EJK Award Winners and Honors

Scroll down to the EJK Honors

Click for a printable List of All Winners & Honors

Also see EJK Award Book Themed Discussion Guides

EJK Award Winners

2024 Winner Illustrator

Sarah Gonzales

The Only Way to Make Bread

Written by Cristina Quintero

2024 Winner Writer

Anne Wynter

Nell Plants a Tree

Illustrated by Daniel Miyares

2023 Winner Writer

Kari Percival

How to Say Hello to a Worm

Illustrated by Kari Percival

2023 Winner Illustrator

Doug Salati

Hot Dog

Written by Doug Salati

2022 Winner Writer

Paul Harbridge

Out Into the Big Wide Lake

Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon

2022 Winner Illustrator

Gracey Zhang

Lala's Words

Written by Gracey Zhang

2021 Winner Writer

Tricia Walker

Nana Akua Goes to School

Illustrated by April Harrison

2021 Winner Illustrator

Heidi Woodward Sheffield

Brick by Brick

Written by Heidi Woodward Sheffield

2020 Winner Writer

Sydney Smith

Small in the City

Illustrated by Sydney Smith

2020 Winner Illustrator

Ashleigh Corrin

Layla's Happiness

Written by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie

2019 Winner Writer

John Sullivan

Kitten and the Night Watchman

Illustrated by John Sullivan

2019 Winner Illustrator

Oge Mora

Thank You Omu!

Written by Oge Mora

2018 Winner Writer

Derrick Barnes

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut

Illustrated by Gordon C. James

2018 Winner Illustrator

Evan Turk

Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters

Written by Michael Mahin

2017 Winner Writer

Jeri Watts

A Piece of Home

Illustrated by Hyewon Yum

2017 Winner Illustrator

Micha Archer

Daniel Finds a Poem

Written by Micha Archer

2016 Winner Writer

Don Tate

Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton

Illustrated by Don Tate

2016 Winner Illustrator

Phoebe Wahl

Sonya's Chickens

Written by Phoebe Wahl

2015 Winner Writer

Chieri Uegaki

Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin

Sixth Violin

2015 Winner Illustrator

Chris Haughton

Shh! We Have a Plan

Written by Chris Haughton

2014 Winner Writer

Ame Dyckman

Tea Party Rules

Illustrated by K.G. Campbell

2014 Winner Illustrator

Christian Robinson

Rain!

Written by Linda Ashman

2013 Winner Writer

Julie Fogliano

And Then It's Spring

Illustrated by Erin E. Stead

2013 Winner Illustrator

Hyewon Yum

Mom

It's My First Day of Kindergarten!

