Andrea Davis Pinkney, George C. Ford Jr., and other members of the kid lit community were recognized for their contributions to picture-book art on Thursday evening at the 2025 Carle Honors, given annually by the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Held at the New York Historical, the ceremony was hosted by National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Mac Barnett. The awards honor individuals and organizations who have “left a lasting mark on the art of the picture book and the children’s literature community.”
Barnett kicked off the event by singing the praises of picture books—a rich format that, he said, is too often dismissed as “cute or sweet or simple.” His platform as ambassador—“Behold: The Picture Book!”—is devoted to uplifting these stories. “If you think of a picture book as anything less than a real art form, then on some level you must think that kids are something less than real people,” he said.
The Carle Honors are awarded in the categories of Artist, Angel, Bridge, and Mentor. In 2024, the Inspiration award was added; this year, it was given to Jane Bayard Curley, trustee emerita at the Carle, who has curated exhibits on Hilary Knight, Ludwig Bemelmans, and others.
Ford Jr. received the Artist award, which honors lifelong innovation in the field. In 1974, he became the first recipient of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for Ray Charles, written by Shannon Bell Mathis. Introducing Ford, Barnett noted that he had long “[inspired] Black children with depictions of their own excellence.” Accepting the award, Ford addressed attempts to ban books by and about marginalized people, urging his fellow creators to take heart: “We are the masters of writing and drawing. We are the masters of the word and the picture. We can defy all of that.”
The Angel award, which recognizes individuals and organizations whose “generous resources…make exhibitions, education programs, and related programs possible,” was given to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, located in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 1963, the CCBC promotes quality children’s literature and documents representation in kids’ books through its annual Diversity Statistics.
The Bridge award, honoring those who find inspired ways to introduce picture books to new audiences, was given to the Seattle Children’s Theatre. Since 1975, SCT has mounted more than 300 productions, many based on picture books, among them Goodnight Moon, Peter Rabbit, and Where the Wild Things Are.
Pinkney, an acclaimed author and executive editor at Scholastic, was honored with the Mentor award for “editors, designers, and educators who champion the art form.” As her son Dobbin Pinkney performed a dance, Pinkney spoke to the beauty of the format, peppering her poetic remarks with references to classic children’s literature: “This room brings the power of a picture book. Which dreams will I touch. I can wake up on a snowy day, take to sidewalks and streets with this power. I can be a kid on a sled, a very hungry caterpillar, a lion, or a mouse. Or maybe even all four. Because this is the power of pages and pictures and stories that invite me like open wings to fly.”
The Carle Honors, named for legendary picture book artist Eric Carle, were established in 2006. Past honorees include Maurice Sendak, Lane Smith, and Faith Ringgold.
Mahnaz Dar is a young readers’ editor.
