My Completely Unofficial 2026 Sydney Taylor Book Award Shortlist

It's time for my annual unofficial shortlist of potential Sydney Taylor Book Award winners! As you may know, in addition to interviewing authors of Jewish kidlit for many years, I'm a former member and chair of the Association of Jewish Libraries' Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, and a cofounder of The Sydney Taylor Shmooze review blog, so I have a deep and abiding interest in seeking out the best Jewish kidlit of the year. 

I'm not actually making predictions about what will win; rather, I'm telling you that these are books that I think deserve your attention (with the caveat that while I probably read the majority of Jewish children's or YA books published in 2025, I did not read ALL of them, so there may be other titles I'd consider worthy if I'd had the chance to read them). I've listed the titles within their age categories alphabetically by author's last name.Titles are linked to Bookshop.org for your purchasing convenience (when available); as an affiliate, The Book of Life benefits when you buy through these links.

We'll find out whether the actual Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee agrees with my choices when the winners are announced on January 26, 2026 at 11am ET, at the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards event! Also, watch The Book of Life Podcast webpage - after the announcement, I'll have a podcast interview with current Sydney Taylor Book Awards Chair, Melanie Koss.

 

BOARD BOOKS 

Anyada Buena, Shanah Tova by Sarah Aroeste, illustrated by Maria Mola, Kar-Ben Publishing, 2025

This gently illustrated board book with its fall palette provides a Sephardic take on Rosh Hashanah, introducing Ladino vocabulary. Aroeste, whose authorly mission is to familiarize children with Ladino, has been busy this year. In 2025, she also published board books Bavajadas! That's Just Silly, and Uno, Dos, Tres: A Sephardic Counting Book. After so many years without Sephardic representation in kidlit, these books are extremely welcome. The author appeared on The Book of Life in 2022.

Mazel Toes by Audrey Barbakoff, illustrated by Annita Soble, The Collective Book Studio, 2025

While I am generally skeptical of rhyming books (they're so hard to do right), this one bounces along pleasantly. The Yiddish-sprinkled poetry of love for baby is sweet but the real star is the art. Each spread depicts a new generation of a Jewish family loving on its baby, from a shtetl group (complete with babushkas and samovar) to a modern interracial 2-dad family. In each subsequent scene we can recognize the grown child welcoming their own progeny. A photo album at the end sums it up. I would have liked some end notes identifying each time and place for my own edification, and young readers are unlikely to understand this aspect of the illustrations, but I appreciate the l'ador vador flavor and the feeling of Jewish continuity and love conveyed here. 

Say Shalom All Day Long by Elizabeth Suneby, PJ Publishing, 2025

Very simple but skillfully combines the three meanings of shalom, hello goodby and peace, into each scenario, at a level preschoolers can understand. The protagonist appears to be a member of an interracial Jewish family, a side benefit. 

It's a Mitzvah: Small Deeds with Big Heart written and illustrated by Suzy Ultman, Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2025

Suzy Ultman has burst onto the scene of Jewish board books with her quirky blocky art and her knack for distilling complex ideas into toddler-friendly language. Her first Jewish board book came out last year: I Like Your Chutzpah: And Other Yiddish Words You'll Like, as the first in a 4-part series, My First Books of Jewish Culture. It's a Mitzvah continues in the tradition of making the complex seem simple, and makes it personal by addressing the reader directly: "I like when you make a birthday card. It's simcha! (the mitzvah of cultivating happiness, joy, and celebration)." A mix of anthropomorphic animals, animated objects, and diverse humans populate the pages. 

Shabbat Shalom: Let's Rest and Reset written and illustrated by Suzy Ultman, Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2025

Ultman has had a busy year!  Shabbat Shalom does an amazing job of conveying the concept of Shabbat peace and the break from being busy busy busy. Amazingly user-friendly with tiny tots. In my opinion, the most effective Shabbat board book ever! This book was named to the Spring 2025 Holiday Highlights list by the Association of Jewish Libraries.  

