State Award Books - Monarch 2026

"Max isn't a typical cat, but his loving owner still sees the best in him"-- Provided by publisher.

"Sydney is a skunk and Taylor is a hedgehog, but no matter how odd the pairing may seem, their friendship comes naturally. They live happily in their cozy burrow . . . until the day Taylor gets his Big Idea to go see the Whole Wide World. From mountains taller than a hundred hedgehogs, valleys wider than a thousand skunks, to the dangers that lie in the human world, Sydney and Taylor wanted to see it all. With a map and a dream, they bravely set off,...

Big, scary, and hungry Thunder the dinosaur wants to chase and chomp Cluck, a small but brave dinosaur, but Cluck has decided that they will be friends.

Bob loves his red jacket. The red jacket makes him feel swanky cool. The red jacket makes other seagulls notice him and even speak to him. But when a wave washes it away, will Bob lose his cool and his newfound friends, too?

After planting a seed packet in the backyard, things don't go as expected for best friends Anna and Tess. They fall asleep in the sun and wake up to blooms as tall as buildings! Did the seeds really grow that fast? All is explained when Anna and Tess meet May, a little garden gnome whose magic is responsible for the transformation. The girls are May's size now, and they follow her through the flower garden and into May's underground gnome home--discovering...

When a little girl asks meaningful questions about creating art, her questions are answered by a diverse group of artists throughout time and history, in this inspiring picture book that encourages young readers to see the artist in themselves.

"Fergus lives down in the deepest, darkest depths of the sea and is scared of just one thing ... the light! Come on a trip to the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean. There are many fascinating creatures that call it home. There's nothing to be afraid of ... is there? From the award-winning creator of Anemone is Not the Enemy and A Pair of Pears and an Orange comes this spooky, funny adventure with a surprise twist that you literally won't see coming....

"An illustrated story written from the point of view of monarch butterflies as they search for food and fly through storms during their annual migration"-- Provided by publisher.

"A nonfiction picture book about Claude the albino alligator at the California Academy of Sciences"-- Provided by publisher.

Finn is in a bad mood, so his grandfather takes him on a walk in the forest, and tells him about all the things that are beneath the surface of plants and animals--and even people.