clifford the Big Red Dog, Dora the Explorer, and Yoda.

Dav Pilkey, in coordination with Scholastic, will donate up to 50,000 books to support Children’s Book Week reading celebrations taking place in schools, libraries, bookstores, and community centers across the U.S. Each participating venue will receive a “Power Up with Reading: Dog Man and Friends Epic Event Kit,” which includes a Dog Man “Get Caught Reading” poster, activity guide, collectible giveaways for kids, and a Dav Pilkey starter library featuring fan favorite books including Dog Man, Cat Kid Comic Club, Captain Underpants, and Dragon. Venues that are already part of the Children’s Book Week network will automatically receive the Epic Event Kit in September. Schools, libraries, and independent bookstores are invited to apply now for a chance to receive this Epic Event Kit and be part of the national reading celebration. For more information and to apply, visit the Every Child a Reader website.

In a statement, Dav Pilkey said, “Reading is the greatest superpower of all and I’m grateful to all the teachers, librarians, and independent booksellers who are doing good in their communities—they are the ultimate superheroes.”

“At Every Child a Reader, we work every single day to spread the joy of reading in thousands of rural, suburban, and urban communities. Reading at a young age improves a child’s success in school and in life. By joining forces with Dav Pilkey and Scholastic for this fall’s Children’s Book Week, millions more children will be inspired to grab a book and read,” said Shaina Birkhead, Associate Executive Director, CBC and Every Child a Reader.

“For over three decades of publishing Dav Pilkey’s books, we have seen firsthand Dav’s personal commitment to giving back and supporting kids and communities in need,” said Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade. “His books continue to inspire, influence, and ignite a love of reading among boys and girls. We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate on this exciting literacy initiative that will help create even more readers.”

 

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ABOUT EVERY CHILD A READER, CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK, AND GET CAUGHT READING Every Child a Reader, the charitable arm of the Children’s Book Council (CBC), is an award-winning 501(c)(3) national literacy charity that works with other organizations to promote a love of reading among children, teens, and adults and provides access to books in underserved communities. Its signature campaigns include Children’s Book Week, the longest running celebration of books in the country established in 1919; Get Caught Reading, a free role model poster program; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, with the Library of Congress.

ABOUT DAV PILKEY  Over the years, Dav Pilkey’s philanthropic efforts with various national literacy organizations including Book Trust, the Scripps Howard Fund, the Alliance for Young Writers and Artists, Little Free Library, among many others, have reached millions of kids and families around the country. Dav Pilkey is the creator of over 70 books for children and was awarded a Caldecott Honor for his picture book The Paperboy. When Pilkey was in second grade, he was diagnosed with dyslexia and what is now widely known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Because of his learning and behavioral issues in school, he was often sent out in the hallway. It was in his elementary school hallway where he created comic books about superheroes that eventually became Captain Underpants and Dog Man. His Dog Man series, launched to critical acclaim in 2016, was an instant #1 bestseller and has more than 70 million copies in print and translations in 48 languages. DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures recently released the movie adaptation of Dog Man, which debuted at the top of the box office. Pilkey’s Captain Underpants series, launched more than 25 years ago, has more than 90 million copies in print, translated into 37 languages, and released as a feature film by DreamWorks, as well as an original series on Netflix. TheaterWorksUSA’s musical adaptations of Dog Man and Cat Kid Comic Club opened to rave reviews, were both New York Times Critics’ Picks, and are currently touring around North America. For more information about Dav Pilkey and his books, visit //mediaroom.scholastic.com/davpilkey.

ABOUT SCHOLASTIC For more than 100 years, Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) has been meeting children where they are – at school, at home, and in their communities – by creating quality content and experiences, all beginning with literacy. Scholastic delivers stories, characters, and learning moments that empower all kids to become lifelong readers and learners through bestselling children’s books, literacy- and knowledge-building resources for schools, including classroom magazines, and award-winning, entertaining children’s media. As the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books through school-based book clubs and book fairs, classroom libraries, school and public libraries, retail, and online, and with a global reach into more than 135 countries, Scholastic encourages the personal and intellectual growth of all children, while nurturing a lifelong relationship with reading, themselves, and the world around them. Learn more at www.scholastic.com.

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Press Contacts

Every Child a Reader: Shaina Birkhead 919-602-6032 shaina.birkhead@cbcbooks.org

Scholastic: Charisse Meloto 917-217-1771 cmeloto@scholastic.com

The 2025 and 2024 Children’s Book Week poster artists had a chance to connect and talk about what it means to create books for young readers, the process of making a Children’s Book Week poster, and so much more. Read Julie Flett and Sophie Blackall’s conversation.

Sophie Blackall: Hi Julie! I have just seen your Children’s Book Week poster and it’s SO beautiful, and I’m so glad to have this excuse to talk to you because we’ve emailed before but never met or spoken, and I love your work so much. But before we launch into talking about art and reading and children, HOW ARE YOU DOING? I know it’s a loaded question these days…

Julie Flett: Hi Sophie! Thank you! I’m so glad we get to talk, too. There’s nothing like connecting with other book makers. We’re often working on projects on our own for long periods, so to stop and take a breather and connect in this way is so nice. I love the work you do with Milkwood, bringing artists and authors together to do just this. 

