2019-2020 SC Picture Book Award Nominees

The South Carolina Picture Book Award nominees are chosen to encourage students to read good quality contemporary literature. Each title is appropriate for a 4K-3 grade level. Visit SCASL's SC Picture Book Award page to learn more about past nominees and other materials.

Seven chases nine with a fork and knife.

7 Ate 9: The Untold Story

By Tara Lazar

6 has a problem. Everyone knows that 7 is always after him. Word on the street is that 7 ate 9. If that’s true, 6’s days are numbered. Lucky for him, Private I is on the case. But the facts just don’t add up. It’s odd. Will Private I put two and two together and solve the problem . . . or is 6 next in line to be subtracted?

After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again

By Dan Santat

After the Fall follows Humpty Dumpty, an avid bird watcher who loves to be high up on the city wall. But after his fall, Humpty is terrified of heights and can no longer do his favorite things. He finally pulls together the courage to climb back up the wall. Based on the beloved nursery rhyme, this inspiring and unforgettable picture book will encourage even the most afraid to overcome their fears, learn to get back up—and reach new heights.

A boy leans against a classic blue Chevrolet car.

All the Way to Havana

By Margarita Engle

So we purr, cara cara, and we glide, taka taka, and we zoom, zoom, ZOOM! Together, a boy and his parents drive to the city of Havana, Cuba, in their old family car. Along the way, they experience the sights and sounds of the streets—neighbors talking, musicians performing, and beautiful, colorful cars putt-putting and bumpety-bumping along. In the end, though, it’s their old car, Cara Cara, that the boy loves best.

One sheep knits while another reads a book while a wolf hides behind a tree watching them.

Baabwaa & Wooliam

By David Elliott

Baabwaa is a sheep who loves to knit. Wooliam is a sheep who loves to read. It sounds a bit boring, but they like it. Then, quite unexpectedly, a third sheep shows up. A funny-looking sheep who wears a tattered wool coat and has long dreadfully decaying teeth. Wooliam, being well-read, recognizes their new acquaintance: the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing! The wolf is so flattered to discover his literary reputation precedes him that he stops trying to eat Baabwaa and Wooliam. And a discovery by the sheep turns the encounter into an unexpected friendship.

Be Quiet!

By Ryan T. Higgins

All Rupert the mouse wants is to star in a beautiful, wordless picture book. One that’s visually stimulating! With scenic pictures! And style! He has plenty of ideas about what makes a great book, but his friends just WON’T. STOP. TALKING.

A girl with a blue head wrap looks up at the night sky with the full moon in the background.

Before She Was Harriet

By Lesa Cline-Ransome

Who was Harriet Tubman before she was Harriet? We know her today as Harriet Tubman, but in her lifetime, she was called by many names. As General Tubman, she was a Union spy. As Moses, she led hundreds to freedom on the Underground Railroad. As Minty, she was a slave whose spirit could not be broken. As Araminta, she was a young girl whose father showed her the stars and the first steps on the path to freedom.

Billy Bloo is Stuck in Goo

By Jennifer Hamburg

Billy Bloo is stuck in goo.
Who will help him, tell me who?
Who'll unstick him from this goo?
Would you?

With madcap mania, a troupe of merry volunteers attempt to rescue poor Billy Bloo, only to find themselves stuck in goo too! Oh, what to do? This spry, slapstick comedy of errors will have you rolling with laughter (but hopefully not into any goo!).

A yellow and black bee holds a violin, baseball mitt, and art supplies as she flies by a red flower.

Bizzy Mizz Lizzie

By David Shannon

Lizzie is the busiest, buzziest bee in Hivetown! David Shannon's vivid artwork and Lizzie's endearing efforts to "do it all" will make children laugh aloud at her frantic antics as she juggles school, multiple sports, dance, violin, and art. With charm and determination, she longs to impress the Queen by winning a spelling contest, but she studies to the point of exhaustion. When she dozes off in the middle of the competition, the only solution is rest — and her refreshing visit to the local Garden finally teaches Lizzie to stop and smell the flowers, "which...is exactly what bees are supposed to do."

A rabbit holds a pair of glowing green underwear with a Frankenstein face in the center.

Creepy Pair of Underwear!

By Aaron Reynolds

Jasper Rabbit is NOT a little bunny anymore. He’s not afraid of the dark, and he’s definitely not afraid of something as silly as underwear. But when the lights go out, suddenly his new big rabbit underwear glows in the dark. A ghoulish, greenish glow. If Jasper didn’t know any better he’d say his undies were a little, well, creepy. Jasper’s not scared obviously, he’s just done with creepy underwear. But after trying everything to get rid of them, they keep coming back!

A boy holds a toy dinosaur while a man in the background stands next to a telescope with a dinosaur over him.

Dad and the Dinosaur

By Gennifer Choldenko

Nicholas wants to be as brave as his dad, but he needs help. That’s why he needs a dinosaur. After all, dinosaurs like the dark, bugs are nothing to them, and they eat manhole covers for lunch (and everything under them for dinner). With his toy dinosaur, Nicholas can scale tall walls, swim in deep water, even score a goal against the huge goalie everyone calls Gorilla. But when the dinosaur goes missing, everything is scary again. Luckily, his dad knows that even the bravest people can get scared, and it’s okay to ask for help facing your fears. It’s just guy stuff.

A boy in brown clothes floats among pink, yellow, and blue lines and shapes

Happy Dreamer

By Peter H. Reynolds

While the world tells us to sit still, to follow the rules, and to color inside the lines, Happy Dreamer celebrates all those moments in between when the mind and spirit soar and we are free to become our own true dreamer maximus! In Peter Reynold's signature voice and style, this empowering picture book reminds children of how much their dreams matter, and while life will have ups and downs, he enlists readers to stay true to who they are, to tap into their most creative inner selves, and to never ever forget to dream big!