2012 Winner Writer

Meg Medina

Tia Isa Wants a Car

Illustrated by Claudio Munoz

2012 Winner Illustrator

Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

Same

Same but Different

2011 Winner Writer

Laurel Croza

I Know Here

Illustrated by Matt James

2011 Winner Illustrator

Tao Nyeu

Bunny Days

Written by Tao Nyeu

2010 Winner Writer

Tonya Cherie Hegamin

Most Loved in All the World

Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera

2010 Winner Illustrator

Taeeun Yoo

Only a Witch Can Fly

Written by Alison McGhee

2009 Winner Writer

Stian Hole

Garmann's Summer

Illustrated by Stian Hole

2009 Winner Illustrator

Shadra Strickland

Bird

Written by Zetta Elliott

2008 Winner Writer

David Ezra Stein

Leaves

Illustrated by David Ezra Stein

2008 Winner Illustrator

Jonathan Bean

The Apple Pie that Papa Baked

Written by Lauren Thompson

2007 Winner Writer

Kelly Cunnane

For You Are a Kenyan Child

Illustrated by Ana Juan

2007 Winner Illustrator

Kristen Balouch

Mystery Bottle

Written by Kristin Balouch

2006 Winner Writer

Mary Ann Rodman

My Best Friend

Illustrated by E.B. Lewis

2006 Winner Illustrator

Yunmee Kyong

Silly Chicken

Written by Rukhsana Khan

2005 Winner Writer

Janice N. Harrington

Going North

Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue

2005 Winner Illustrator

Ana Juan

The Night Eater

Written by Ana Juan

2004 Winner Writer

Jeron Ashford Frame

Yesterday I Had the Blues

Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

2004 Winner Illustrator

Gabi Swiatkowska

My Name is Yoon

Written by Helen Recorvits

2003 Winner Writer

Shirin Yim Leos

Ruby's Wish

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

2003 Winner Illustrator

Sophie Blackall

Ruby's Wish

Written by Shirin Yim Bridges

2002 Winner Writer

Deborah Wiles

Freedom Summer

Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue

2002 Winner Illustrator

Jerome Lagarrigue

Freedom Summer

Written by Deborah Wiles

2001 Winner Writer

D. B. Johnson

Henry Hikes to Fitchburg

Illustrated by D.B. Johnson

2001 Winner Illustrator

Bryan Collier

Uptown

Written by Bryan Collier

2000 Winner Writer

Soyung Pak

Dear Juno

Illustrated by Susan Kathleen Hartung

1999 Writer Winner

Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen

Elizabeti's Doll

Illustrated by Christy Hale

1997 Winner Writer

Juan Felipe Herrera

Calling the Doves (El canto de las palomas)

Illustrated by Elly Simmons

1995 Winner Writer

Cari Best

Taxi! Taxi!

Illustrated by Dale Gottlieb

1993 Winner Writer

Faith Ringgold

Tar Beach

Illustrated by Faith Ringgold

1991 Winner Writer

Angela Johnson

Tell Me a Story

Mama

1989 Winner Writer

Yoriko Tsutsui

Anna's Special Present

Illustrated by Akiko Hayashi

1987 Winner Writer

Juanita Havill

Jamaica's Find

Illustrated by Anne Sibley O'Brien

1986 Winner Writer

Valerie Flournoy

The Patchwork Quilt

Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

EJK Honors

2024 Honor Illustrator

Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez

Benito Juárez Fights for Justice

Written by Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez

2024 Honor Illustrator

Frances Alvarez

Dancing Hands

Written by Joanna Que & Charina Marquez

2024 Honor Writer

Helena Ku Rhee

Sora’s Seashells

Illustrated by Stella Lim

2024 Honor Writer

Kim Rogers

Just Like Grandma

Illustrated by Julie Flett

2023 Honor Writer

Pauline David-Sax

Everything in Its Place

Illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

2023 Honor Writer

Juliana Perdomo

Sometimes All I Need is Me

Illustrated by Juliana Perdomo

2023 Honor Illustrator

Chioma Ebinama

Emile and the Field

Written by Kevin Young

2023 Honor Illustrator

Zahra Marwan

Where Butterflies Fill the Sky

Written by Zahra Marwan

2022 Honor Writer

Joanna Ho

Playing at the Border

Illustrated by Teresa Martinez

2022 Honor Writer

Anne Wynter

Everybody in the Red Brick Building

Illustrated by Oge Mora

2022 Honor Illustrator

Marta Bartolj

Every Little Kindness

Written by Marta Bartolj

2022 Honor Illustrator

Kenesha Sneed

Many Shapes of Clay

Written by Kenesha Sneed

2021 Honor Writer

Raymond Antrobus

Can Bears Ski?

Illustrated by Polly Dunbar

2021 Honor Writer

Jerome & Jarrett Pumphrey

The Old Truck

Illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey

2021 Honor Illustrator

Steve Small

I'm Sticking With You

Written by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

2021 Honor Illustrator

Victoria Tentler-Krylov

Cyclops of Central Park

Written by Madelyn Rosenberg

2020 Honor Writer

Matthew Farina

Lawrence in the Fall

Illustrated by Doug Salati

2020 Honor Writer

Kate Read

One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller

Illustrated by Kate Read

2020 Honor Writer

Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie

Layla's Happiness

Illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin

2020 Honor Illustrator

Doug Salati

Lawrence in the Fall

Written by Matthew Farina

2020 Honor Illustrator

Zeke Peña

My Papi Has a Motorcycle

Written by Isabel Quintero

2019 Honor Writer

Keith Calabrese

Lena's Shoes are Nervous

Illustrated by Juana Medina

2019 Honor Writer

Matt James

The Funeral

Illustrated by Matt James

2019 Honor Writer

Juana Martinez-Neal

Alma and How She Got Her Name

Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

2019 Honor Illustrator

Jessica Love

Julian is a Mermaid

Written by Jessica Love

2019 Honor Illustrator

Jane McGuinness

Prickly Hedgehogs!

