2026-2027 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.

A Friend for Eddy

By Ann Kim Ha

When Eddy the goldfish takes a leap of faith to be closer to his new friends, his perspective of the world widens in unexpected ways.

ARTificial Intelligence

By David Biedrzycki

Ever since he was a little chip, Robot knew he was ART-ificially different.

Try as he might, Robot can't keep up with the other robots at the warehouse. But when he's sent off for reprogramming, he takes a wrong turn and ends up encountering music, dancing, and ART! He tries to share his discovery, only to find that art is hard to explain—and even harder to do. Will Robot learn to express himself and transform the warehouse . . . or will he be recycled?

Buffalo Fluffalo

By Bess Kalb

Every day, Buffalo Fluffalo goes about his usual routine. He munches all the grass he can eat, frolics and rollicks with his friends, and at noontime, lies down for a nap in the shade. But one morning, Fluffalo wakes up to a loud wailing cry and, to his surprise, finds a little buffalo named Puffalo with the tiniest, shiniest eyes!

At first, Fluffalo does not like Puffalo. “What does it need?” he huffs in alarm. But Crow wisely explains that Puffalo doesn't need much—just time to learn and grow. Slowly, Fluffalo watches as Puffalo learns to trip, slip, gallop, and trot. He teaches Puffalo to eat plants and to keep away from red ants. Together, the two take long strolls and snuggle for naps. And even though Puffalo sometimes slows him down, Fluffalo realizes that life is much better with Puffalo by his side.

Flamingos Are Pretty Funky: A (Not So) Serious Guide

By Abi Cushman

Flamingos are tall, wading birds known for their bright pink color. Their nests look like tiny volcanoes, and they live in areas that are considered extreme—from nearly boiling bodies of water filled with corrosive chemicals to cold, mountainous regions where ice freezes around their feet. And if you ask their snake friend Joey, those aren’t the only things that are fabulous about flamingos!

Go and Get with Rex

By David LaRochelle

Jack, Jill, and Rex are excited to play a game of Go and Get! The rules are simple: on the count of three, each player must go and get something that begins with a certain letter. While Jack’s and Jill’s picks always fit the bill (What starts with F? Frog! Fish!), Rex keeps getting it wrong (a duck?)—or does he?

Home in a Lunchbox

By Cherry Mo

When Jun moves from Hong Kong to America, the only words she knows are hello, thank you, I don’t know, and toilet. Her new school feels foreign and terrifying. But when she opens her lunchbox to find her favorite meals—like bao, dumplings, and bok choy—she realizes home isn’t so far away after all. Through lush art and spare dialogue, Cherry Mo’s breathtakingly beautiful debut picture book reminds readers that friendship and belonging can be found in every bite.

I’m Sorry You Got Mad

By Kyle Lukoff

Jack wants to apologize for hurting Zoe’s feelings. He just can’t seem to find the right words.

Turns out there’s more to an apology than just saying “I’m sorry.”

Elevated by equally charming illustrations and text, I’m Sorry You Got Mad is a journey in learning the importance of an apology that goes deeper than just words.

José Feeds the World: How a Famous Chef Feeds Millions of People in Need Around the World

By David Unger

The true story of José Andrés, an award-winning chef, food activist, and founder of World Central Kitchen, a disaster-relief organization that uses the power of food to nourish communities after catastrophe strikes. When a terrible earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, chef José Andrés knew he needed to help. Within a few hours of the disaster, he had gathered friends, they flew to the island, and they began cooking rice and beans for the hungry locals. This trip changed the life of the successful chef and led him to found World Central Kitchen, a disaster-relief organization that has fed more than 200 million people affected by natural disasters, the COVID pandemic, and war. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of a passionate chef who uses the power of food to nurture people in need, one plate at a time.

Monster Hands

By Karen Kane

One night just before bedtime…
Milo read a book about
a monster under the bed.
Milo should not have read that book.

Monsters under the bed are scary, but luckily, Milo’s best friend, Mel, knows just what to do—scare the monster more than the monster scares you!

Using shadow puppets on the wall, Milo and Mel make monster hands that roar, chomp, and even laugh to scare the monster away. But uh-oh! What if the monster thinks this is funny? This is NOT funny! Together, Milo and Mel hatch a plan to scare the monster away once and for all. When they’ve at last vanquished the monster, Milo knows there’s one more thing monster hands can do—hug the friend who helped him weather his fears.

Neat Nick’s Big Mess

By Chad Otis

A rambunctious pet dog helps an introverted, anxious boy leave his comfort zone in this endearing and very funny picture book.

Nick has always been neat. That’s what makes him comfortable. Any kind of mess or noise or other havoc makes him anxious, and often that means he chooses to be alone in his own carefully controlled bedroom. But suddenly a big, drooly, energetic dog has joined the family, and as much as he tries there’s nothing Nick can do to control the doggy mess. And so, he decides he would rather avoid the pup altogether. Or would he?

This story of coping with anxiety and learning how to compromise is as big-hearted and laugh-filled as it is delightfully messy.

