Building Block Nominees 2007

It was my pleasure this year to serve on the committee for the 2007 Building Block award. For those of you who are not familiar with the award, it is for the picture book for preschoolers voted most popular by preschoolers. Librarians (and others) nominate books all year long, this year the books had to have a 2005 or 2006 publication year to be eligible. In addition either the author OR illustrator must be a resident of the United States. The committee reads the nominees (usually around 90-110) and votes. The top 30 make it to the next round. Those 30 are read to an audience of selectors (other children's librarians, MLS students, paraprofessionals, etc.) who vote for the top 10. Those top 10 are the nominees. Librarians all across Missouri work hard to get as many preschoolers to read or listen to these books as possible. We go to schools (headstarts and kindergartens are eligible), day cares, etc for votes as well as having ballots in the library. Since I only became a Missouri Librarian in August of 2006, I have been through one season of voting (voting runs September 1st through December 31st) and thoroughly enjoyed the process. The 2006 nominees were great and I had a lot of fun with them. Not all of our books are as strong this year, but more about it later. I will also talk a little in a future entry about which books didn't make it to my disappointment.

2007 Missouri Building Block Nominees

• Move Over, Rover! by Karen Beaumont; Illustrated by Jane Dyer
  
• Dooby Dooby Moo by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
  
• Wiggle by Doreen Cronin; Illustrated by Scott Menchin
  
• Looking for a Moose by Phyllis Root; Illustrated by Randy Cecil
  
• A Splendid Friend Indeed by Suzanne Bloom
  
• Snowball Fight! by Jimmy Fallon; Illustrated by Adam Stower
  
• Starry Safari by Linda Ashman; Illustrated by Jeff Mack
  
• Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems
  
• Cha-Cha Chimps by Julia Durango; Illustrated by Eleanor Taylor
  
• Sakes Alive! A Cattle Drive by Karma Wilson; Illustrated by Karla Firehammer

Official Missouri Building Block Website - Check out the previous years' lists! There are some great books on there for storytime and you might find a new favorite; I know I did.