2026 Arkansas Diamond Primary Award Winner: Pepita Meets Bebita written by Gabriel Frye-Behar and Ruth Behar, and illustrated by Maribel Lechuga.
Welcoming a new baby can be hard, especially when you’re used to being the center of attention! When it’s time for Pepita, the puppy of the family, to meet the brand new bebita, she’s in for a few surprises. What do you mean that Mami is too busy to bounce a ball for Pepita? And Papi seriously can’t find any time to scratch her ears? This new bebita is a bit of a problem….
But along the way, the two will grow to love one another and become a family with even more smiles and heartwarming moments.
Honor Book, 1st Runner Up: Simon and the Better Bone written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor.
Using the same innovative format as his Caldecott Honor winner, Mel Fell, Corey R. Tabor reimagines Aesop’s “The Dog and His Reflection” in a clever, charming tale of empathy and generosity.
One day, down by the pond, Simon meets another dog just like him. And that dog has a bone just like his, only better! How will Simon ever get him to trade, when the other pup knows all the same tricks…?
Honor Book, 2nd Runner Up: Witch & Wombat by Ashley Belote.
Wilma, a young witch, cannot wait to get her very first cat! But when the pet store is fresh out of kittens, Wilma brings home. . . a wombat?! What a CAT-astrophe! A wombat is nothing like a cat, but maybe if Wilma puts cat ears on the little critter, no one will notice. . . . (Spoiler alert: they do.)
This bright and fun picture book teaches young witches that our differences can be our strengths when we have an open mind!
For more information about the program, contact:
- Ruth Hyatt
- Library Coordinator, Youth Services
- [email protected] or (501) 682-2860.