Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award

2008 Winner

Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude
by Kevin O'Malley, Carol Heyer & Scott Goto
Cooperatively writing a fairy tale for school, a girl imagines a beautiful princess whose beloved ponies are being stolen by a giant, and a boy conjures up a muscular biker who will guard the last pony in exchange for gold.

2009 Nominees

Peanut by Linas Alsenas
Mildred is very lonely until she finds a stray animal and takes him home as her pet dog, but Peanut is very different from the other dogs in the park.

A Killer Whale's World by Caroline Arnold
Takes the reader on an underwater journey in a killer whale's world.

Would I Ever Lie to You? by Caralyn Buehner, illustrated by Jack E. Davis
A younger brother is never sure if his cousin is teasing or telling the truth.

Ivan the Terrier by Peter Catalanotto
When his master attempts to read Three Billy Goats Gruff to a group of children, Ivan the terrier, longing for some loving attention, keeps interrupting story hour.

Louder, Lili by Gennifer Choldenko, illustrated by S.D. Schindler
Lili is so shy that her voice is never heard in class until the day a good friend needs her help.

Bud and Gabby by Anne Davis
Bud the cat becomes very worried when his feline friend Gabby gets sick and finds a special way to show his friendship when she returns from a visit to the veterinarian.

Cha-Cha Chimps by Julia Durango, illustrated by Eleanor Taylor
Ten little chimps go down to the local hangout where they dance the cha-cha, but one by one they begin to do other dances with other African animals.

Ham, the Astrochimp by Richard Hilliard
Describes the role played by the chimpanzee, Ham, in developing manned space flight in the U.S.

Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
Six days a week the chickens help the Greenstalk family and their animals recover from mishaps that occur on the farm, but they need one day to rest.

Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk
Sam, a shy but creative mouse who lives in a library, decides to write and illustrate his own stories which he places on the shelves with the other library books but when children find the tales, they all want to meet the author.

 

Oh, Theodore!: Guinea Pig Poems by Susan Katz, illustrated by Stacey Schuett
A young boy acquires his first pet, a guinea pig named Theodore, and learns what Theodore likes to eat, what things scare him, the sounds he makes, how he likes to play, and where he likes to hide.

Help! A Story of Friendship by Holly Keller Mouse hears a rumor that snakes do not like mice and while trying to avoid his former friend, Snake, he falls into a hole from which neither Hedgehog, Squirrel, nor Rabbit can help him out.

The Younger Brother's Survival Guide: By Matt by Lisa Kopelke
Matt presents some tips on how to survive being a younger brother to a sometimes tricky older sister.

Wolf's Coming! by Joe Kulka
All of the animals in the forest go into hiding because the wolf is coming, but why they are hiding is the big surprise.

The End by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Richard Egielski
When a princess makes some lemonade, she starts a chain of events involving a fire-breathing dragon, one hundred rabbits, a hungry giant, and a handsome knight.

Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Velma starts first grade in the shadow of her memorable older sisters, and while her newfound interest in butterflies helps her to stand out, it also leads to an interesting complication.

The Cheese by Margie Palatini, illustrations by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
After they all agree to ignore the story of "The Farmer in the Dell," the rat, cat, dog, child, farmer, and his wife have a party featuring the tempting hunk of cheese.

Larry Gets Lost in Seattle by John Skewes
Pete and his dog, Larry, take a trip to Seattle.

When A Monster Is Born by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Nick Sharratt
Explores the options available to a monster from the time it is born, such as becoming the scary monster under someone's bed or playing on the school basketball team.

Chester by Melanie Watt
As the author/illustrator attempts to create a picture book about a mouse in a house, her rotund feline Chester sends the mouse packing and attempts to rewrite the story with his handy red marker.