As far as how I’m doing, I’m really thinking a lot about what we can do right now. And as book makers, I think it’s those collaborations and our work with kids and youth, all of us. I think about how we’re held in this connection with everything around us, the land, the water, creatures, our communities, and about holding those connections dearly.

SB: I’ve been wrestling with this too. I don’t want to just sit back because if I’m complacent, if I appear apathetic, if enough other people like me who are too shy or polite to raise their voices, if we all stay silent, then what is going to happen? I went to an event with Brian Selznick talking about his new YA book and he said something very similar to what I was feeling, wondering what he could do to make a difference in these unsettling times and then he remembered, This is what I do. I make books. I had a forehead-slapping moment: of course, that’s what we do. We make books for children and that’s really important and really valuable. It’s an enormous privilege and it’s an enormous responsibility and I don’t think we take it lightly, but that’s what we’re doing, and anyway…does that resonate with you at all?

JF: Yes, it does, a deep care for connecting with children and for them, to support them. We’re doing it in the work and I think that that is as relevant and important, and as you say, it’s a privilege and a responsibility we don’t take lightly.

SB: Can we talk about your gorgeous poster? I want to ask you questions about your process and illustration technique, but first, tell me about the theme, An Ocean of Stories…

 

JF: Thanks Sophie! It was such an honor to be asked to create this year’s poster. To follow your poster from last year and all of the posters over the years. This year, the Children’s Book Council/Every Child a Reader gave me a few titles to choose from and I loved them all. I could feel the love of the people who work with ECAR, the care they put into the work and celebration of stories for kids. In the end, An Ocean of Stories stood out to me, water stories have been on my mind, it feels like a watery time, vast and deep and relational. So that was the one!

SB: Do you mean in terms of story? In that there’s a long history, a deep ocean of stories beneath us and we have an opportunity to learn from the stories that have gone before, or do you mean something else?

JF: I was thinking more metaphorically, about going deep into things, the water, our spirits, our connections to the water, stormy times and calm times. 

The poster itself is a calm image, the little person sticking their finger into the water, with a sea turtle swimming up to touch her finger, each curious about the other, all of those connections including that beautiful part of water, dreamy and pondering.

SB: Right. And you’ve spoken about your admiration for young land and water stewards, like Autumn Peltier…

JF: Yes, Autumn really came to mind as an inspiration for the poster. And all of those who bring this into their work, reminding us of our deep relations to the land and water. 

SB: As I look at the at the shape of the image you’ve made for the poster, and the design of it, the first thing I’m struck by is how the art is on the perimeter and you’ve essentially left this open space in the center which could be a lovely metaphor for all the kinds of things that we’ve been talking about, amplifying the voices and stories of young people, but I don’t want to make assumptions…

JF: I love thinking about the space we make for kids to bring their own imaginations to the work. And the excitement of taking off from there, all of the things they’ll put together on their own.

SB: Yes, that’s lovely, so much possibility. I love how the sea lion is entering on the right and then exiting on the left, maybe it’s two sea lions, but it also could be the same one…

JF: Yes, it’s like who’s coming up to see you now? “I want to see what’s happening up there – or down there,” and all the little stories and connections to be made.

SB: I’ve been looking at your artwork and it could be done with layers of paint and collage, or it could be entirely digital…I can’t tell!

JF: The first part of the process is very much going back and forth between paper and illustrator programs. I trace my drawings and then I work on the backgrounds separately (mostly pastel), and then I scan those in and start collaging everything together.

SB: Here’s a question: have you ever written for anyone else, another illustrator?

JF: Wow, yes, so interesting that you ask! I recently wrote to someone whose work I love to see if she might want to collaborate on a book. I’m halfway through writing the story and I kept thinking of her – I think it would be amazing and hopefully it comes together!

SB: Ooooh, that’s exciting!

I just wrote a picture book manuscript that, when I finished it, I could see the drawings so clearly, I could see what I would do on every page, that there was suddenly no mystery, no intriguing puzzle to be solved. It felt as though I had already done it so I asked my beloved editor Susan Rich, if it would ever be a possibility that I could write something for somebody else to illustrate and she was so excited. We had great fun thinking of our dream illustrators and Phoebe Wahl said yes. She’s just about finished final art and it’s been so thrilling because she’s done something entirely different than what I would’ve done.

JF: Oh, I love it. How beautiful! I can’t wait to see it!

SB: Speaking of connecting, I get the feeling you love working with kids. It’s not the case with everyone who makes books for children… How do you think about children when you’re making books or indeed a poster for Children’s Book Week?

JF: I listened to a talk where you’d spoken about writing books that kids would want to read over and over. I think about that too, to read or look at over and over. Whether it’s for the illustrations (that was me as a kid) or the story or both. I often think about this when I’m writing a story. I love the questions that kids ask during readings, and how they engage in the ways that make the most sense for them. A little boy once asked me, having observed that I draw a lot of birds, “how do birds communicate?” which initiated one of the most fun and engaging conversations. I love those moments. I wrote about something similar in one the books I worked on, “Let’s Go! haw êkwa” with Greystone Books, about a little boy who inspired me. He’d come to one of my book readings a few years ago. He started off sitting at the back of the library room and over the course of the reading, slowly made his way to the front to ask a lot of questions. Someone had asked what inspires my work and I talked about my nieces and son, family and friends. He wanted to know more about my son and about his skateboarding. We had such a great chat. Once the group was gone, one of the librarians and one of his teachers pulled me aside to tell me that this was a little boy who is very quiet in class and kept to himself. I’m so glad that he felt comfortable coming forward to ask questions, that he was at ease in this reading and really got to express that when we were together.

