The Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature (Irma Black Award) goes to an outstanding book for young children – a book in which text and illustrations are inseparable, each enhancing and enlarging on the other to produce a singular whole. The Irma Black Award is unusual in that children are the final judges of the winning book.
The finalists have been announced. They are:
- Blizzard by John Rocco (Hyperion)
- Elizabeth, Queen of the Sea by Lynne Cox, illus. by Brian Floca (Schwartz & Wade)
- Sam & Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett, illus. by Jon Klassen (Candlewick)
- Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton (Candlewick)
And now classrooms and libraries throughout the country can participate in the voting process. More about how to do so here.
