2025 Picture Book and Junior Book Nominees

We are very pleased to announce the nominees for the 2025 North Carolina Children's Book Awards.    In order to vote in March 2025, children should read at least 5 picture book nominees and/or 3 junior book nominees.

Annotated Picture Book list
Annotated Junior Book list

Picture Books

Junior Books
  • Acorn Was a Little Wild
    Jen Arena
    Illustrated by Jessica Gibson

  • Beneath
    Cori Doerrfeld

  • How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide
    Ame Dyckman
    Illustrated by Jennifer Harney

  • I Cannot Draw a Horse
    Charise Mericle Harper

  • I Want 100 Dogs
    Stacy McAnulty
    Illustrated by Claire Keane

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

  • My Hands Tell a Story
    Kelly Starling Lyons
    Illustrated by Tonya Engel

  • Place Hand Here
    Katie Yamasaki

  • This Story is Not About a Kitten
    Randall de Sève
    Illustrated by Carson Ellis

  • A Unicorn, a Dinosaur, and a Shark Walk Into a Book
    Jonathan Fenske

  • A Very Cranky Book
    Angela DiTerlizzi
    Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi

  • Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius: a True Story About an Amazing Swimmer
    Lynne Cox
    Illustrated by Richard Jones
  • Air
    Monica Roe

  • Chunky
    Yehudi Mercado

  • Finally Seen
    Kelly Yang

  • The Fire of Stars: the Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars are Made Of
    Kirsten W. Larson
    Illustrated by Katherine Roy

  • Kaboom! A Volcano Erupts
    Jessica Kulekjian
    Illustrated by Zoe Si

  • The Lost Library
    Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

  • The Magical Imperfect
    Chris Baron

  • The Marvellers
    Dhonielle Clayton

  • Maya and the Robot
    Eve L. Ewing
    Illustrated Christine Almeda

  • My Head Has a Bellyache: More Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-ups
    Chris Harris
    Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi

  • Odder
    Katherine Applegate

  • Shine On, Luz Véliz!
    Rebecca Balcárcel