The Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award, sponsored and selected by the Youth Services Community of Interest (YSCI), is presented annually to the author and illustrator of the picture book voted most popular by preschool children in Missouri's public libraries and is designed to encourage reading aloud to children from birth through kindergarten age. 

Designed to encourage reading aloud to children from birth through kindergarten age, the award was first given in 1996. Parents and other caregivers are encouraged to read aloud to children from a list of ten titles selected annually by a group of Missouri children's librarians. Colorful posters, bookmarks, activity sheets, and a manual of great ideas add to the fun. 

See the Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award Procedures and the Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award Committee Handbook in Appendix G of the MLA Handbook for details. 

Awards Chair: Ariel Doggendorf (adoggendorf@slcl.org)

Members of the Building Block Award subgroup of YSCI are listed on the YSCI page. 

2025 Nominees (Click TITLE for activity sheets):

Title	Author	Illustrator
Towed by Toad	Awan, Jashar	Awan, Jashar
Ploof	Clanton, Ben	Musser, Any Chou
I Live in a Tree Trunk	Fleming, Meg	Scott, Brandon James
Dig, Dig, Dinosaur	Goswami, Anjali	Li, Maggie
Just One Flake	Jonker, Travis	Jonker, Travis
Mr. Fox's Game of No	LaRochelle, David	Wohnoutka, Mike
The Quiet Forest	Offsay, Charlotte	Cushman, Abi
Peg Gets Crackin'	Renfro, Jo	Renfro, Jo
Simon and the Better Bone	Tabor, Corey	Tabor, Corey
Bear's Lost Glasses	Timmers, Leo	Colmer, David

PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS AND NOMINEES

Building Block Award Winners, 1996-2024

Building Block Award Nominees, 1996-2024