With the theme ‘This is My Place’ in mind StorySnug.com has chosen six books about finding and creating homes and spaces where children (and adults, alike) can feel a sense of belonging. We celebrate Chantal Bourgonje for creating SEARCHING FOR HOME: "This beautifully illustrated story about friendship highlights the fact that feeling at home is as much about the friends or family you share a home with as bricks and mortar" and Candy Wellins for creating MABEL'S TOPSY TURVY HOMES: "This heartwarming, hopeful story can help stimulate family conversations about dealing with parents living in separate houses. It can provide support and reassurance to children who may be in the same situation as Mabel."
's HOW TO READ A SERIOUS BOOK, poking fun at the idea of “serious” books and encouraging kids to read whatever they like because all books are meant to be enjoyed—seriously!, illustrated by BEVERLEY, BAT YOUR SERVICE illustrator , to Stacey Roderick at Owlkids, for publication in March 2026, by by Erzsi Deak at Hen&ink for the illustrator (world).
https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/deals/ss.cgi?d=542758
BURP! Author Kelly DiPucchio and Hen&ink illustrator Janie Bynum's HOW TO BE A PROPER OGRE just landed a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection!
"Move over, Shrek — there's a new ogre family in town in this hilarious, modern fable about finding your own voice."
PUBLISHING JUNE 2026 (feel free to pre-order!)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250369963/howtobeaproperogre/

We're delighted that Donut/Rosquilla by Laura Gehl and Andrea Zuill will be flying with the bilingual program of the Dollywood Foundation's Imagination Library for 2026!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/774413/donutrosquilla-spanish-english-bilingual-edition-by-laura-gehl-illustrated-by-andrea-zuill-translated-by-yanitzia-canetti/

Brava!
"A playful and timely tale that teaches kids how to spot fearmongering and follow evidence."
Thanks to Kirkus Reviews for the starred review of JIBBERJACK, FIBBERJACK, written by Stefanie Gamarra and illustrated by Hen&ink's Marta Pilosio.
Brava!"... Pilosio’s illustrations complement the story fantastically: Adults appear angular and performative, while Frida, with an adorable short black bob and bangs, is expressive and determined. Small visual details, such as a “No Monsters” protest sign, cleverly shape the book’s message. Back-matter discussion prompts and a “Become a Truth Detective” checklist offer practical and engaging guidance for children and caregivers.
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/stefanie-gamarra/jibberjack-fibberjack/Hen&ink's MARTA PILOSIO is the SCBWI SF South Featured Illustrator for Fall 2025 and the Winner of the Holiday in the Park People's Choice Portfolio Award! 
Congratulations, Marta!
https://www.scbwi.org/regions/sfsouth/featured-illustrator-for-fall-2025-holiday-in-the-park-people-s-choice-portfolio-award-marta-pilosio

Author-illustrator of HOW TO MAKE A MOUNTAIN and FRANKIE GETS A DOGGIE Amy Huntington's A WHALE IN THE CLAY: 20,000 YEARS OF CHANGE, inspired by the discovery in 1849 of the fossil of a beluga whale by workers building a railroad in Charlotte, Vermont, to Hannah Fries at Storey, for publication in winter 2027, by Erzsi Deak at Hen&ink.
https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/deals/ss.cgi?d=531130
A CARING LIGHT: HOW CAROLINE EARLE WHITE CREATED AMERICA'S FIRST ANIMAL SHELTER by Hen&ink's Andrea Christoff has been awarded the 2025 Ann Whitford Paul and Writers Digest Most Promising Picture Book Manuscript Award for Nonfiction. Lin Oliver of the SCBWI Impact & Legacy Fund announced the award.
Ann Whitford Paul notes: “In just 565 words of lyrical prose Andrea writes about Caroline Earle White, who in the mid 1800’s is so distressed by the hungry, over-worked, neglected animals of Philadelphia, her heart feels as black as coal. Determined to help, and met with countless forms of rejection, she eventually forms a group of courageous women to create America’s first animal shelter. This book will appeal to all those who care for animals and inspire them to make the world a brighter, kinder place.”
Sample art © 2025 Amy Huntington for A CARING LIGHT written by Andrea Christoff.
https://www.scbwi.org/ilf-ann-whitford-paul
A CARING LIGHT: HOW CAROLINE EARLE WHITE CREATED AMERICA'S FIRST ANIMAL SHELTER by Hen&ink's Andrea Christoff has been awarded the 2025 Ann Whitford Paul and Writers Digest Most Promising Picture Book Manuscript Award for Nonfiction. Lin Oliver of the SCBWI Impact & Legacy Fund announced the award.

