The Boston Globe Horn Book Awards

Picture Book winner: Navigating Night by Julie Leung; illustrated by Angie Kang

Read the Kirkus Star review. In Australia this book costs over AUS$40

Fiction Award winner: A Scar like a River by Lisa Graff

Read the Kirkus Star review. I have previously talked about three books by Lisa Graff - A Tangle of knots; Absolutely Almost and A Clatter of Jars. 

Non Fiction winner: A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, a Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out by Nicholas Day; illustrated by Yas Imamura

Read the Kirkus review.

I am sharing some present and past winners of this major award - The Boston Globe Horn Book Award BUT sadly nearly every one of these titles is WAY too expensive for our public or school libraries in Australia to acquire. This puzzles me so much. I am looking forward to visiting Canada in a month or two and my friend and I will visit libraries and bookshops and hopefully we will be able to read and touch and talk about these (and other) US award winners. You can see details of previous winners here. In 2019 our Australian title The Patchwork Bike was the winner! And in 2014 the winner was The Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan. In 2007 The Arrival by Shaun Tan received a special citation. Bob Graham won the award in 2002 for his book Let's get a Pup! In the US this book is entitled Let's get a Pup, said Kate!

I previously talked about The Mona Lisa Vanishes and Fungi Grow

I previously talked about Watercress; and I Talk like a River

About the 2026 awards:

The Horn Book, Inc., established in 1924, has announced the 2026 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners. First presented in 1967, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards celebrate excellence in children’s and young adult literature. Through The Boston Globe Foundation, The Boston Globe partners with The Horn Book to present these prestigious awards, among the nation’s top honors in children’s and young adult literature. The awards reflect a commitment to literacy, education, and the power of storytelling by recognizing authors and illustrators whose work enriches the lives of young readers.

Winners and honor books were selected in the following categories: Picture Book, Fiction, and Nonfiction. The winning titles must be first U.S. editions of books published between June 2025 and May 2026 but may be written or illustrated by citizens of any country.

"For nearly six decades, The Boston Globe and The Horn Book have celebrated books that inspire, challenge, and connect young readers," said Linda Henry, CEO of Boston Globe Media and Chair of The Boston Globe Foundation. "We are proud to recognize this year’s outstanding authors and illustrators, whose work reflects the power of storytelling to deepen understanding and spark imagination.”

Past winners and honor titles back to 2000 I have talked about here on this blog:

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

A Different Pond by Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui

Town Is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz, illustrated by Sydney Smith

Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell

Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier, illustrated by Suzy Lee

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Porridge Please! by Laura Mucha illustrated by Marc Boutavant

STOP - do not open this book and do not share this book with your young reading companion or library group until everyone is very familiar with a couple of famous stories - Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood. Okay so you know and the children know all of those. Now STOP again. Sit somewhere comfy and take your time. There are quite a few stories going on in this book - and you will miss them if you rush past. You need to notice every detail in every scene including of course the cover - although it might be better to look at the cover more closely AFTER you read this book because it does contain a serious spoiler!

Do you remember what happened in Can't you sleep little Bear? by Martin Waddell illustrated by Barbara Firth? In that story Big Bear is trying to read his book - he keeps getting to the interesting part and then he is interrupted. Baby Bear, in Porridge Please, has the same problem. He is reading his book when there is a knock on the door. It is Goldilocks and she has come back for a dish of delicious porridge. Baby Bear heads upstairs again and settles down with his book but there is another knock on the door. This time it is Little Red Riding Hood and she is also after a bowl of porridge. Baby Bear heads upstairs for the third time but oh no the little pigs are at the door. Will Baby Bear ever get back to his book? He is beyond exasperated when there is yet another knock on the door - but who is this? Is this Granny or is it ... ?

Baby Bear settles down with his book again, but something is worrying him. Are all his porridge eating guests okay downstairs?

Meanwhile another scene is unfolding on the side of the house. Do you remember the broken chair from the original story? Well Father Bear and Mother Bear, who seem to have missed hearing all that knocking on the door of their cottage, are busy repairing the sweet broken chair and to see how this begins and ends you need to linger over the end papers.