 

PICTURE BOOKS

Jason Belongs:The Story of Jason Schachter McKinney by Audrey Ades and Jason Schachter McKinney, illustrated by Isabel Muñoz, Kar-Ben Publishing, 2025

Jason Schachter McKinney is a musician and singer, who co-wrote this story about his experience growing up as a Jew of Color. This book does a beautiful job of showing how Jews of mixed heritage can be fully themselves without having to be "half" anything. It exposes the problems of racism within Jewish communities without scolding, simply by making it clear that Jews of Color are fully Jewish. The joyously bright illustrations are very expressive and flowy, with a musical feel to them.  

Elsa's Chessboard by Jenny Andrus, illustrated by Julie Downing, Neal Porter Books, 2025

Andrus lovingly brings us the story of her own grandmother Elsa, and how her love of chess helped her connect with others throughout her life.  Elsa and her Jewish family flee Vienna when WWII begins, which is the only significant marker of Jewish identity in the book. The story is beautifully told and the detailed illustrations are evocative of the work of Trina Schart Hyman, expressive and dynamic. I doubt that this book is "Jewish enough" for the Sydney Taylor committee, but I wanted to mention it because of its stellar quality.

Every Scoop of Light: A Story About Repairing the World by Ilene Cooper, illustrated by Omer Hoffmann, Abrams, 2025

This origin story is a great companion to last year's One Small Spark, which showed modern practice of tikkun olam. Here we have a compact retelling of the midrash about the vessels of light. Detailed, humorous illustrations depict God's gifts of happiness, wisdom, and so on as delightful anthropomorphic squiggles, and show a fascinating array of diverse ancient peoples. An author's note explains the story's source and the universality of the tikkun olam concept, and an illustrator's note explains the research and the choice to prioritize diverse representation over historical accuracy. While the book is consciously universal, it is also very Jewish: God is depicted only through sweeps of bright color, and is portrayed in partnership with humans, who dare to converse and even argue with their deity. A very accessible and enjoyable version of the tale, that I don't recall seeing since Gathering Sparks by Howard Schwartz in 2010. A great companion to Cooper's 2019 The Golden Rule.

My Body Can by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Alexandra Colombo, Apples & Honey Press, 2025

This deceptively simple book encourages audience movement by cleverly selecting action words that go with the seasons and unnamed holidays, such as "My body can spin" for Hanukkah (evoking dreidels, of course). The illustrations show a diverse array of kids, including not only a variety of skin tones but also a nonbinary child, a child in a wheelchair, one with a hearing aid, and a hairless child who may have alopecia or lost hair to chemo treatments. Even better, all the children are empowered; for instance, the wheelchair bound child is shown on the pages for "My body can hike" and "My body can march." A note from the author at the end suggests searching the illustrations for objects and Jewish holidays, and following up with more movement: "Can you pretend to blow a shofar?" The vibrant, joyful illustrations match the interactive energy the book puts forth. An excellent choice for very young readers.This book was named to the Fall 2025 Holiday Highlights list by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The author appeared on The Book of Life in 2016.

The Remembering Candle by Alison Goldberg, illustrated by Selina Alko, Barefoot Books, 2025

Alko's flowing collage art supports Goldberg's quiet text in this exploration of the yahrzeit candle and how it helps us remember loved ones who are gone. The remaining candle-burning time inspires the characters to think in deep and varied ways about the life of their late Grandpa. Last year Goldberg gave us Eighteen Flowers for Grandma: A Gift of Chai, and I love how she's creating high quality picture books about Jewish concepts that haven't received much picture book attention until now. The author and illustrator will appear on The Book of Life Podcast in 2026.

Many Things at Once by Veera Hiranandani, illustrated by Nadia Alam, Random House Studio, 2025

This quiet book is a very personal reflection on the author's own mixed Indian Hindu European Jewish identity. It reassures readers that it's okay to be many things at once, and to feel many things at once too. Excellent bibliotherapy, and very apropos in today's diverse world. The art is tender and expressive. Hiranandani is a master of the quiet, thoughtful picture book; my "best of" list last year included her picture book The Greatest, about a Jewish grandfather who is appreciated as the greatest by his grandkids. The author appeared on The Book of Life in 2022.