One Day This Tree Will Fall

By Leslie Barnard Booth

When a tree falls, is its story over?

There are many ways a tree’s story could end: Gobbled up by a bird as a tiny seed. Damaged by wind or ice or fire. Chopped down and hauled away. But some trees—this tree—survives. And grows old. Riddled with scars, cracks, and crevices, it becomes a place creatures large and small call home.

One day, after standing tall for centuries, this tree will fall. But even then, is its story over? Or will it continue to nurture the forest and its creatures for many years to come? Complete with additional information about the role trees play in a forest ecosystem, this sweeping story invites readers of all ages to celebrate the incredible life cycle and afterlife of trees.

Stokes: The Brief Career of the NBA’s First Black Superstar

By Ty Chapman & John Coy

Stokes tells the story of the NBA’s first Black superstar, Maurice Stokes, who is not as well known as he should be in part because of a career-ending injury.

Coauthors and basketball enthusiasts John Coy and Ty Chapman highlight what a standout Stokes was: he was 6’7″ and as they write, “nobody had ever seen a guy his size score, defend, rebound, dribble, and pass so well.”

The Book that Almost Rhymed

By Omar Abed

What do you do with an interrupting sibling? Especially when she’s stepping all over your story with wild ideas that don’t. Even. Rhyme. Knights riding rockets? Dancing pirates? Who’s ever heard of a fire-breathing armadillo?! But when this big brother realizes his sister just might be improving his yarn—and doing it with an impressive surprise of her own—it’s clear what you do with an interrupting sibling. You share the narrative! Turns out adventure is way more fun when you build it together, rhyme by daring rhyme.

The Curious Why

By Angela DiTerlizzi

A magical friend called the Curious Why encourages children's imaginations to fly, as they consider "how, what, where and when?" in relation to the world around them.

The Girl Who Figured it Out

By Minda Dentler

Minda always felt different from other kids. Her leg braces and crutches made it hard for her to run and play. Sometimes she fell. Sometimes she got mad. And sometimes she wanted to give up. But Minda never did. She worked hard to show everyone she could do anything she put her mind to!

This is the true story of how Minda became the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the world’s toughest triathlon: The Ironman World Championship.

Join Minda as she takes on life’s hurdles – from climbing stairs to crossing finish lines. Learn how she overcame obstacles, faced down fears, and achieved goals that seemed impossible. It’s a blueprint for raising resilient, confident, and unstoppable individuals. Discover Minda’s courageous spirit and maybe YOU will be inspired to rethink what’s possible!

The Man Who Didn’t Like Animals

By Deborah Underwood

There once was a man who loved his tidy home and who didn’t like animals. Then, one day, a cat appeared. The man and the cat both liked napping and watching the rain and eating dinner precisely at six.

Well, maybe this one animal could stay.

Next came a dog . . .

This bighearted and funny tale with delightful artwork from Caldecott Honor artist LeUyen Pham celebrates the joy of embracing new perspectives.

The Yellow Bus

By Loren Long

There is a bright yellow bus who spends her days driving. She loves carrying children from one important place to another. Every morning they climb in . . . Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, giggle, giggle-patter. And they fill her with joy.

As time passes, things change. The Yellow Bus gets a new driver, a new route, and new passengers, young and old. Until one day the driving stops for good, and the Yellow Bus is left on her own. Yet, no matter where she is, the Yellow Bus still finds joy and discovery in the world around her.

With stirring black-and-white artwork and powerful pops of color, The Yellow Bus is a poignant reflection on the many new beginnings life has to offer.

There Are No Ants in this Book

By Rosemary Mosco

Nothing can ruin a picnic faster than a bunch of ants. It’s a good thing there are no ants in this book . . . well, maybe there’s only one. Or two. . . . Or ten??

Maybe it’s not so bad. Ants are kind of cool, after all — especially the ones with amazing butts, like the Acrobat Ant that waves its back end around to scare off enemies. Or the Slender Leaf Ant that can glide through the air. Or the Dinosaur Ant, which is the biggest ant in the world! Okay, so a picnic with ants is actually lots of fun!

But what if an anteater also wants to join the picnic?

Ursula Upside Down

By Corey R. Tabor

Ursula is a happy catfish, swimming through a shimmering river with weeds waving above and a sky full of scrumptious bugs below. Then one question turns her world upside down. Is left right? Is right wrong? Which way even is up? Children will love turning the book upside down and back again as they follow Ursula’s humorous journey to self-discovery.

When Black Girls Dream Big

By Tanisia Moore

I AM dope!

My crown shines bright

in all its glory.

When I dream big,

I can do anything!

In this inspiring tribute to Black girl pride and excellence, a young child discovers her place in a radiant heritage. As she meets twelve extraordinary Black women―historic and contemporary heroines who have blazed a trail for her own future success―she internalizes their strength and sets out to change the world in her own way.

Just like them, she can reach her dreams. And readers will discover that they can reach theirs too.

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