Blue Ribbons - The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books - Picture Books

Christchurch City Libraries lists literary prize winners and links to catalogue searches, but we may not hold copies of all titles mentioned.

Blue Ribbons are chosen annually by the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books staff and represent what they believe to be the best of the previous year’s literature for youth.

2014

Naked: Michael Ian Black; illustrated by Debbie Redpath
Hug Machine: Scott Campbell
Weasels: Elys Dolan
The Lion and the Bird: Marianne Dubuc
The Farmer and the Clown: Marla Frazee
Shh! We Have a Plan: Chris Haughton
Hunters of the Great Forest: Dennis Nolan
Coming Home: Greg Ruth
Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads: Bob Shea; illustrated by Lane Smith
Rules of Summer: Shaun Tan

2013

Big Snow: Jonathan Bean
One Gorilla: A counting book: Anthony Browne
The Cart That Carried Martin: Eve Bunting; illustrated by Don Tate
Year of the Jungle: Suzanne Collins; illlustrated by James Proimos
Water in the Park: Emily Jenkins; illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
Moo!: David LaRochelle; illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
Niño Wrestles the World: Yuyi Morales
Battle Bunny: Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett; illustrated by Matthew Myers
The Dark: Lemony Snicket; illustrated by Jon Klassen

2012

Z is for moose: Kelly Bingham; illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Kel Gilligan’s daredevil stunt show: Michael Buckley; illustrated by Dan Santat
Ballywhinney girl: Eve Bunting; illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully
Little dog lost: Written and illustrated by Monica Carnesi
And then it’s spring: Julie Fogliano; illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Little bee: Written and illustrated by Edward Gibbs
This is not my hat: Written and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Me want pet!: Tammi Sauer; illustrated by Bob Shea

2011

Mine!: Shutta Crum; illustrated by Patrice Barton
Prudence wants a pet: Cathleen Daly; illustrated by Stephen Michael King
A place to call home: Alexis Deacon; illustrated by Viviane Schwarz
Mitchell’s license: Hallie Durand; illustrated by Tony Fucile
Little white rabbit: Written and illustrated by Kevin W. Henkes
Never forgotten: Patricia McKissack; illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
A house in the woods: Written and illustrated by Inga Moore
Apple pie ABC: Written and illustrated by Alison Murray
Stars: Mary Lyn Ray; illustrated by Marla Frazee
Owly & Wormy, friends all aflutter!: Andy Runton
There are cats in this book: Written and illustrated by Viviane Schwarz
Where’s Walrus?: Written and illustrated by Stephen Savage

2010

Goldilocks and the three bears: Written and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark
Farm: Written and illustrated by Elisha Cooper
A visitor for bear: Bonny Becker; illustrated by Kady McDonald Denton
Sleepy, oh so sleepy: Denise Fleming
April Underhill, tooth fairy: Written and illustrated by Bob Graham
The boys: Written and illustrated by Jeff Newman
Bunny days: Written and illustrated by Tao Nyeu
Mr Elephanter: Lark Pien
Born yesterday: the diary of a young journalist: James Solheim, James; illustrated by Simon James
The cow loves cookies: Karma Wilson; illustrated by Marcellus Hall
Here comes the garbage barge: Jonah Winter; illustrated by Red Nose Studio

2009

The lion & the mouse: Aesop; illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Put it on the list!: Written and illustrated by Kristen Darbyshire
Surprise soup: Mary Ann Rodman; illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Archie and the pirates: Written and illustrated by Marc Rosenthal
The snowy day: Written and illustrated by Komako Sakai
All the world: Liz Garton Scanlon; illustrated by Marla Frazee
The Yankee at the seder: Elka Weber; illustrated by Adam Gustavson
Naked mole rat gets dressed: Written and illustrated by Mo Willems
The bog baby: Jeanne Willis; illustrated by Gwen Millward
Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude: Jonah Winter; illustrated by Calef Brown

2008

The pencil: Allan Ahlberg; illustrated by Bruce Ingman
The chicken of the family: Mary Amato; illustrated by Delphine Durand
A visitor for bear: Bonny Becker; illustrated by Kady McDonald Denton
Cool Daddy rat: Kristyn Crow; illustrated by Mike Lester
A couple of boys have the best week ever: Written and illustrated by Marla Frazee
Traction Man meets Turbodog: Written and illustrated by Mini Grey
What’s up, Duck? A book of opposites: Written and illustrated by Tad Hills
Choo Choo: Written and illustrated by Petr Horácek
Monkey with a tool belt: Written and illustrated by Chris Monroe
Christmas farm: Mary Lyn Ray; illustrated by Barry Root
There are cats in this book: Written and illustrated by Viviane Schwarz
Dinosaur vs. bedtime: Written and illustrated by Bob Shea

2007

Those shoes: Maribeth Boelts; illustrated by Noah Z. Jones
When dinosaurs came with everything: Elise Broach; illustrated by David Small
Orange pear apple bear: Written and illustrated by Emily Gravett
Today and today: Kobayashi Issa; comp. and illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Pictures from our vacation: Written and illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins
Bad Bears go visiting: an Irving & Muktuk story: Daniel Pinkwater; illustrated by Jill Pinkwater
Billy Tartle in say cheese!: Written and illustrated by Michael Townsend
Dog: Matthew Van Fleet; illustrated with photographs by Brian Stanton
Scaredy Squirrel makes a friend: Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt.