SB: Yes! That’s what we hope that kids get from reading and from books, and that if they have trouble connecting with people in the real world that they can find a book that they can immerse themselves in, where they can feel safe and feel seen.

JF: Yes!

SB: And of course, all that is dependent on kids having access to books, which is sadly not always the case and threatens to become even more difficult these days, instead of easier. But Children’s Book Week is a reason to celebrate reading, and I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to support the efforts of Every Child a Reader to encourage kids to find a book that speaks to them and to connect with stories.

JF: Yes, oh that’s beautiful, me too. I think it’s going to be an amazing week.

When my son was younger, we would go to the library on Saturday, we’d choose the librarian picks and the books of his choice. We get to learn along with them, often not books I would have chosen as a kid, so we’re always learning together. It’s so important and we’re doing everything we can to preserve this.

SB: I love those stories you tell about one particular child responding to your book in a completely individual, profound way. That will stay with them for possibly their entire lives, in the way that certain books certainly have for me. I suspect they might’ve done for you, too. I was just in our building’s laundry room the other day and there was a Miffy book on the bookshelf which I must’ve had when I was a toddler, and when I opened it, there was this evocative rush of memory…Dick Bruna’s images are graphic and simple, but they are etched in my memory. Standing in the laundry, immersed in the pages of that book, I felt safe and warm and loved. The thought that our books might do that for one child ties back to your poster with the kid in the boat, reaching into an enormous ocean and making this tender connection with the sea turtle and that’s where it begins… that one connection can lead to everything else.

JF: Miffy! I love that, that you felt safe and warm and loved! That’s really it, isn’t it? And yes, absolutely, the connections that lead to everything else!

 

Check out Julie Flett’s lovely playlist, inspired by this year’s theme, “Sea Songs!”

Explore all Children’s Book Week materials.

All illustrations by Julie Flett for the 2025 Children’s Book Week poster.

 

Barnett to Champion Children’s Picture Books with ‘Behold, The Picture Book! Let’s Celebrate Stories We Can Feel, Hear, and See’ Initiative

The Library of Congress, in partnership with Every Child a Reader, announces the launch of National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Mac Barnett’s national tour with a visit to Coronado, California, this spring. He will travel to Elkhart, Indiana; Greensboro, North Carolina; Hanover, Pennsylvania; and Manvel, Texas this fall.

During his tour, Barnett will share his passion for picture books and invite children and adults alike to join him in celebrating what’s vibrant, joyful and inspiring about this quintessential – and highly participatory – American art form. As the ninth national ambassador, Barnett aims to shift the perception that picture books are merely a steppingstone to adult literature. He believes that reading picture books is a collaborative experience that creates space for children and adults to come together around shared storytelling.

“Picture books are a beautiful, sophisticated and vibrant art form, the source of some of the most profound reading experiences in children’s (and adults’) lives. I am, of course, excited to talk to young readers from communities all around the country. The joy of sharing picture books with kids is why I started writing children’s books in the first place,” Barnett said. “And, I’m also eager to speak to adults – who often underestimate or overlook children’s literature – to champion the power of picture books and the brilliance of the kids who read them.”

Barnett will engage readers through his platform “Behold, The Picture Book! Let’s Celebrate Stories We Can Feel, Hear, and See,” which explores the deeply impactful ways picture books blend words and illustrations, and even the turning of a page, to create a unique and lasting reading experience.

Barnett will visit with readers at two events per tour stop: a public event at a community location, such as a library, theater or university, and a closed program with one or two area schools. The tour will launch with a public event at Coronado Public Library on Tuesday, May 20, at 4 p.m. in Coronado, California.

The 2025 dates for public events in Indiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas will be announced later this year. Public events are free but may require ticketing.

Each student in the schools Barnett visits on tour will receive one of his acclaimed picture books, donated by Candlewick Press, as part of the National Ambassador program’s overarching mission to enhance young people’s connection with books. The communities Barnett visits on tour will receive information about popular digital collections items from the Library of Congress’ archives in addition to tailored information about Library resources and/or grant opportunities. The tour is coordinated with primary support from Every Child a Reader, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program partner, an award-winning literacy charity.

To follow Barnett’s journey across the country, visit his National Ambassador LibGuide.

The position of National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature was established in 2008 to raise awareness of the importance of young people’s literature for lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.

As the world’s largest library – one uniquely charged with the development and preservation of civic, intellectual and creative vigor – programs like the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature advance the Library of Congress’ engagement and commitment to readers across America. Likewise, the Library is committed to acquiring and maintaining materials that celebrate the breadth and evolution of children’s books; collections like Children’s Book Selections include classic works and lesser-known treasures and are free to use and reuse.