Eve and Adam Discover the World by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich, Apples & Honey Press, 2025

This sequel to 2023's Eve and Adam and Their Very First Day continues the portrayal of Eve as smart and feisty, and Adam as gentle and thoughtful. I love that the seminal tale of the forbidden fruit is reframed positively here as a story of learning and growth. Avgustinovich's bright and lively illustrations continue to wow, and Eve and Adam's brownish skin and dark hair can be interpreted as representing a variety of ethnicities, another plus. Kimmelman has also been tapped to follow in Dr. Seuss's footsteps; this year she came out with Horton Hears a Hanukkah Party which continues the saga of Who-ville. Not great literature, but nice to get Jewish rep in the world of Seuss. The author appeared on The Book of Life in 2020.

Fanny's Big Idea: How Jewish Book Week Was Born by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Alyssa Russell, Rocky Pond Books, 2025

Fanny Goldstein was a the librarian who invented Jewish Book Week (now Jewish Book Month) one hundred years ago in 1925. This picture book biography show us her inspiration ("The more you know about someone's life, the harder it is not to like them"), and gives us the scope of her work. She was an early advocate of "mirrors and windows," stocking books in her library for the various immigrant populations in her neighborhood and encouraging people to read beyond their own identities. She's a key figure in Jewish literary history and I'm so glad that we now have this accessible and beautifully illustrated picture book biography. Makes a great companion to Michelson's 2024 book, One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor, which was featured on The Book of Life in 2025.

More Than Enough: Inspired by Maimonides' Golden Ladder of Giving by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Joe Cepeda, Peachtree, 2025

This is the only picture book I've ever seen based on the Golden Ladder of Giving, and it does an admirable job of absorbing the lesson about tzedakah into a compelling story. We see the emotional growth of young Moses (named in honor of Maimonides) as he learns to embrace generosity. Poetic, rhythmic text combines perfectly with Cepeda's gritty yet cheerful art. The author appeared on The Book of Life to talk about this title in 2025. 

Next Year in the White House: Barack Obama's First Presidential Seder by Richard Michelson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, Crown Books for Young Readers, 2025

When Barack Obama was on the campaign trail, some of his Jewish staffers put together a makeshift seder for Passover. Obama joined in the festivities and later turned the seder into a White House tradition. This is a solid historical picture book about a significant act of inclusion, all the more precious in today's contentious political scene. E.B. Lewis's paintings shine. This book was named to the Spring 2025 Holiday Highlights list by the Association of Jewish Libraries. A blog interview with one of the Jewish staffers appeared on The Book of Life in 2025.

What Louis Brandeis Knows: A Crusader for Social Justice Becomes a Supreme Court Justice by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Stacy Innerst, Calkins Creek, 2025

What a busy year for Richard Michelson, who published four books this year! Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis set crucial precedents that have contributed greatly to the fairness of our democracy, such as  fair wages, limited working hours, social security, unemployment insurance, health and safety regulations, and the right of employees to organize, the right to privacy, and the practice of lawyers offering services pro bono. Playful illustrations lighten the serious tone of this loving tribute to a Jewish man who made a huge impact.

Slow Down, Shoshi! It's Shabbat in Uganda by Shoshana Nambi, illustrated by Moran Yogev, Kalaniot Books, 2025

This picture book continues the story of Shoshi, a member of the Abayudaya, who we first met in The Very Best Sukkah (2022). This entry shows Shoshi learning the importance of slowing down to savor Shabbat. I love the glimpse into the daily life of this Ugandan Jewish community, including their practice of coffee farming. While I preferred the scratchy block print style of Yogev's illustrations in the earlier book, the art in this book is bright and fun. What a treat to learn about the Abayudaya directly from an author who grew up in that community! This book was named to the Fall 2025 Holiday Highlights list by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The author appeared on The Book of Life in 2022.

