2025-2026 SC Picture Book Award Nominees

The South Carolina Picture Book Award nominees are chosen to encourage students to read good quality contemporary literature. Each title is appropriate for a 4K-3 grade level. Visit SCASL's SC Picture Book Award page to learn more about past nominees and other materials.

100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli

By David LaRochelle

High on a mountain live 100 mighty dragons all named Broccoli. When a tremendous wind blows half the dragons away, ten others sail off to become professional surfers in Hawaii. The oldest and youngest dragons take a train to New York City to start their own heavy metal band. And a mysterious wizard turns four more into a unicorn, a werewolf, a zombie, and a tiny pink poodle. Now how many dragons are left? Readers will delight in following each and every dragon as they leave their home for marvelous adventures, until there is but one dragon remaining. That’s when this final dragon named Broccoli retreats to a cave for the winter and reappears in the spring with a surprise that will thrill and delight!

A Day With No Words

By Tiffany Hammond

Inspired by the author’s own life as an autistic mother of two autistic boys A Day With No Words follows a Black autistic boy’s daily life written from his own perspective.

A Llama Is Not An Alpaca

By Karen Jameson

Do you know the difference between an alpaca and a llama? How about a crocodile and an alligator? A frog and a toad? Test your knowledge and learn exciting animal facts in this charming book about animal look-a-likes!

Dear Mr. G

By Christine Evans

A gentle and moving story about an intergenerational friendship between a young child and their neighbor told through a series of letters

Elena Rides

By Juana Medina

A bright, buoyant story of a determined elephant and her loyal sidekick.

How This Book Got Red

By Margaret Chiu Greanias

In this clever picture book tale about the power of representation, a red panda decides to write her own story when she realizes that none of the other panda books include pandas that look like her.

I Am a Dragon!: A Squabble & a Quibble

By Sabina Hahn

A cleverly hilarious picture book about misunderstandings, imagination, forgiveness, and friendship in which a grumpy dragon gets fired up when he is mistaken for a very large frog.

Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider

By Jessica Lanan

A bold nonfiction story following a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider - meticulously researched and utterly charming.

Just A Worm

By Marie Boyd

No one wants to be called “just” something, even a worm. When Worm heads out to explore, he overhears the children exclaim, “Ew! It's just a worm.” Worm takes offense and decides to find out all the things that make him unique. Along the way, Worm learns all the unique qualities his friends have as well.

Line Up! Animals in Remarkable Rows

By Susan Stockdale

Featuring animals from around the world, Line Up! Animals in Remarkable Rows is a cozy and comforting book that reminds us of our similarities while illuminating some specific, distinctive behaviors.

Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar

By Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

A picture-book biography of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the woman who invented rock and roll--a warm, inspiring tale of a childhood filled with music, community, and a drive to succeed.

Not A Monster

By Claudia Guadalupe Martinez

With Spanish vocabulary and a clever color concept, this poetic picture book shares the life cycle of a beloved amphibian—the axolotl—in its natural habitat. This curious creature is actually a salamander that will never lose its gills or fins. Not a Monster explores the traits of the axolotl, the Aztec origin myth about the species, and the way pollution is affecting its natural habitat: the canals of Xochimilco in Mexico City.

Nubby

By Dan Richards

A beloved but overworked toy strikes out on his own to find glory—only to find that the best rewards were at home all along in this sweet and funny picture book that is perfect for fans of Toy Story and Knuffle Bunny.

Okra Stew

By Natalie Daise

Papa has something special planned for tonight's family dinner and Bobo can't wait. Eager to learn how to make okra stew like his ancestors, Bobo helps Papa pick and chop vegetables from the garden, catch shrimp from the creek, simmer the stew, and even make a tasty side of cornbread. It ends with a mouthwatering feast enjoyed by three generations of family members.

Once Upon A Book

By Grace Lin and Kate Messner

Alice loves to imagine herself in the magical pages of her favorite book. So when it flaps its pages and invites her in, she is swept away to a world of wonder and adventure, riding camels in the desert, swimming under the sea with colorful fish, floating in outer space, and more! But when her imaginative journey comes to an end, she yearns for the place she loves best of all.

Rise to the Sky: How the World's Tallest Trees Grow Up

By Rebecca Hirsch

What is the tallest living thing? It's not an elephant, or a giraffe, or even a blue whale. It's a tree!

Trees are the tallest living things on Earth. But how do they grow to be so tall? Science writer Rebecca E. Hirsch presents a poetic introduction to the tree life cycle in Rise to the Sky. Accompanied by Mia Posada's detailed collage illustrations, this book features the tallest tree species from around the world, including the coast redwood, the Sitka spruce, and the giant sequoia.

Snake’s Big Mistake

By Sarah Kurpiel

Snake is determined to make the best, most spectacular, positively greatest clay pot in art class. But when disaster befalls his clay creation, Snake makes a terrible mistake. Can he repair the friendship he's broken?

Tea With an Old Giant

By Jane Yolen

The old giant at the top of the hill is lonely. He has no one to play games with, no one to read to, and no one to drink tea with. When he ventures into the nearby town, every person and animal screams and hides--except for one girl, Arabella. The two become quick friends and spend the day playing together. But will the giant ever get his cup of tea?

Thank a Farmer

By Maria Gianferrari

Infused with jubilance and warmth, this luminous, lyrical picture book celebrates the people and the work that put food on our tables.

What’s Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon

By Rachel Ignotofsky

This picture book that explains the metamorphosis of butterflies and moths, detailing the stages from egg to adult and what happens inside the cocoon or chrysalis, where a caterpillar transforms into a brand-new body. The book compares moths and butterflies, highlights their importance as pollinators, and features detailed illustrations with labeled species of caterpillars and adults.

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