 

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About Mac Barnett

Mac Barnett is a New York Times-bestselling author of stories for children. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Barnett’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Germany’s Jugendliteraturpreis, China’s Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Award, The Netherlands’ Silver Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil. He is the co-creator, with Jon Klassen, of “Shape Island,” a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their best-selling Shapes series of picture books. Barnett lives in Oakland, California.

About the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is an initiative of the Library of Congress, in partnership with Every Child a Reader, with generous support from The Library of Congress James Madison Council. The program was established in 2008 by the Library, the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader to emphasize the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education and the development and betterment of the lives of young people. Previous National Ambassadors include authors Jon Scieszka (2008–2009), Katherine Paterson (2010–2011), Walter Dean Myers (2012–2013), Kate DiCamillo (2014–2015), Gene Luen Yang (2016–2017), Jacqueline Woodson (2018–2019), Jason Reynolds (2020-2022) and Meg Medina (2023-2024).

About Every Child a Reader

Every Child a Reader is a 501(c)(3) award-winning literacy charity whose popular national programs include Children’s Book Week, the longest-running literacy initiative in the country, celebrating 106 years in 2025; Get Caught Reading, a classroom poster project; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, in partnership with the Library of Congress.

About the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States – and extensive materials from around the world – both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

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Media Contacts: Deb Fiscella, Library of Congress, dfiscella@loc.gov | Rachel Kirby, Candlewick Press, rachel.kirby@walkerbooksgroup.com

Public Contact: Anya Creightney, Library of Congress, acre@loc.gov | Shaina Birkhead, Every Child A Reader, shaina.birkhead@cbcbooks.org

New York, NY – April 8, 2025 – Penguin Young Readers, the Children’s Book Council, and Every Child a Reader are honored to announce that My Hands Tell a Story by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Tonya Engel, published by Reycraft Books, is the winner of the ninth annual Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award.

This award is given annually to a picture book that is both a superb read-aloud and sparks compassion, empathy, and connection. The award commemorates the life and work of author/illustrator Anna Dewdney and celebrates her commitment to reading with young children and putting books into as many little hands as possible.

Kelly Starling Lyons and Tonya Engel gathered virtually on May 7th for a read-aloud of their winning book, followed by Berol and Cordelia Dewdney sharing lovely memories about their mother, and a read-aloud of Llama Llama Red Pajama, and ending with a Q&A.  You can watch both read-aloud videos and the Q&A here!

During the live event, our panelists and audience shared their favorite children’s books that have made an impact on them throughout their lives. You can check out that list here.

Like Zoe, author Kelly Starling Lyons grew up baking treats with her Grandma. Now, she celebrates those special moments in stories. Kelly has written many acclaimed children’s books including Caldecott Honor winner Going Down Home with Daddy, Christopher Award winner Tiara’s Hat Parade and Geisel Honor winner, Ty’s Travels: Zip, Zoom. She is a teaching artist and a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf. Kelly lives in North Carolina with her family. Visit her online at www.kellystarlinglyons.com.

Tonya Engel is a self-taught artist  born in Texas and has established studios in New York, Miami, Austin, and Houston, where she now lives. Heavily influenced by folk artists of the Deep South and Harlem Renaissance, Tonya’s illustrations speak to image, identity, and relationships. Combining decorative elements, oil paints, and occasional collage, the subjects are mainly women whose facial expressions invite thought and interpretation. Engel has received many awards, including a three-month residency in Paris, France.

The Honor Books for 2025 are: 

BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle by Lynne Marie & Brenda Reeves Sturgis; illus. Nico Ecenarro (The Little Press)

I’d Rather Be Me by Emily Peace Harrison; illus. Dacil Curbelos (Belle Isle Books)

A Maleta Full of Treasures by Natalia Sylvester; illus. Juana Medina (Dial / Penguin Random House)

Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden by Christy Mandin (Orchard Books / Scholastic)

Not Pop-Pop by Angela De Groot; illus. MacKenzie Haley (WaterBrook / Penguin Random House)

Past winners can be viewed here.

The winner and honor books were selected through an open voting process. Votes were cast by librarians, educators, booksellers, and caregivers across the country! About Anna Dewdney

About Anna Dewdney

Anna Dewdney was the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Llama Llama Red Pajama, originally published in May 2005. She was also the author/illustrator of Little Excavator, Nobunny’s Perfect, Roly Poly Pangolin, and Grumpy Gloria. Anna worked as a rural mail carrier and taught at a boys’ boarding school for many years before becoming a full-time author and illustrator. Anna was a committed advocate of literacy, speaking regularly on this topic and publishing articles in the Wall Street Journal and other national outlets.

About Penguin Young Readers

Penguin Young Readers is one of the leading children’s book publishers in the United States. The company owns a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Dial Books, Dutton, Flamingo, Kokila, Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Workshop, Philomel, Puffin, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Razorbill, Viking, and Frederick Warne. These imprints are home to such award-winning, New York Times- bestselling authors as, Laurie Halse Anderson, Max Brallier, Jan Brett, Eric Carle, Roald Dahl, Anna Dewdney, John Flanagan, John Green, Oliver Jeffers, Brad Meltzer, Ransom Riggs, Ruta Sepetys, Sabaa Tahir, Jacqueline Woodson, and dozens of other popular authors. Penguin Young Readers Group is also the proud publisher of perennial brand franchises such as The Little Engine That Could, the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, Peter Rabbit, Spot, the Classic Winnie the Pooh, the Very Hungry Caterpillar, Madeline, Mad Libs, the Last Kids on Earth, the Rangers Apprentice, and Who HQ among many others. Penguin Young Readers Group is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

About Every Child a Reader

Every Child a Reader is a 501(c)(3) award-winning literacy charity whose popular national programs include Children’s Book Week, the longest-running literacy initiative in the country, celebrating 106 years in 2025; Get Caught Reading, a classroom poster project; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, in partnership with the Library of Congress.