2006

Keeper of soles: Teresa Bateman; illustrated by Yayo
Ugly fish: Kara LaReau; illustrated by Scott Magoon
Tickle the duck!: Written and illustrated by Ethan Long
The true story of Stellina: Written and illustrated by Matteo Pericoli
Bad Bear detectives: an Irving & Muktuk Story: Daniel Pinkwater; illustrated by Jill Pinkwater
Looking for a moose: Phyllis Root; illustrated by Randy Cecil
Good boy, Fergus!: Written and illustrated by David Shannon
Clip-clop: Written and illustrated by Nicola Smee
John, Paul, George, and Ben: Written and illustrated by Lane Smith
Boston Moses: when Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom: Carole Weatherford; illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Dizzy: Jonah Winter, illustrated by Sean Qualls

2005

Whatever: Written and illustrated by William Bee
A boy and his bunny: Sean Bryant; illustrated by Tom Murphy
Wiggle: Doreen Cronin; illustrated by Scott Menchin
Traction Man is here!: Written and illustrated by Mini Grey
That new animal: Emily Jenkins; illustrated by Pierre Pratt
Yuck!: Mick Manning; illustrated by Brita Granstrom
Lizzie Nonsense: Written and illustrated by Jan Ormerod
Meet wild boars: Meg Rosoff; illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Tadpole’s promise: Jeanne Willis; illustrated by Tony Ross
Coming on home soon: Jacqueline Woodson; illustrated by E. B. Lewis

2004

The Daddy mountain: Written and illustrated by Jules Feiffer
Sidewalk Circus: Paul Fleischman; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
The toughest cowboy, or how the Wild West was tamed: John Frank; illustrated by Zachary Pullen
Going North: Janice N. Harrington; illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue
Kitten’s first full moon: Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes
The Worm family: Tony Johnston; illustrated by Stacy Innerst
The mystery of Eatum Hall: Written and illustrated by John Kelly and Cathy Tincknell
The cabbage soup solution: Written and illustrated by Erika Oller
Bad Bears in the big city: an Irving and Muktuk story: Daniel Pinkwater; illustrated by Jill Pinkwater
Hachiko: the true story of a loyal dog: Pamela Turner; illustrated by Yan Nascimbene
Knuffle Bunny: Written and illustrated by Mo Willems

2003

Ollie: Written and illustrated by Olivier Dunrea
The cat who liked potato soup: Terry Farish; illustrated by Barry Root
Yesterday I had the blues: Jeron Ashford Frame; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Go track a yak!: Tony Johnston; illustrated by Tim Raglin
The witch’s children: Ursula Jones; illustrated by Russell Ayto
While we were out: Written and illustrated by Ho Baek Lee
The water gift and the pig of the pig: Jacqueline Briggs Martin; illustrated by Linda S. Wingerter
The journey of Oliver K. Woodman: Darcy Pattison; illustrated by Joe Cepeda
Snow music: Written and illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins
A day in the life of Murphy: Written and illustrated by Alice Provensen
The dirty cowboy: Amy Timberlake; illustrated by Adam Rex
Mary Smith: Written and illustrated by Andrea U’Ren
Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus!: Written and illustrated by Mo Willems

2002

A bit more Bert: Allan Ahlberg; illustrated by Raymond Briggs
Slow Loris: Written and illustrated by Alexis Deacon
Fireboat: the heroic adventures of the John J. Harvey: Written and illustrated by Maira Kalman
Atlantic: Written and illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Benny and the Binky: Barbro Lindgren; translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard; illustrated by Olof Landström
I stink!: Kate McMullan; illustrated by Jim McMullan
Head, body, legs: a story from Liberia: Adapted by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert; illustrated by Julie Paschkis
John Coltrane’s giant steps: Written and illustrated by Chris Raschka
World team: Written and illustrated by Tim Vyner

2001

The adventures of Bert: Allan Ahlberg; illustrated by Raymond Briggs
Lookin’ for Bird in the big city: Robert Burleigh; illustrated by Marek Los
Dance!: Written and illustrated by Elisha Cooper
The hickory chair: Lisa Rowe Fraustino; illustrated by Benny Andrews
“Let’s get a pup!” said Kate: Written and illustrated by Bob Graham
Under New York: Linda Oatman High; illustrated by Robert Rayevsky
Five creatures: Emily Jenkins; illustrated by Tomek Bogacki
Astro bunnies: Christine Loomis; illustrated by Ora Eitan
The great canoe: a Kariña legend: Adapted by María Elena Maggi; translated from the Spanish by Elisa Amado; illustrated by Gloria Calderón
Car wash: Sandra and Susan Steen; illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Swollobog: Written and illustrated by Alastair Taylor
Felix feels better: Written and illustrated by Rosemary Well
Clever Beatrice: an Upper Peninsula conte: Adapted by Margaret Willey; illustrated by Heather Solomon

2000

The hunter: a Chinese folktale: Adapted by Mary Casanova; illustrated by Ed Young
Buttons: Written and illustrated by Brock Cole
My colors/ Mis colores; My shapes/ Mis formas: Written and illustrated by Rebecca Emberley
Olivia: Written and illustrated by Ian Falconer
A pig is big: Written and illustrated by Douglas Florian
Gershon’s monster: a story for the Jewish New Year: Eric A. Kimmel; illustrated by Jon J Muth
A is for salad: Written and illustrated by Mike Lester
Big Jabe: Jerdine Nolen; illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Brave potatoes: Toby Speed; illustrated by Barry Root
Casey at the bat: Ernest Thayer; illustrated by Christopher Bing
Emily’s first 100 days of school: Written and illustrated by Rosemary Wells
Henny-Penny: Adapted and illustrated by Jane Wattenberg