Thank you to every writer and author/illustrator who put themselves out there and entered PBParty. The judges and I loved reading your entries. You made us laugh, cry, think, and learn all kinds of new things. We can’t wait for your books to be out in the world!
Huge thanks to the Dream Team of Judges who made this all possible with their hard work and dedication.
Sylvia Chen * Stacey Byer * Teresa Rodrigues * Marietta Apollonio * Aixa Perez-Prado * Brittany Pomales * Jenna Waldman
Thanks to Melissa Escobar for the amazing PBParty contest graphics!
Participants often ask how to thank the judges. Buying their books would be wonderful…but there are free ways to help, too.
- Share and interact with their social media posts–especially about their books, good news, or upcoming events
- Mark upcoming or unread books Want to Read on Goodreads
- Leave honest reviews for their books and if you love them, shout them out and recommend them
- Borrow their books from the library and if their books aren’t there…please request them
- If you interview authors and author/illustrators, offer to interview them or review their books
It’s not too early to prepare for the 2026 PBParty contest! If you’re seeking a new critique group, Callie B. Dean offered to coordinate them again. Thanks, Callie! And thanks again to Becca McMurdie for putting groups together for us earlier this year. Both of you have been a huge help. 🙂
Any PB creative can request a group—whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, agented or multi-published. Fill out this form by May 12 and we’ll do our best to place you in a great group that submits every two weeks, monthly, quarterly, or as needed.
I’ll share some PBParty stats at the bottom. It’s been an incredible year! The judges and I absolutely LOVE helping make dreams come true through the PBParty contest…but it’s not the only way to get published. Not having your title here doesn’t mean it isn’t good. Or great. Your YES might be a query or two away! Or possibly after working on craft and adding more polished, ready-to-submit manuscripts, you’ll hit the jackpot in PBParty 2026. Keep writing, revising, illustrating, working on craft…and I KNOW your yes will come. 💗
Take a deep breath, because it’s finally time to celebrate the 2025 PBParty Honorable Mentions! Those of you on the list…look for an e-mail from me that will include a badge.
Honorable Mentions with at least 3 yeses that made it to the duke-it-out Zoom!
*These are all in random order*
Imani Finally Gets a Fan
Milkbeard
From Umma to Mama: An Adoption Journey
The Moose is NOT Loose
The Big Move
Dave
This is the Turtle Hospital
Call Me Taz
Ox & the Serial Dilemma
The King Of The Dumplin
The Rrruffest Toughest Bulldog Buccaneer
Stålfarfar: Steel Granddad And The Tour of Sweden
No More Bedtime Stories
Florence Nightingale: Statistics Superhero
The Other Liberty Bell
The Very Lonely Bed
Entries that made it to the duke-it-out Zoom for the Illustration Showcase
Magic Everywhere!
The Teal Pumpkin’s Trick-or-Treater
How to Grow a Bird
Sprout
My Roommate Is A Ghost
Finkelston and the Mysterious Treasure
Here are the rest of the Honorable Mentions for the Final Showcase in no particular order
Fish Don’t Fluff Pillows
Old Like Ông
The Curious Cowboy: The Story of George McJunkin and His Big Bone Discovery
Karima’s Kismat
I Shaved My Sister’s Head
Bear and the Something Else
Midnight Storm
Opa!
This World
The Walls Of Our Hearts
Bà’s Perfect Present
Silvie’s Tree
MS. FARAH’S FABULOUS EARRINGS
Chasing Luck
Once Upon a Rewrite
Termitropolis: A City of Tiny Ecologists.
The Crafty Grannies
Something Is Missing
Ryan Versus Lion
(Super)Natural
An Elephant to the Moon
The Six Million Dollar Banana
Colin’s Faabulous Fleece
Sheep Dreams!
Caterpillar Survival School
The Storyteller
Toby and The Moon
Oliver & Twigs
Bear’s Smashing Birthday
Mysterious Moai
I Am Jewish, I Am Proud
The Dot Went for a Walk
Something’s NOT Right in Gingerville Hills
A Snipe Might Surprise You
Out of the Ashes
The Little Seed That Could: The true story of a 2,000-year-old seed and the woman scientist who saved it from extinction!