Contacts:

Penguin Contact: Garrett Bond, Publicity Manager, Brands, Penguin Young Readers gbond@prh.com 

CBC and Every Child a Reader Contact: Carl Lennertz, Executive Director, The Children’s Book Council  carl.lennertz@cbcbooks.org

Children’s picture books are a glorious art form – Written for the Washington Post, February 28, 2025

Mac Barnett, the new national ambassador for young people’s literature, explores innovative storytelling hiding in humble places all around us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Millions of Cats,” by Wanda Gág, was published in 1928. (Puffin)

By Mac Barnett

Behold, the picture book! The great and glorious literature hiding in humble places all around us: on the bottommost shelves of bookcases, in teetering stacks around kids’ bedrooms, inside plastic tubs at the pediatrician’s office. The picture book is a powerful, flexible art form whose audience — children — are keen and sensi.ve observers, new to our world and alert to its beauty and strangeness. These are ideal conditions for the creation of real art. So it should come as no surprise that some of the best books published in the last hundred years are children’s picture books.

But still, that is kind of surprising, right?

The picture book is often dismissed or even ignored. Partly, that’s because people don’t understand how picture books work. This is a unique art form with many formal peculiarities, most notably a sophisticated relationship between text and image. But the main reason we underestimate children’s picture books is that we underestimate children: how smart kids are, how deeply they feel and how much they understand.

A picture book is usually 32 pages long, sometimes a little longer, but very rarely more than 56. The story unfolds across page-turns, each one imbued with the anticipatory glee that

attends the raising of a curtain at the start of a play’s new act. Again and again, a new spread is revealed: two facing pages with words and pictures carefully arranged. In picture books, the text and illustration both tell the story, but they do different jobs. As the peerless picture-book maker Maurice Sendak put it: “Words are left out — but the picture says it. Pictures are left out — but the word says it.” (This is why so many great novelists write terrible picture books — they don’t know how to let the illustrations do the work.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In “Millions of Cats,” a lonely woman dreams of having a furry friend, so her husband embarks on an adventure to find her one. (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers)

The picture book is a relatively new art form. For my money, the first true picture book is Wanda Gág’s “Millions of Cats,” published in 1928. In the 19th century, British illustrators like Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenaway published editions of nursery rhymes and fairy tales with inventive pictures that extended the story, but these artists were working with traditional texts. Gág — the daughter of Bohemian immigrants, raised in a German-speaking community in Minnesota — crafted a book that felt like a folk tale from the Old World but was something wholly new, an original story designed to be told with words and pictures both. Read today, “Millions of Cats” still feels fresh. It looks fresh too, with undulating layouts of entwining text and image. Because it was impossible to achieve this fluid look with contemporary typesetting technology, Gág had her brother hand-letter the book, establishing from the outset the picture book’s tradition of careful book design and innovative production techniques.

The picture book is a form, not a genre. If there’s an overabundance of simplistic picture books about cute animals learning Very Important Lessons, don’t blame the art form (and definitely don’t blame the kids). Insipid and didactic children’s literature is a failure of the grown-up imagination. Good children’s writers know that the picture book’s storytelling poten.al is boundless. Look at “Shortcut,” Donald Crews’s under-sung masterpiece. Crews, who, along with Richard Scarry and Anne Rockwell, is one of children’s literature’s great troubadours of transportation, is best known for the unexpectedly poignant concept book “Freight Train.” His “Shortcut” is a picture book thriller. Told in a first-person plural narration suffused with dread (“We should have taken the road”), this is a picture book about seven kids who take a shortcut along the railroad tracks and nearly get run over by a train. The middle section — in which the train hurtles relentlessly past, accompanied by the text “KLAKKITY-KLAK- KLAK-KLAK” — makes for a noisy, terrifying and totally entertaining read-aloud. I’ve never seen anything like it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carson Ellis’s “Du Iz Tak?” is written in an invented language. (Candlewick Press)

We’re still figuring out what picture books can do. A few times each year, while perusing the children’s section of my local bookshop, I’m startled by some new trick, technique or possibility unlocked by one of my contemporaries. Carson Ellis’s “Du Iz Tak?” tells the story of a flower sprou.ng, blooming and dying, but is written entirely in bug language. The adult reading the book aloud is reminded of what it’s like to be the kid listening, struggling to unlock obscure meanings from the letters on the page. And by the end, everyone has learned to speak Insect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In X. Fang’s “Dim Sum Palace,” a little girl’s dreams take her to surprising places. (Tundra Books)

X. Fang’s “Dim Sum Palace,” with its riffs on Sendak’s “In the Night Kitchen” (which itself riffed on Winsor McCay’s newspaper comics) marked a new moment of maturity for the picture book — a tradition with canonical texts ripe for reinterpretation. It’s both a homage and a wholly original artwork.