The Keeper of Stories by Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Selina Alko, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025

Books about books and libraries tend to be favorites with me, of course. This one poetically describes the way the community came together in allyship to save damaged books after a fire at the Jewish Theological Seminary Library in New York in 1966. It's a heartening true story, lyrically told, with sensitive mixed-media illustrations that are a feast for the eyes. Between Keeper of Stories and The Remembering Candle, illustrator Selina Alko has been busy this year!

Shabbat Is... A Special Day Celebrated in Many Ways by A.J. Sass, illustrated by Noa Kelner, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025

Sass successfully accomplishes his goal of showing that there are as many ways of celebrating Shabbat as there are Jews! We see traditional and creative ways of honoring the holiday, all valid, meaningful, and beautiful. The diversity of representation is another huge plus, including various Jews of color and even a nonbinary child celebrating their b'nai mitzvah ceremony. A perfect antidote for any reader who has ever felt that they aren't "Jewish enough." This book was named to the Fall 2025 Holiday Highlights list by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The author appeared on The Book of Life in 2023.

A Place Called Galveston by Andrea Shapiro, illustrated by Valerya Milovanova, Apples & Honey Press, 2025

For years we've all been begging for Jewish immigration stories to move beyond Ellis Island, and this book delivers. This is a story about the Galveston Plan that brought Eastern European Jews to America through the port of Galveston, Texas, and settled them throughout the west and midwest. Fleeing antisemitism and being separated from family are heavy topics but Shapiro handles them with a light touch, and the gentle illustrations add warmth. 

The Book of Candles: Eight Poems for Hanukkah by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Leanne Hatch, Clarion Books, 2025

With a tight focus on --you guessed it-- candles, these contemplative poems bring mindfulness to the celebration of Hanukkah, as well as conveying facts about halacha such as the fact that, unlike Shabbat candles, you can light Hanukkah candles late into the night. The quality of light in the illustrations is beautiful, giving an authentic feeling of cold, dark winter nights contrasting with the candle flames. A quiet winner. This book was named to the Fall 2025 Holiday Highlights list by the Association of Jewish Libraries. An archival 2013 episode with this author was reposted on The Book of Life in 2025.

 

MIDDLE GRADE

Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz by Diana Harmon Asher, PJ Publishing, 2025

This contemporary school story impressed me with its vivid characterizations and its emphasis on second chances. Evie learns that her snap judgements about people lack depth, and that getting to know someone changes your perspective on them: an enemy can even become a friend. While this may sound Pollyana, it's handled in an emotionally honest way that really rings true. I also appreciate Evie and her friends getting into "good trouble" to do what is right, even when it means breaking the rules. An interview with this author will appear on The Book of Life in 2026.

The Truth About the Tooth Fairy / The Discovery of Dragons by Leah Cypess, illustrated by Sarah Lynne Reul (Miriam's Magical Creature Files), Amulet Books, 2025

These short, easy chapter books include casual Orthodox representation - something that has rarely been done before! They are also fun and humorous, quick-paced, realistic but with a hint of magic. Miriam is a relatable and likeable protagonist, and conveys just enough about Orthodox daily life to add flavor, making these books work well as both windows and mirrors. The illustrations do a great job of exposition that feels natural, and are highly expressive (and very cute). 

Max in the Land of Lies: A Tale of World War II by Adam Gidwitz (Operation Kinderspion), Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2025

This is the second half of the duology that began with 2024's Max in the House of Spies, and I think it's even better than the first book. Kid spy Max returns to WWII Germany, where he experiences the "Big Lie" up close, and learns the fate of those in the concentration camps. This is a nuanced, complex portrayal of Germans under Nazi rule, a fascinating psychological study wrapped in a page-turning adventure, with very important insights for our current political climate. The magical elements, surprisingly, don't get in the way and even enhance this gritty story. This author appeared on The Book of Life to talk about this title in 2025.

Refugee: The Graphic Novel by Alan Gratz, illustrated by Syd Fini, Graphix, 2025

This graphic novel was adapted from the 2017 novel, winner of the 2018 Sydney Taylor Book Award, and boy, does it pack a punch! The three interwoven tales of Jewish German refugees seeking safety in Cuba in the 1930's, Cuban refugees seeking safety in Miami in 1994, and Syrian refugees seeking safety in Germany in 2015 remain terrifying and heart-rending, beautifully humanizing the refugee experience and showing the universality of the problem. Being able to actually see the characters' faces adds another layer of humanization and emotional involvement. It's also great to have another access point to this content for more visual learners. Stellar.