But wait - there's more! Keep your eye on the roof of the cottage. A stork has arrived - can you guess her plan? Oh and I do wonder about the title of the book that Baby Bear has been trying to read - it clearly is a fabulous story.

In case you’re wondering whether Bear ever did get to read that last page, you’ll have to get your own copy of their book to find out. One thing that is certain though is that young listeners will endorse the READ IT AGAIN! plea on the final endpapers.
 Red Reading Hub

I love to eat porridge especially in winter and especially in cafes where they add delicious extras. Here is a Pinterest of other picture books about porridge. 

Laura Mucha is an author and poet for both children and adults. Her writing has won multiple international awards and been featured on TV and radio. In 2024, Laura was the runner up for the Ruth Rendell Award for the author who’s had the most significant influence on literacy in the UK over the past year. Her books include Rita's Rabbit, illustrated by Hannah Peck, Dear Ugly Sisters and Celebrate! Laura lives in London. The Italian version of this book is on the shortlist for an Italian book prize called The Andersen Prize (not related to the Hans Christian Andersen Award from IBBY). 

Here is another book by Laura Mucha:

Marc Boutavant is an award-winning graphic artist, illustrator and comic book author. He has illustrated numerous children’s books, including I Am Not an Octopus and Not An Alphabet Book: The Case of the Missing Cake, both written by Eoin McLaughlin, and Never Tickle a Tiger, written by Pamela Butchart. He is also the creator of the bestselling Around the World with Mouk, which has been adapted into a television series for Disney Junior UK. Marc lives in Paris.

Meet the illustrator Giles Laroche

Giles creates his award-winning books with paper collages in a process that is truly amazing. He starts with a sketch and then cuts, paints, and glues, to create illustrations that have as many as 7 or 8 layers. He adds spacers (small pieces of cardboard) to give his collages even more depth. Giles calls his technique “paper relief”.

Page from Extreme Places: The most remote homes on Earth

My friend saw the book Extreme Places (cover below) on our recent visit to Gleebooks (a wonderful independent bookstore in Sydney), and she exclaimed because she really loves art by Giles Laroche.

Bookseller blurb for Extreme Places: Journey around the world to some of the most challenging and remote spots on Earth in this stunningly illustrated book that celebrates human ingenuity, community, and the people who call these places home. Would you be lonely living atop a steep, snowbound mountain or bored in a tiny island village Could you find your way home through a dense jungle or a blinding desert sandstorm Our planet has many places where everyday life is made difficult by severe climates, isolation, or natural forces such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Yet in these secluded locations, families learn how to band together and rely on each other, and this spirit of teamwork helps to sustain extreme living. Master of cut-paper collage artwork Giles Laroche transports readers to the world's most extreme places through his exquisite illustrations and succinct explorations of what it takes to survive and thrive there.

Kirkus said: A brilliant and informative introduction to humans’ architectural and social adaptability.

The Giles Laroche book What's Inside: Fascinating Structures Around the World has a fabulous picture of the inside of our Sydney Opera House. It also has: Tomb of Tutankhamun in Thebes, Egypt The Parthenon in Athens, Greece Temple of Kukulcan in Chichen Itza, Mexico Buddha's Place in Shanxi Province, China Walled city of Toledo in Spain Alcazar Castle in Segovia, Spain Independence Hall in Philadelphia Shaker dairy barn in Hancock, MA A Circus big top tent, which traveled to many American cities The Guggenheim Museum in NYC The Petrona Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The Georgia Aquarium in Georgia, Atlanta.

I went hunting for other books and more details about this US illustrator. He has a book from 1998 called Bridges are to Cross - I would love to see that one too. Kirkus said: (Bridges are to Cross) will open young eyes to the marvels of bridge-building and carry readers to a whole wide world of wonder.