Gertrude Willowby’s Garden
Hope on the Hoof
Felice’s Ferrets
The Pirate and the Parrot
Dumplings for Christmas
RockStar
Brilliant Blues, One Woman’s Quest to Save the Hyacinth Macaw
No Spoon For Priya
CURRENTS COLLIDE
Go, Go Flamingo!
How Far You Can Go
Little Bike’s Big Adventures
Presenting Pepper the Cat! The True Story of Hollywood’s Hilarious Silent Movie Star
Luzer
Peregrine!
Spell Sing My Name
Naimi’s Culture Day
Read This Book If You Love Sheep
Jumping Jack: The True Story of Jack Lalanne, Fitness Legend
Every Voice Counts: An Election Day Story
Jesse’s Big Rebound
Bernice on Vacation
Best Flyer Ever
Fog Catcher
Memory Badges for Malalai
My Moon Rock and Me: The Story of the Space Window in Washington National Cathedral
Oh Yeah! Kool-Aid Creator: Edwin Perkins
Heartbeat Drumbeat: A Pungmul Story
Adventures of a Bad Bear
Mole’s Machines
Lost: The True Story of a Family in the Alaskan Wilderness
Today A Hawk Came
Leo’s Crooked House
Nature’s Hidden Library
The Big, Hairy Book Club
Are We There Yet?
Strawberry Pirates
One Single Snowflake
Mingus: Hamster Hero
Renny’s Stars
O Wondrous Sound
Cats and Their People
Princess Puff and the Knightmare
little c
One Special Word
Twinkle Dances Off Her Worries
Bindu and Her Veena
My Heart Remembers
Finding Home Again
The Underground Library
Big Green/Verdote
Carrying Hope
Big Blue to the Rescue
When Home Isn’t a House
The Octogadget!
Vida and the Sea
Yusuf’s Math Problem
August and the Fairmont Hotel
The Littlest Carp
Universal Underpants
Maybe Tomorrow
The Secret Dragon
The Lines Around Us
The Book Explorer
Kiss-a-dilla!
Waiting for Turtles
Ode MacDonald Had a Phone
Author/Illustrator Honorable Mentions for the Illustration Showcase
Emmy Lou the Cat Herder
Stickybeak
Feel Better Box
Brother Of Mine
Finger Food
Statue, My Friend?
Lemonade-o
The Wishing Boy
Babies Don’t Drink Coffee!
Hector the Underwear King
Just Dance!
Beneath the Turtle Moon
Johnny and the Mayhem Mirror
Snowballs for Breakfast
Blue-Foot’s Blunder
Noelle
Author/Illustrator Honorable Mention for the sample and query
Rock The Beads!
Wahoooooooooo! Huge congrats to all honorable mentions. 🎉
I’m happy dancing with those who are celebrating, and sending hugs and cyber chocolate to those who need it. (((Hugs))) I know how you feel. I’ve been there. This business is such a roller coaster. I’m hoping all the PBParty prep helped take your manuscripts and queries to the next level–and that your magical YES will come soon.
Maybe your next picture book will be the one that dazzles agents and editors! For some incentive, you can join the PBParty New Draft Challenge & Critique Train. The next one will be May 15 – 17. Write a new draft, hop on the Critique Train doc to add your name and receive a critique from the passenger above you and give one to the person below you. You can send the new manuscript…or a different picture book you’d like fresh eyes on.
PBParty Stats!
I’m so grateful to every agent and editor who took time out of their busy schedules to browse the finalists and Illustration Showcase. There were 55 finalists and 20 in the Illustration Showcase out of over 1000 entries.
We had 405 requests from agents, editors and art directors. Wahoooo!
So far, I know 15 finalists who signed with PBParty agents and at least one editor offer. Wahoooooo! Offers, Zoom chats, R&Rs, and requests for additional manuscripts/dummies are flying, so I KNOW there will be more to celebrate soon. I can’t wait to cheer for all the magical matches.
One thing that always stands out to me is the number of finalists who say they didn’t make it into PBParty for a year or more. They studied past finalists, worked on craft, found new critique groups or critique partners. Some wrote their PBParty entries within the past few months. They really thought about the types of stories they were meant to write… and magic happened!
A round of applause for ALL of you for putting yourself out there. I truly believe it helps get you at least one step closer to your goal. Here’s hoping for lots of future yeses for all of us. And TONS of celebrations. I can’t wait to do this again next year!
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