The picture book is children’s literature’s great formal contribution to literature as a whole. Yes, there have been great children’s novels, great children’s poetry and great children’s comics. But novels, poetry and comics would all exist without children’s books. Children’s writers invented the picture book.

You can see its influence in comics and even novels — Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro cited picture books as an inspiration for “Klara and the Sun.” In the last few years, there have even been some picture books published for adults (a category distinct from picture books marketed as books for children that appeal only to adults, a timeworn and thoroughly execrable tradition).

But the future of the picture book will always lie with children — a voracious and unorthodox readership. It is only right that the tradition of the picture book is a tradition of experimentation, for childhood itself is experimental, and our kids deserve a literature equal to their imaginations and worthy of their attention.

Mac Barnett is the 2025-2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Barnett is the author of more than 60 books for children, including “Twenty Questions” and “Sam & Dave Dig a Hole,” as well as the “Mac B., Kid Spy” series, “The First Cat in Space” graphic novels and “The Shapes Trilogy” picture books.

Get Caught Reading, a year-round campaign to promote the fun of reading books by young people, is very pleased to announce the simultaneous release of 10 posters of authors, teachers, journalists, and activists.

Managed by Every Child a Reader, an award-winning literacy charity, Get Caught Reading provides teachers, librarians, booksellers, and reading advocates with free bulletin-board-sized posters of inspiring people reading a favorite book.

We continue our ongoing release of great and inspiring posters of authors, poets, librarians, illustrators, teachers, community leaders, performers, and more.

 

ANNA KANG
Anna Kang is the author of twelve books for young readers, including Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small and five other books in that series, Christopher Award winner Eraser and its companion Marker, and So-Hee and Lowy, all illustrated by Christopher Weyant. She lives with her family in New Jersey. Visit her at www.annakang.com.

 

 

 

CHRISTINA FERRARI
Christina Ferrari is a children’s librarian, the Assistant Branch Manager at the Bedford Library in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn and recipient of the 2024 Dr. Lucille C. Thomas Award for Excellence in Librarianship. While her branch is closed for renovation, Christina can be spotted bopping around the neighborhood with her guitar, drum, telescope, and The Notorious L.I.T. (Library in Transit) outreach book wagon, connecting her with the community in new and unexpected ways.

 

 

FELICIA HOLSTON-SLOANE
Felicia Holston-Sloane is the Brooklyn Public Library Central Clerical Operations Manager, and the recipient of the 2024 Feder Leonard Family Award for Excellence in Service to the Library’s Public. She became a library shelver as soon as she was old enough, and learned to enjoy reading despite her dyslexia. Felicia’s bubbly personality and unique laugh make her an admired role model for her staff. Her joy in helping the public is infectious.

 

 

JASON CHIN
Jason Chin is the author and illustrator of many acclaimed picture books. He received the 2022 Caldecott Medal for Watercress by Andrea Wang and a Caldecott Honor, Sibert Honor, and the NCTE Orbis Pictus award for Grand Canyon. His most recent book, Life After Whale, written by Lynn Brunelle, won the 2025 Robert F. Sibert Medal and was named an Orbis Pictus Honor Book. His next book, Hurricane, will be published in May 2025.

 

 

 

JULIA KUO
Julia Kuo is the Taiwanese-American author and illustrator of Let’s Do Everything and Nothing and Luminous: Living Things that Light Up the Night. She has illustrated many picture and specialty books including I Dream of Popo, I Am An American, and the NYT bestselling book RISE: A Pop History of Asian America. Julia has created editorial illustrations for publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. Julia is a 2025 CBC Outstanding Science Books Award Winner.

 

 

LAURA CARTER
Laura W. Carter is a kidlit author and history teacher with a Master of Education. Whether writing stories or teaching them, she strives to inspire children (and adults) to be lifelong learners. Her picture book, A Steminist Force, released in 2024 from Familius. Its literary companion, What Will I Be, From A to Z, will release in July 2025. Laura loves miniature schnauzers, road trips, and all shades of green.

 

 

 

NIKKI GRIMES
New York Times bestseller Nikki Grimes has received the Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, ALAN Award for teen literature, Children’s Literature Legacy Medal, NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, the Coretta Scott King Award, and five Coretta Scott King Honors. Inducted into the Black Authors Hall of Fame in 2023, her titles include Bronx Masquerade, Garvey’s Choice, A Walk in the Woods, Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance, and Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir.

 

 

REV VALDEZ
Rev Valdez is a Filipino-American author and illustrator based in San Francisco, CA. He’s passionate about introducing readers to the myths of Filipino culture through fun, humorous, and visually engaging storytelling. Rev is the creator of Bunso Meets a Mumu, which received a starred Kirkus review in 2022, which is the first book in his beloved series. The newest installment, Bunso Meets a Duwende, continues to bring Filipino folklore to life for young readers. When he’s not working on his books, Rev is a dedicated teacher who loves inspiring students through art.

