Geisel Guide 2024

In January, the Youth Media Awards held us all by the throat, and so many new award winners were announced and celebrated. An award that I was particularly jazzed about was the GEISEL award. I got really into the Geisel Award last year when I was working on updating some book lists for work. Every year, I try to see how many of the winners I have already read…and the Geisel was the only book award where I had read ALL OF THE WINNERS. I was so impressed with myself! Two of them were books we read and discussed for Capitol Choices and the other was a Corey Tabor, so of course.

Let’s dive in.

MEDAL WINNER: FOX HAS A PROBLEM by Corey Tabor.

This is a Shared Reading/My First Reader “I Can Read” title. This is a sweet, simple story about a fox who tries to get his kite out of a tree and causes a handful of other problems he thinks he can solve, until the elephant realizes if they just work to get his kite out, they can all have fun. Don’t ask me how a fox and an elephant know each other. The color palette is a feast for fall lovers and it utilizes full-bleed spreads throughout, a real treat in comparison to some easy readers.

HONOR BOOK: WORM AND CATERPILLAR ARE FRIENDS by Kaz Windness

This is a Level 1 reader in the “Ready to Read Graphics” series that every single library shelves somewhere else, it seems. This is a funny little friendship tale about a worm and caterpillar who discover they are very not alike, no matter what people presume. It’s a tale of metamorphosis with humor woven in like the Elephant and Piggie read-alikes and has full page illustrations that are rich and colorful and teach kids how to read comics.

HONOR BOOK: HENRY, LIKE ALWAYS by Jenn Bailey

This is a sweet early chapter book follow up to a picture book that follows an autistic 1st grader who has to deal with a change in the class schedule to accommodate a parade. The blue-hued illustrations fit the themes perfectly, the short chapters are evocative and avoid being pedantic, and I love this little world.