Join Books of Wonder in Celebrating These Five Amazing Picture Books!

The EJK Award is given annually to an outstanding new writer and new illustrator by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation in partnership with the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). This award recognizes emerging writers and illustrators whose books reflect our diverse culture! This star-studded event will be moderated by Mike Curato, author of Little Elliot, Big City, and features five phenomenal new picture books you won't want to miss! Tune in to enjoy these wonderful titles!

How to Say Hello to a Worm by Kari Percival. The beautiful simplicity of a garden is depicted through digital woodcut illustrations and engaging nonfiction text presented as a series of sweet questions and gentle replies. This delightful book embodies the magic of gardening and encourages all readers, from those who LOVE the outdoors to those with hesitation, to interact with nature at their own, comfortable pace.

Hot Dog by Doug Salati. It’s summer in the city, and this hot dog has had enough! Enough of sizzling sidewalks, enough of wailing sirens, enough of people’s feet right in his face. When he plops down in the middle of a crosswalk, his owner endeavors to get him the breath of fresh air he needs. She hails a taxi, hops a train, and ferries out to the beach. Here, a pup can run!

Sometimes All I Need is Me by Juliana Perdomo. This heartwarming picture book shows young readers how to find comfort and confidence within, and reassures children that sometimes, everything we need — courage, joy, peace, and love — is already inside us.

Everything in Its Place by Pauline David-Sax. Nicky is a shy little girl who feels most at home in the safe space of her school library, and when the library closes for a week, she is forced to face her social anxiety. But when she meets a group of unique, diverse, inspiring women at the diner where her mother works, Nicky realizes that being different doesn’t have to mean being alone, and that there’s a place for everyone.

Where Butterflies Fill the Sky by Zahra Marwan. Zahra lives in a beautiful place where one hundred butterflies seem to always fill the sky. But when Baba and Mama tell her that their family is no longer welcome here and they must leave, Zahra wonders if she will ever feel at home again. And what about the wonderful people she will leave behind?When she and her family arrive in a new desert, she’s surprised to find some familiar elements amid all the newness — and in time, a new kind of magic around her. Home might not be as far away as she feared it would be.

2023 Ezra Jack Keats Awards Celebration