Written by Jane McGuinness

2018 Honor Writer

Jessixa Bagley

Laundry Day

Illustrated by Jessixa Bagley

2018 Honor Writer

Rachael Cole

City Moon

Illustrated by Blanca Gómez

2018 Honor Writer

Elaine Magliaro

Things to Do

Illustrated by Catia Chien

2018 Honor Writer

Bao Phi

A Different Pond

Illustrated by Thi Bui

2018 Honor Illustrator

Thi Bui

A Different Pond

Written by Bao Phi

2018 Honor Illustrator

Bianca Diaz

The One Day House

Written by Julia Durango

2018 Honor Illustrator

E. B. Goodale

Windows

Written by Julia Denos

2018 Honor Illustrator

Gordon C. James

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut

Written by Derrick Barnes

2017 Honor Writer

Stacy McAnulty

Excellent Ed

Illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach

2017 Honor Writer

Francesca Sanna

The Journey

Illustrated by Francesca Sanna

2017 Honor Illustrator

Daisy Hirst

The Girl with the Parrot on Her Head

Written by Daisy Hirst

2017 Honor Illustrator

Francesca Sanna

The Journey

Written by Francesca Sanna

2016 Honor Writer

Megan Dowd Lambert

A Crow of His Own

Illustrated by David Hyde Costello

2016 Honor Writer

Julia Sarcone-Roach

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich

Illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach

2016 Honor Illustrator

Ryan T. Higgins

Mother Bruce

Written by Ryan T. Higgins

2016 Honor Illustrator

Rowboat Watkins

Rude Cakes

Written by Rowboat Watkins

2015 Honor Writer

Adam Auerbach

Edda: A Little Valkyrie's First Day of School

Illustrated by Adam Auerbach

2015 Honor Writer

Misty Copeland

Firebird

Illustrated by Christopher Myers

2015 Honor Writer

Alan Rabinowitz

A Boy and a Jaguar

Illustrated by Catia Chien

2015 Honor Illustrator

Mike Curato

Little Elliot, Big City

Written by Mike Curato

2015 Honor Illustrator

Evan Turk

Grandfather Gandhi

Written by Arun Gandhi, Bethany Hegedus

2014 Honor Writer

Linda Davick

I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes!

Illustrated by Linda Davick

2014 Honor Writer

Pat Zietlow Miller

Sophie's Squash

Illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf

2014 Honor Illustrator

Marta Altés

My Grandpa

Written by Marta Altés

2014 Honor Illustrator

K.G. Campbell

Tea Party Rules

Written by Ame Dyckman

2014 Honor Illustrator

Aaron Meshon

Take Me Out to the Yakyu

Written by Aaron Meshon

2013 Honor Writer

Jennifer Lanthier

The Stamp Collector

Illustrated by Francois Thisdale

2013 Honor Writer

Mara Rockliff

My Heart Will Not Sit Down

Illustrated by Ann Tanksley

2013 Honor Writer

Don Tate

It Jes' Happened

Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

2013 Honor Illustrator

K.G. Campbell

Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters

Written by K.G. Campbell

2013 Honor Illustrator

Sanjay Patel

Ganesha's Sweet Tooth

Written by Sanjay Patel & Emily Haynes

2012 Honor Writer

Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

Same, Same but Different

Written by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

2012 Honor Writer

Nicola Winstanley

Cinnamon Baby

Illustrated by Janice Nadeau

2012 Honor Writer

Anna Witte

Lola's Fandango

Illustrated by Micha Archer

2012 Honor Illustrator

Micha Archer

Lola's Fandango

Written by Anna Witte

2012 Honor Illustrator

David Ercolini

Not Inside this House!

Written by Kevin Lewis