SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

December 7, 2022 by Travis Jonker

2023 Geisel Award Predictions

December 7, 2022 by Travis Jonker   2 comments

Why didn’t I put out any Geisel Award predictions last year? Well, that would be because I didn’t have a good feel for it. It ended up being a great group of books (and added a Geisel Gold to Corey R. Tabor’s 2022 Caldecott Honor), but I’m not sure I could have picked any of them.

But this year? THIS YEAR?? About the same as last year. This is a notoriously tough award to predict (even more so now that Elephant & Piggie aren’t grabbing Geisels left and right), but I’m going to try my best.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Here are my picks for 2023 Geisel glory.

Geisel Award Medal Prediction:

A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis

So simple. So lovely. The illustrations do a wonderful job of reiterating the text, allowing beginning readers to use the artwork to inform their reading. A joy from beginning to end (a stealth Sibert contender) and my pick for Geisel gold.

Geisel Award Honor Prediction:

It’s a Sign! by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey

In retirement, Elephant & Piggie have become my Geisel Award influencers. Any time they bless a book with their “Elephant & Piggie Like Reading” seal of approval, it has to be taken seriously. Not that the Pumphrey Bros (currently #1 in my favorite Bros ranking, ahead of Mario Bros, Fan Bros, and the 2022 film Bros) needed any sort of blessing. It’s a sign is a fun, funny, and subtly inventive take on the early reader.

Geisel Award Honor Prediction:

Sir Ladybug by Corey R. Tabor

Every now and then, a book with a bit more complexity than is the norm makes Geisel waves (think Bink & Gollie in 2011). Combining comics and early reader elements, Geisel vet Corey R. Tabor has the makings of a great series here.

Geisel Award Honor Prediction:

Happy Sloth Day! by April Pulley Sayre with Jeff Sayre

I know – it’s giving you Wolf Snail vibes, right? I don’t blame you. It has simple text. It’s illustrated with photography. It’s nonfiction. I’m guessing that similar to Wolf Snail, this book will end up with a Geisel Honor.

Which books do YOU think will take home a shiny sticker? Let me know in the comments.

Filed under: Articles

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Geisel

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

February 2023

Notes on January 2023

by Travis Jonker

January 2023

Your 2023 Caldecott Comment Card

by Travis Jonker

January 2023

Who's Published the Most Newbery Winners in the Last 25 Years?

by Travis Jonker

January 2023

2023 Caldecott Medal Predictions

by Travis Jonker

January 2023

The Ten Most Eye-Opening Caldecott Books of All Time

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Sydney Taylor Blog Tour: THE TOWER OF LIFE by Chana Stiefel and Susan Gal

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Who’s In Rabbit’s House by Verna Aardema, ill. Leo and Diane Dillon

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Akim Aliu Dreamer | This Week’s Comics

by Lori Henderson

Heavy Medal

What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

I Spy Something Awkward, a guest post by James Ponti

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Looking for a Book to Read Aloud? These Classics Made the Hall of Fame.

4 Middle Grade & YA Nonfiction Titles to Help Heal the World

Three Picture Books to Celebrate Black History

24 Audiobooks To Encourage Ongoing Activism and Social Justice

6 Middle Grade & YA Novels on Repeat for Groundhog Day

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michele says

    December 7, 2022 at 7:05 pm

    I have Sir Ladybug and It’s a Sign as potentials too. I would love to see Matthew Cordell’s Cornbread and Poppy get some love. It has Mercy Watson vibes!

    • Travis Jonker says

      December 8, 2022 at 8:44 am

      I’m with you on that, Michele!

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023