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The Theodore Seuss Geisel Award, named for beloved children's author/illustrator Dr. Seuss, is given by the American Library Association to the author and illustrator of the “most distinguished American book for beginning readers.” The 2013 medal winner is Up, Tall and High, written and illustrated by Ethan Long. Silly, brightly colored cartoon birds are the stars of this trio of brief stories that use broad humor to get across the meanings of the words up, down, tall, small, and high. Fold-out pages and flaps to lift make this a fun book for brand new readers, who will gain confidence as they quickly master basic sight words deftly illustrated with visual cues.

Three honor books have also been named. Well known author/illustrator Mo Willems was given the accolade for Let’s Go For a Drive!, starring his wildly popular characters Elephant and Piggie. Simple yet expressive cartoon drawings, color-coded speech bubbles, and an imaginative, laugh-out-loud storyline make this honor book a perfect choice for emerging readers. “Buttons come, and buttons go” in Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, by illustrator James Dean, and author Eric Litwin, allowing for a counting down opportunity and a reminder to look on the bright side. Repetition, rhyme, bold colors, and a familiar feline character add to the appeal of this picture book.

Rounding out the list is Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover, written and illustrated by Cece Bell. Following in the grand tradition of comically mismatched friends, this duo must find a way to compromise and give-and-take to get through their get-together. Bell’s humorous cartoon illustrations will engage new readers as they make their way through this dialogue-driven book, a great choice for children who have mastered the basics but are not yet ready for easy chapter books.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Peggy Parish’s Amelia Bedelia, the first book in Parish’s series about the literal-minded housekeeper whose misadventures have entertained young readers since 1963. As she starts her 50th year, Amelia Bedelia has some big news! She is going to star in her own line of chapter books for new readers. The first two books of Herman Parish’s (Peggy's nephew) new chapter book series about young Amelia Bedelia will soon be available. In Amelia Bedelia Means Business, Amelia wants a bike like her new classmate Suzanne’s, but it’s very expensive. Amelia decides to earn the money for the bike herself with hilarious results. Amelia Bedelia’s parents say that she can get a new puppy in Amelia Bedelia Unleashed, so she sets out to find the puppy of her dreams. These new chapter books are a great step up for new readers who are ready for something a little more challenging than the original Amelia Bedelia series.

You can join in the celebration of Amelia Bedelia Day on January 29th by reading your favorite Amelia Bedelia book, or trying one of the crafts and activities on Amelia Bedelia’s birthday website.

Stan and Jan Berenstain’s long-lost manuscript Nothing Ever Happens at the South Pole is finally being published, and the behind-the-scenes story of this book may surprise you.

After their first book The Big Honey Hunt was published in 1962, Stan and Jan Berenstain were advised by their editor Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) not to write another book featuring the bears. He told them that writing a series was a terrible idea and that there were simply too many children’s stories about bears already. The Berenstains took his advice and began work on a new book called Nothing Ever Happens at the South Pole. In this story, a penguin receives a blank book and sets out to find adventures to write about in his book. He daydreams about exciting things that could happen as he walks. Through the illustrations, readers see his wish coming true, but the penguin remains oblivious to the action in the background. At the close of his day, readers see the penguin make his first journal entry, “NOTHING HAPPENED HERE TODAY.”

By the time the Berenstains finished writing Nothing Ever Happens at the South Pole, word came back from the Random House sales staff that the The Big Honey Hunt was a hit. The Berenstains continued writing their famous Berenstain Bears series, and their second manuscript went into their files, where it remained unpublished ...until now.