The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators announced winners and honor books for the C2025 Crystal Kite Awards, which are peer-voted and recognize "outstanding books created by SCBWI members across 15 international regions."
"These awards mean so much because they're chosen by fellow creators, people who really understand what goes into making children's books," said SCBWI executive director Sarah Baker. "The Crystal Kite Awards celebrate the amazing talent in our community and the stories that move and inspire young readers all over the world." This year's Crystal Kite regional division winners are:
Atlantic
Tricky Chopsticks by Sylvia Chen, illustrated by Fanny Liem (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
Honor: Wind Is a Dance by Debra Shumaker, illustrated by Josée Bisaillon
(Kids Can Press)
California/Hawaii
The Man Who Didn't Like Animals by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Clarion Books)
Honor: The Night Market by Seina Wedlick, illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu (Random House Studios)
Midwest
A Little Like Magic, written and illustrated by Sarah Kurpiel (Rocky Pond Books)
Honor: Seeker of Truth: Kailash Satyarthi's Fight to End Child Labor by Srividhya Venkat, illustrated by Danica da Silva Pereira (little bee books)
Midsouth
The Last Day Julian Was My Best Friend by Jody Jensen Shaffer (Two Lions)
Honor: Strong at the Seams by Shannon Stocker (Harper Collins)
New England
Small Things Mended by Casey W. Robinson, illustrated by Nancy Whitesides (Rocky Pond Books)
Honor: The Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Alianna Rozentsveig (Rocky Pond Books)
New York
Five Stories, written and illustrated by Ellen Weinstein (Holiday House)
Honor: Building a Beak: How a Toucan's Rescue Inspired the World by Becca McMurdie (Page Street Publishing)
Southeast
Abuelita's Gift: A Día de Muertos Story by Mariana Ríos Ramírez, illustrated by Sara Palacios (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Honor: Trunk Goes Thunk! by Heather Morris, illustrated by Chantelle Thorne and Burgen Thorne (Gnome Road Publishing)
Southwest
The Ofrenda That We Built by Jolene Gutiérrez & Shaian Gutiérrez, illustrated by Gabby Zapata (Chronicle Books)
Honor: Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park by Lori Alexander, illustrated by Jenn Ely (Astra Young Readers)
Texas/Oklahoma
Lupita's Brown Ballet Slippers by Steena Hernandez, illustrated by Melissa Castillo (Beaming Books)
Honor: They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park by Tonya Duncan Ellis, illustrated by Jenin Mohammed (Balzer + Bray)
West
One Day This Tree Will Fall by Leslie Barnard Booth, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
Honor: A Voice of Hope by Nadia Salomon, illustrated by London Ladd (Penguin Random House)
Australia/NZ/Oceania
Happy All Over, written and illustrated by Emma Quay (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Honor: Glow by Ross Morgan (Walker Books)
Canada & North America
Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains by Anita Yasuda, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu (Clarion Books)
Honor: Making Sense of Dog Senses: How Our Furry Friends Experience the World by Stephanie Gibeault, illustrated by Raz Latif (Owlkids)
Europe, Central/South/Latin America, and Africa: Bear's Big Idea by Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Il Sung Na (Carolrhoda Books)
Honor: HaiCuba / HaiKuba by Lawrence Schimel & Carlos Pintado, illustrated by Juan José Colsa (NorthSouth Books)
Middle & East Asia
Listening to Trees by Holly Thompson, illustrated by Toshiki Nakamura (Neal Porter Books)
Honor: Good Old Days Grandpa by Shirley Waisman (Tal-May)
U.K./Ireland
East Asian Folktales, Myths and Legends by Eva Wong Nava (Scholastic)
Honor: 12 Ways to Get a Ticket to Space by Kate Peridot, illustrated by Terri Po