Writer Winner
Breanna J. McDaniel
“During my MA at Simmons University, I completed a project on Ezra Jack Keats and thought I knew all there was to know about him and his work. Imagine my surprise years later, while completing research, for GO FORTH AND TELL when I learned “my Keats” was mentored by “my Augusta Baker”! Wow! I’m immensely humbled and honored to sit at the meeting of these two giants through this award.”
Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker
Illustrated by April Harrison
Dial Books for Young Readers, Penguin Random House
Librarians are cultural heroes whose courage and determination can protect and cultivate the human spirit to do good. Of these, none were greater than Augusta Baker, an African American librarian who championed diverse children’s literature through her work at the New York Public Library. This inspiring book tells how Augusta overcame prejudice and allowed all children to see the beauty in themselves and others in books.
Illustrator Winner
X. Fang
“I am tremendously honored to receive the EJK Award and join its remarkable legacy. My book is about being kind to strangers, who may look or act differently. It’s about small caring gestures that can reverberate throughout the galaxy. This book was made possible by the countless acts of kindness shown to me throughout my life. I wish for all young people to experience the same.”
We Are Definitely Human
Written by X. Fang
Tundra, Penguin Random House, Canada
This delightfully silly book about extraterrestrials who land on a farm with a broken spaceship raises the question, “What do kind humans do when confronted with strangers who need help?” The answer is clearly, “No matter how strange those strangers are, kind humans help.” Happily this is a book children and adults will read together and separately many times over, each time reinforcing this important message.
2025 Award Honors
Writer
Antwan Eady for The Last Stand (illustrated by Jarrett & Jerome Pumphrey, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Penguin Random House, Canada)
Family, community, continuity, and ingenuity star in this gentle, engaging story of a grandpa and grandson who grow and supply fresh vegetables to the people who depend on them. Plus, we learn how much African American farmers have contributed to providing us with the food we eat.
Writer
Carlos Matias for Emergency Quarters (illustrated by Gracey Zhang, Katherine Tegen Books, Harper Collins)
Before cell phones there were phones in boxes on the street in which, for a quarter, you could make an emergency call. While the mode is now antique, the need for kids to learn when to be careful and when it’s okay to have a treat instead, is up to date, just like this beautiful book.
Illustrator
Kara Kramer for Ernő Rubik and His Magic Cube (written by Kerry Aradhya, Peachtree)
The Rubik cube, how and by whom was it created? With illustrations that provide their own delightful visual clues, we learn about the boy, fascinated by shapes and numbers, who grew up, designed the cube as a lark and demonstrated that humans enjoy the same games across all boundaries.
Illustrator
Bo Lu for Bao’s Doll (written by Bo Lu, Abrams Books for Young Readers)
Bao wants a doll her mother can’t afford. But Bao believes that doll will make her just like the other girls in this new country. With soft, warm images we watch Bao learn this isn’t true and cheer her on as she finds an even better way to connect with her mother and her new home.