2026 Bridge to Reading Nominees
STORYTIME PLANS
Click on the titles below to view a .pdf lesson plan of songs, stories and activities ready for you to use!
Click here to see how you can check out a set of this year's nominees for free from the State Library of Iowa.
If you would like to join a Facebook group dedicated to Bridge to Reading, click here.
​Voting for the 2026 nominees will run from May 1 to July 31. Check back here for a voting link!
LIST OF 2026 NOMINEES
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Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan
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Don't Think of Tigers by Alex Latimer
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The Man Who Didn't Like Animals by Deborah Underwood & LeUyen Pham
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Oh Dear, Look What I Got by David Rosen & Helen Oxenbury
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Bouncing Bunnies! by Fiz Osborne & Tim Budgen
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Let's Be Bees by Shawn Harris
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Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird & Andrea Tsurumi
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Bear's Lost Glasses by Leo Timmers
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Whoa Panda by C.S. Jennings
BRIDGE TO READING PICTURE BOOK AWARD
The purpose of the Bridge to Reading Picture Book Award is:
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To encourage language development and pre-reading skills through reading aloud.
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To provide parents and caregivers with a selection of quality picture books to read aloud to young children.
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To introduce children to a variety of authors and illustrators of children’s books.
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To celebrate reading as a community.
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To offer children ample opportunities to listen and respond to quality literature.
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To promote awareness of the importance of reading aloud to children and the early literacy skills gained
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The Bridge to Reading Picture Book Award has been sponsored by the Youth Services Subdivision of the Iowa Library Association since 2020. Prior to that, the award was run and sponsored by the Carnegie-Stout Public Library.