A girl on a red canoe looks at a large green dinosaur.

Hattie & Hudson

By Chris Van Dusen

Hattie McFadden is a born explorer. Every morning she grabs her life jacket and paddles out in her canoe to discover something new on the lake, singing a little song on her way. When her singing draws up from the depths a huge mysterious beast, everyone in town is terrified — except Hattie, who looks into the creature’s friendly, curious eyes and knows that this is no monster. So Hattie sneaks out at night to see the giant — whom she names Hudson — and the two become friends. But how can she make the frightened, hostile townspeople see that Hudson isn’t scary or dangerous at all?

A little boy wearing blue and yellow goggles and orange swim trunks looks down from a diving board.

Jabari Jumps

By Gaia Cornwall

Working up the courage to take a big, important leap is hard, but Jabari is almost absolutely ready to make a giant splash. Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he’s a great jumper, so he’s not scared at all. “Looks easy,” says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. He needs to figure out what kind of special jump to do anyway, and he should probably do some stretches before climbing up onto the diving board.

A boy dressed in green dangles from two green bean pods from a large beanstalk.

Jack and the Beanstalk and the French Fries

By Mark Teague

FEE FI FO FUM! When Jack trades the family cow for a handful of magic beans, he gets more beans than he ever expected or wanted. It's bean porridge for breakfast! Bean salad for lunch! Bean chowder for dinner! It doesn't take long before Jack is tired of eating nothing but beans — no matter how nutritious! But just as he's about to chop down his magic beanstalk, he meets a grumpy giant, who is just as sick and tired of beans as he is. Together, Jack and the giant cook up a plan to plant a vegetable garden full of tomatoes, corn, carrots, and russet potatoes that's bound to satisfy everyone.

Two girls one in yellow and one in pink and a boy in boy stand in front of a large group of kids marching.

Let the Children March

By Monica Clark-Robinson

I couldn’t play on the same playground as the white kids.
I couldn’t go to their schools.
I couldn’t drink from their water fountains.
There were so many things I couldn’t do.
In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. They protested the laws that kept black people separate from white people. Facing fear, hate, and danger, these children used their voices to change the world. Frank Morrison's emotive oil-on-canvas paintings bring this historical event to life, while Monica Clark-Robinson's moving and poetic words document this remarkable time.

Small brown dog sits next to a red food bowl a blanket, pictures, and a dog bone.

Poor Louie

By Tony Fucile

Poor Louie! Life is perfect for this pup until Mom’s belly starts getting bigger. . . . A funny and touching tale for big siblings from the illustrator of the Bink and Gollie series.
Louie’s life is great! A walk on the leash every morning, ice cream on Sundays, snuggling in bed at night with Mom and Dad. Even the playdates with Mom’s friends — despite their little crawling creatures who pull Louie’s ears — aren’t all that bad. But then things get weird: cold food on the floor, no room in the bed, and lots of new stuff coming into the house in pairs — two small beds, two little sweaters, two seats in the stroller. Does that bode double trouble ahead, or could there be a happier surprise in store for Louie?

A man in a tan uniform sits next to a brown dog on a white boat in the blue water.

Remembering Vera

By Patricia Polacco

In 1962 a stray dog was found under a pile of boxes in a Coast Guard warehouse in what used to be called Government Island, the Coast Guard Base in San Francisco Bay, when a seaman named Dave Bunch was mopping the floor. It was love at first sight. At first the men decided to hide the pup from the Commander, thinking she wouldn’t be allowed. But soon enough all of the men in the barracks fell hard for the little dog. Then one day when high waves challenged another vessel at sea, it was Vera’s fierce determination and natural swimming ability that brought the life preserver and safety line to the sinking boat. Vera became a hero and the beloved pet and mascot of the San Francisco Coast Guard.

A boy reads a shark book while three sharks swim in the background.

Shawn Loves Sharks

By Curtis Manely

Shawn loves sharks. He loves their dark, blank eyes. He loves their big mouths full of sharp teeth. And he loves pretending to be a shark and chasing Stacy around the playground. Shawn loves sharks more than anything else in the world. But Predator Day at school is on Monday and Great White Shark isn’t assigned to Shawn. It’s assigned to… Stacy.

A rock, yellow piece of paper, and scissors with a green handle with faces stand on podiums.

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors

By Drew Daywalt

Long ago, in an ancient and distant realm called the Kingdom of Backyard, there lived a warrior named ROCK. Meanwhile, in the Empire of Mom’s Home Office, a second great warrior sought the glory of battle. And his name was PAPER. At the same time, in the Kitchen Realm, in the tiny village of Junk Drawer, lived a third warrior. They called her SCISSORS. These three were the strongest, smartest, and fastest in all the land. Time and again they beat the most fearsome opponents they could find: an apricot, a computer printer—even frozen, breaded, dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets! But when the warriors finally meet each other, the most epic round of battles begins . . . and never ends. That is why, to this day, children around the world honor these worthy adversaries by play.

Two grown grey elephants with white tusks and one small grey elephant calf stand by each other.

Thirsty, Thirsty Elephants

By Sandra Markle

During a drought in Tanzania, Grandma Elephant is in search of water for her herd. Little Calf follows along and mimics her grandmother at each stop on their journey. When Grandma leads them to a watering hole she recalls from years before, the elephants are overjoyed and Little Calf splashes about with her tender leader. Grandma's persistence and powerful memory is something Little Calf will never forget. Based on true events.

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