One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe by Dara Horn, illustrated by Theo Ellsworth, Norton Young Readers, 2025

Dara Horn's first foray into kidlit is mind-bendingly wild, but under the wacky adventure is a serious contemplation of the timelessness of the Jewish experience. Just as we all were at Sinai and in Egypt, all Jews are part of the continuum depicted in this amazing graphic novel. While the heavily lined black and white busy-busy illustrations are not normally my style, they are well suited to the trippiness of this tale of a talking, time traveling goat who helps an apathetic kid learn and grow. The author appeared on The Book of Life to talk about this title in 2025.

Beinoni by Mari Lowe, Levine Querido, 2025

"Beinoni" literally means "intermediate one" as in being in the middle between the good and evil inclinations. This fantasy adventure is an interesting exploration of the nature of good and evil, the nature of destiny versus choosing your own path. It is, delightfully, firmly grounded in Jewish folklore. Lowe has dabbled with magical elements before but this is her first true fantasy.

A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff, Dial Books, 2025

"A" is a Jewish trans boy who finds that it's up to him to save the world, in time for Yom Kippur. I loved this combination of Jewish folklore and gender identity, and I appreciated the creativity of the golem made up out of litter. This is a fast-paced adventure with serious underlying themes. Lukoff is a master of board books, picture books, and middle grade, but this is his first book with Jewish representation and I hope it's not his last! The author appeared on The Book of Life to talk about this title in 2025.

Right Back at You by Carolyn Mackler, Scholastic Press, 2025

Mason from 2023 and Talia from 1987, through a twist of fate, become pen pals. I love time travel stories, and this one has the benefit of also exploring the important topics of bullying and antisemitism through the lens of an unlikely friendship. 

The Trouble with Secrets by Naomi Milliner, Quill Tree Books, 2025

Interestingly, this story has some parallels with another "trouble" book, Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz, listed above. The protagonists of both books are the children of clergy: Evie's late father was a cantor, and Becky's dad is a rabbi, and both girls must deal with loss and grief. In Milliner's book, Becky discovers that her "perfect" sister Sara is harboring a guilty secret, and the story is a heartrending exploration of choices, responsibility, and consequences.

YOUNG ADULT 

King's Legacy by L.C. Rosen, Union Square, 2025

This follow up to Lion's Legacy (2023) is just as rip-roaring adventurous as the first book, but has much more Jewish content. Indiana Jones style teen hero Tennessee Russo is on the trail of artifacts that will illuminate gay history - in this case, proving that King David and his friend Jonathan were lovers. I appreciated the emphasis on bringing gay history to light and I loved that this time, it was also exploring Jewish history. As an Indy fan, I very much enjoyed the fast paced story of travel, puzzles, magic, and near escapes!

Song of a Blackbird written and illustrated by Maria Van Lieshout, First Second, 2025

Remarkable art and emotional storytelling convey the tale of Dutch resistance fighters during the Holocaust, interwoven with a modern tale about survivors and their descendants. The art is a mix of drawings, archival photos, and prints and gives a you-are-there feeling to the graphic novel. The plot is so complex that it feels real - I was surprised to learn in the author's note that the characters were fictional.  I tend to avoid Holocaust books but this one is so worthwhile, an amazing tribute to the human spirit and the power of art.

I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, Candlewick, 2025

The Genius Under the Table was a graphic memoir of Yelchin's childhood; this book depicts Yelchin's teenaged life in Cold War Russia in the 1980s. It shows the oppressive atmosphere and the difficulties of navigating a corrupt system. It's a relief when we see Yelchin find a way to join his American girlfriend overseas at long last. With the fascism taking root in the United States at this time, this is an important reminder of the dangers of authoritarianism. The author appeared on The Book of Life in 2013.