 

 

SUSAN DENNARD
Susan Dennard is the award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Witchlands series (now in development for TV from the Jim Henson Company), the Luminaries series, the Something Strange and Deadly series, The Executioners Three, as well as various short stories and other tales across the internet. She also runs the popular newsletter for writers, Misfits and Daydreamers. When not writing or teaching writing, she can be found reading, playing with her daughter, or mashing buttons on one of her way too many consoles.

 

 

TYLER HILTON
Tyler Hilton is a touring singer/songwriter and film composer with multiple songs on the Top 40 charts and collaborations with some of music’s biggest artists (Taylor Swift, Billy Ray Cyrus, and more). But it was his turn as “Elvis Presley” in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line that launched a surprising acting career, including appearances on the teen drama One Tree Hill. Hilton currently resides in Ontario, Canada, with his wife, actress/director Megan Park, and their two kids, Winnifred and Bennett.

 

 

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ABOUT GET CAUGHT READING
A nationwide, year-round campaign to promote the fun of reading books for all ages. Launched in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers and now managed by Every Child a Reader. Get Caught Reading provides teachers and librarians with bulletin board-sized posters of authors, athletes, media stars, and beloved book characters caught reading a favorite!

Over two hundred 8 ½” x 11” posters are available free to teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents. The program was relaunched in 2018 thanks to a grant from KPMG and a poster featuring Olympic gold medal gymnast Laurie Hernandez. In the past five years, posters featuring bestselling authors Kate DiCamillo, Raj Halder, Raakhee Mirchandani, plus animated characters like Phoebe and her Unicorn, and many more were made available. Backlist posters include Alicia Keys, Jacqueline Woodson, Alex Morgan, Horton (Horton Hears a Who!), and Olivia (Olivia book series).

Up to 10 different posters can be ordered on the order form at www.GetCaughtReading.org.

Ambassadorship Will Celebrate the Power of the Picture Book Art Form

Proposals Now Accepted for National Ambassador Tour Appearances

 

The Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader today announced the appointment of Mac Barnett as the 2025-2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Barnett is the ninth author to hold this position. He succeeds Meg Medina, who served as the National Ambassador from 2023 through 2024.

Barnett is the author of more than 60 books for children, including “Twenty Questions,” “Sam & Dave Dig a Hole,” “A Polar Bear in the Snow” and “Extra Yarn,” as well as the popular “Mac B., Kid Spy” series of novels, “The First Cat in Space” graphic novels and “The Shapes Trilogy” picture books.

Barnett began working with children as a high school and college student, and these early experiences inspired a dream of writing for them. Now an accomplished author, Barnett is known for his deep respect for children – for their intelligence, their emotional acumen, and their time and attention. Barnett has won numerous prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, and an International Children’s Literature Award, among others.

“It’s a profound honor to serve as ambassador. When I got the news, I was speechless, which is unusual for me,” said Barnett. “Now I feel energized to proclaim the many glories of children’s literature, with a particular focus on a unique and marvelous way of telling stories: the children’s picture book.”

“Picture books are a beautiful, sophisticated and vibrant art form, the source of some of the most profound reading experiences in children’s (and adults’) lives. I am, of course, excited to talk to young readers. The joy of sharing picture books with kids is why I started writing children’s books in the first place,” Barnett said. “But I’m also eager to speak to adults – who often underestimate or overlook children’s literature – to champion the power of picture books and the brilliance of the kids who read them.”

During his two-year term as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Barnett will celebrate the children’s picture book through his platform, Behold, The Picture Book! Let’s Celebrate Stories We Can Feel, Hear, and See. Barnett will explore the deeply impactful ways picture books blend words and illustrations to create a uniquely powerful reading experience, one that is often the foundation for a lifetime of reading. Ultimately, Barnett will assert the picture book is a quintessential American art form and deserves its rightful place among the best American literature.

 

“I’m excited for Mac Barnett’s tenure as the National Ambassador,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “The way he elevates the picture book with originality and intentionality, making space for young readers to embrace the unknown, is magical. I often mention the joy of seeing myself for the first time in ‘Bright April’ by Marguerite De Angeli, a book about a young African American girl celebrating her 10th birthday. I look forward to the many joyous ways Mac will use picture books to inspire connections within our communities.”

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the selection of Mac Barnett as the next ambassador,” said Shaina Birkhead, associate executive director of Every Child a Reader and the Children’s Book Council. “Who better to champion picture books in this national role than someone who has been doing just that their entire career. Mac’s enthusiasm and passion for storytelling through picture books will make everyone stand up and take notice of this exceptional art form.”

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden will inaugurate Barnett as the new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 10:30 a.m. Meg Medina, the 2023-2024 National Ambassador, and local school groups will be in attendance. The event will be streamed live on the Library’s YouTube page.

The public is invited to meet Barnett in a unique “Storytime for Grown Ups” event featuring author illustrators Cece Bell and Raúl the Third, and 2008-2009 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jon Scieszka on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Thomas Jefferson Building. Barnett and his award-winning guests invite adults to spend an evening sharing and discussing picture books. This event is part of the Library’s signature Live! at the Library series.

Proposals for National Ambassador Tour Appearances Now Accepted

A central aspect of the National Ambassador for Young People’s tenure is visiting children and families around the country to share their platform. Proposals are now being accepted from schools, libraries and community groups to host Barnett in 2025. He is excited to share his passion for picture books with students of all ages as well as adults. The deadline for proposals is March 3.

