For more information about the Geisel Award, visit the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award homepage.

Winner: Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems

Gerald and Piggie have big plans to play outside. They are going to run and skip and jump and it will be wonderful. But when it starts to rain, Piggie is so upset. She hates the rain! How will they play outside in the rain? Luckily two little worms come out and show that the rain is not all that bad to play in.

This is a classic Elephant and Piggie story. A problem is presented and the two friends work it out by the end of the book. These books have simple vocabulary, make great use of white space, and the characters convey emotions remarkably. It’s no surprise to anyone that Mo Willems has collected as many Geisel Awards and Honors as he has.

“Are You Ready to Play Outside?” is an early core Elephant and Piggie book and no library should be without it. Great for beginning readers, read-alouds, and anyone who likes to laugh.

Honor: Chicken Said, “Cluck!” by Judyann Ackerman Grant

Earl and Pearl are planting pumpkins and chicken is in the way. But when grasshoppers threaten Earl and Pearl’s pumpkins, who can help chase them away? A fantastic beginning reader book with lots of repetition and simple vocabulary. Most of the complex words (pumpkins, grasshoppers) are clearly supported by the text. Another of note: diverse characters in everyday situations!

Honor: One Boy by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

One boy counts his way through the paintings that are on his wall. What appears to be a simple counting book is made all the more complex by Vaccaro Seeger’s imaginative and delightful cut-outs. A great source of vocabulary and a chance for children to practice making predictions about what will happen after the page turn.

Honor: Stinky by Eleanor Davis

Stinky knows that all children love to take baths, eat cake and apples, and do not like mucky mud, slimy slugs, or smelly monsters like him. But when Nick — a child — wanders in Stinky’s swamp, Stinky has a plan to get him out! Nick and Stinky are clearly friends in the making and beginning readers will definitely follow their journey to the end. “Stinky” is told in a comic book style with panels and dialog bubbles. This will absolutely help beginning readers.

Honor: Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator by Sarah C. Campbell

A non-fiction title honor book tells the tale of a wolfsnail (who eats other slugs and snails) as he searches for his prey. Simple sentences work well with the photographs to tell the story. Definitely a great beginning reader for those who are interested in non-fiction and science!