Here is a list of his books (this is not up to date)

WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY GILES LAROCHE

If You Lived Here: Houses of the World, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, available October 25, 2011

What's Inside? Fascinating Structures Around the World, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009

ILLUSTRATED BY GILES LAROCHE

Now You See Them, Now You Don't: Poems About Animals That Hide, by David Harrison Charlesbridge 2016

What Do Wheels Do All Day? by April Jones Prince, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006

Down To The Sea In Ships, by Philemon Sturges, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2005

Who sees the Lighthouse? by Ann Fearrington, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2002

Sacred Places, by Philemon Sturges, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2000

Bridges Are To Cross, by Philemon Sturges, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1998

The Color Box, by Dayle Ann Dodds, Little, Brown & Co., 1992

A Road Might Lead To Anywhere, by Rachel Field, Little Brown & Co., 1990

General Store, by Rachel Field, Little, Brown & Co., 1988

Sing a Song of People, by Lois Lenski, Little, Brown & Co., 1987

Here is a page from Who Sees the Lighthouse:

Image source: Giles Laroche

If you want to explore other illustrators who use paper techniques you might look for David Miller (Australia); Robert Sabuda; Clover Robin; the amazing book The Story of Snowflake and Inkdrop; and Susan Roth just to name a few. 

Image source: Gallerix (see more pages inside this book)

Island Storm by Brian Floca illustrated by Sydney Smith

"Now take my hand and we'll go see the sea before the storm."
"You pull on me, I pull on you, and we decide to go on."

The text in this book is a lyrical poem. Two children head outside but they know a storm is approaching. There is an urgency to their journey. When the storm arrives they race home to the comfort of towels, dry clothes, dinner, a warm bed and blankets. But like all storms this one will eventually be spent, and the morning gives everyone the promise of a new day.

"A powerful thunderstorm is brewing on the island. Leaves whisper and branches shake. Waves crash and the sky grows close and dark. Two brave siblings bear witness, pulling each other through the woods and along the shore. They'll shelter soon, but not yet. First they need to feel it all."

This book is an equal partnership of exquisite writing and exquisite illustrations.

Here are some examples from the text:

"We stand on stones that lie like great bones, weathered and worn by water and time - by storms like the one that's headed our way."

"We pass the lighthouse, standing guard- a tower with a blinking eye, a tower with a lonesome cry, a welcome and a warning."

"Our town is eerie and empty, a stage without its show."

Walker Books blurb: A gorgeously illustrated jacketed hardback picture book for children which explores the extraordinary strength and changeability of the natural world and shines a light on those thrilling new experiences shared with siblings. Join in the journey as two siblings go hand-in-hand to experience the true power of a thunderstorm in their seaside town. They want to witness it all - the rise, the thrill of it all, and then the slow return to calm once the storm has passed and a new day begins.

Smith’s impressionistic watercolor and gouache illustrations convey not simply the horrifying strength of the storm, but also the way the light of day changes and shifts throughout the kids’ walk. The images plunge readers into heart-stopping moments, rendered real thanks to Floca’s incredibly evocative wordplay, capable of eliciting both fear and comfort. Readers will experience this tempest alongside the characters, every step of the way. Kirkus Star review

I would never use the phrase tranquil conclusion, but it is an interesting concept and does fit the ending. I was thinking, “I love a good storm as much as the next person, but I do not think I would venture as far away from home as these two kids did.”  However, I liked how Smith’s colors change as things start to “heat up” and the storm comes closer, becomes more intense, then as it leaves and brightens the day. Things are dark, but always have a form of light to them that allows a little hope. Cannonball Read

Sydney Smith (winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award) is a master of water scenes in his illustrations. See more pages inside this book here.

Hopefully you have seen many of his previous books:

Check out this blog post

You can see more books by Brian Floca here.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Image source: Bedtime stories

Thinking about music in stories and the 2026 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) slogan which is Symphony of Stories led me to think about this classic story The Pied Piper of Hamelin.