The position of National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature was established in 2008 to raise awareness of the importance of young people’s literature for lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.

The selection, made by the Librarian of Congress, is based on recommendations from a diverse group of children’s literature publishing professionals, as well as an independent committee comprised of educators, librarians, booksellers and children’s literature specialists.

Members of the 2025-2026 selection committee include:

• Calvin Crosby, co-owner of The King’s English Bookshop and executive director of Brain Food Books.
• Joanna Ho, bestselling author, former English teacher, high school vice principal and designer of an alternative-to-prison program.
• Michell Wright Jumpp, 2021 New York Library Association’s School Librarian of the Year and the school library media specialist at Horizons-on-the-Hudson in Newburgh, New York.
• Daisy Martin, 2023 Idaho Human Rights Educator of the Year and former English teacher at Sage Valley Middle School in Nampa, Idaho.
• Meg Medina, 2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and bestselling author.
• Ellen Myrick, president of Publisher Spotlight and founder of Myrick Marketing & Media.
• Jennie Pu, director of the Hoboken Public Library in Hoboken, New Jersey.
• Manuela Soares, director of the M.S. in Publishing program at Pace University and director of Pace University Press.
• Rocco Staino, director of the Empire State Center for the Book and host of “StoryMakers” and “KidLitTV.”

 

About Mac Barnett

Mac Barnett is a New York Times-bestselling author of stories for children. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Barnett’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Germany’s Jugendliteraturpreis, China’s Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Award, The Netherlands’ Silver Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil. He is the co-creator, with Jon Klassen, of “Shape Island,” a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their best-selling Shapes series of picture books. Barnett lives in Oakland, California.

 

About the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is an initiative of the Library of Congress, in partnership with Every Child a Reader, with generous support from The Library of Congress James Madison Council, The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation and Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

 

The program was established in 2008 by the Library, the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader to emphasize the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education and the development and betterment of the lives of young people. Previous National Ambassadors include authors Jon Scieszka (2008–2009), Katherine Paterson (2010–2011), Walter Dean Myers (2012–2013), Kate DiCamillo (2014–2015), Gene Luen Yang (2016–2017), Jacqueline Woodson (2018–2019), Jason Reynolds (2020-2022) and Meg Medina (2023-2024).

 

About Every Child a Reader

Every Child a Reader is a 501(c)(3) award-winning literacy charity whose popular national programs include Children’s Book Week, the longest-running literacy initiative in the country, celebrating 106 years in 2025; the Kids’ Book Choice Awards, the only national book awards chosen solely by children and teens; Get Caught Reading, a classroom poster project; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, in partnership with the Library of Congress.

 

About the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States – and extensive materials from around the world – both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

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Media Contacts: Deb Fiscella, Library of Congress, dfiscella@loc.gov |Rachel Kirby, Candlewick Press, rachel.kirby@walkerbooksgroup.com

Public Contact: Anya Creightney, Library of Congress, acre@loc.gov | Shaina Birkhead, Every Child A Reader, shaina.birkhead@cbcbooks.org

Media Assets: newsroom.loc.gov

 

The 2025 Children’s Book Week poster by the extraordinary Julie Flett was revealed yesterday in PW Children’s Bookshelf. This joyful image is the perfect visual representation of this year’s theme, An Ocean of Stories. Flett shared some of her thought process in creating the poster with us.

“I had so many thoughts on our connections to water. I thought about Autumn Peltier’s work, and all of the people who are working to care for the water at this time.

I also thought about all of the stories we have as children and our relationship to the water. I remember when we’d drive out to my grandma’s place in the summer, I’d jump out of the car and run straight to the river behind their place to start looking for frogs and turtles. I’d spend hours out there sitting on a rock, dipping my hand into the water or peering into the deepest parts to day dream. And then thinking about the summer we spent in Nova Scotia by the ocean and all of the sea creatures we got to know there.”

 Julie is a Cree-Métis artist based in British Columbia, and the first indigenous artist to create a Children’s Book Week poster.

Carl Lennertz, Every Child a Reader’s executive director said “The choice of Julie Flett for the 2025 Children’s Book Week poster is another important milestone in our work to shine a light on a vastly under-recognized world of incredibly creative people.”

Want to receive free copies of this amazing poster? Sign up to participate in Children’s Book Week this spring and you will get two posters delivered to your library, school, bookstore, or home.

Learn more about the celebration and sign up here!

On December 12, local students, friends, and family gathered at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC for a closing ceremony to celebrate Meg Medina’s tenure as the 8th National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

During her two years as Ambassador, Medina took the position to new heights, with over 35 appearances at schools and libraries all across the country, an 18 part video series of conversations with kid lit authors, 4 in-person office hours sessions, and countless connections made with young people and parents in rural, suburban, and urban communities across the United States.

Following remarks by Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, and Shaina Birkhead, Associate Executive Director of Every Child a Reader, Meg had a great conversation with two young cuentistas – two D.C. high school students. The event concluded with a video thank you from actor Max Greenfield and a performance by the DC Casineros Dance Company.

We hope you enjoy this uplifting and inspiring event. Thank you, Meg, from all of us at Every Child a Reader!

Discover all the places that Meg visited as Ambassador.