The Legend in Brief: According to the legend, Hamelin was plagued by rats and hired a travelling piper to rid the town of the infestation. Playing a strange, compelling tune, he drew the rats from houses and streets and led them out of the town, where they were drowned in the river. When the work was done, the piper returned to claim his payment. The town refused. Whether from greed, distrust, or disbelief in the power of his music, the agreed reward was withheld. In response, the piper played again—this time a different melody. Children followed him as the rats had done before, leaving the town in a silent procession. They were never seen again.

The tale has been retold by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the Brothers Grimm, and Robert Browning. Hamelin is a real town in Germany and visitors there can find all sorts of things relating to this story including street performers dressed as the piper and even a bakery with 'rat' cookies. Background reading for teachers - StorytellingDB.

Here is an extract from the Robert Browning poem:

Once more he stept into the street;
   And to his lips again
Laid his long pipe of smooth straight cane;
   And ere he blew three notes (such sweet
Soft notes as yet musician's cunning
   Never gave th'enraptured air)
There was a rustling, that seem'd like a bustling
Of merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling,
Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering,
Little hands clapping, and little tongues chattering,
And, like fowls in a farm-yard when barley is scattering,
Out came the children running.
All the little boys and girls,
With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls,
And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls,
Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after
The wonderful music with shouting and laughter.

Take a look at this post from Kinderbookswitheverything. In my search for versions of The Pied Piper I was surprised to discover how many 'reading schemes' used this story to create a simple easy 'reader' for young children - this is surprising because this famous story has such a sad, perhaps even disturbing and certainly unresolved ending. 

Your library is sure to have one or two versions of this famous story that you could share:

This version has 112 pages

Read more about Michael Morpurgo and Emma Chichester Clark

Meanwhile this version has 32 pages

This Australian picture book has minimal text and haunting illustrations

This one has fabulous illustrations by Jane Ray - 

A wordless version from a reading program.

Illustration by Jane Ray

This is a simple version for young children with only 24 pages

Lift-the-flap from Child's Play

The author says: My revision replaces the original’s cruelty and revenge with respect, 

friendship, and equality.

This book is from 1994 and is an illustrated version of the Robert Browning poem

Frequently Asked questions (from History Medieval):

1) What is the Pied Piper of Hamelin?

It’s a medieval legend from Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, about a pipe-playing stranger who leads away the town’s children after a dispute over payment (rats are a later add-on in many versions).

2) What is the earliest historical record of the story?

The earliest mentions are associated with local memory (often linked to a now-lost stained-glass window in Hamelin’s church, described in later accounts), while the earliest commonly cited written record is a Hamelin town entry dated 1384 noting that “it is 100 years since our children left.”

3) Did the Black Death cause the Pied Piper story?

It’s a popular modern interpretation (rats → plague symbolism), but it’s historically shaky because the Black Death’s major wave reached Europe in the mid-14th century, well after the legend’s anchor date of 1284.

4) Where did the children supposedly go?

Later tellings vary: some say they vanished into a hillside or cave; others suggest they were led away “east”. Modern historical theories have proposed organised migration/colonisation, accident, conflict, or other local catastrophe—but none is proven.

5) Is it true that music and dancing are banned on Bungelosenstrasse?

Bungelosenstrasse is widely described as the “street without drums”, traditionally linked to where the children were last seen, and many modern accounts repeat that music/dancing are avoided there.

6) When did the story become famous outside Germany?

It spread widely through later literary retellings—most famously Robert Browning’s poem “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”, first published in 1842, which helped fix the story in the English-speaking imagination.

Soccer World Cup Books Books Books

The Soccer (Football) World Cup is a perfect opportunity to showcase some terrific junior chapter books and series with your library visitors/students. I had thought about doing this post and then I saw the same idea (with all the current books) posted by The Kids Bookshop (Melbourne). So, I will begin with a few from this terrific shop (please support your independent booksellers). Here is the link to all their sport titles:

Here are some other soccer (football) books and series I spied in a library recently (note some are not new and are out of print but that is the wonderful thing about a library - you can still find and read older books):

There are six books in this series

There are four books in this series

The other book in this series is Cup Run

Losers

There are three books in this series

There are more than 12 books in this series

There are four books in this series

Myra in the Middle