On the shortlists are 25 titles: five books in each of five categories representing an early literacy practice: Read, Write, Sing, Talk, and Play. Research has shown that engaging children in these practices builds language skills and prepares children to become successful readers.

Winning titles, one from each category, will be announced on February 5, 2015.

The shortlists are:


Read:

• The Book with No Pictures, by B. J. Novak
• Books Always Everwhere, by Jane Blatt, illustrated by Sarah Massini
• Don’t Turn the Page! by Rachelle Burk, illustrated by Julie Downing Leo Loves Baby Time, by Anna McQuinn; illustrated by Ruth Hearson
• Yoko Finds Her Way, by Rosemary Wells

Write:

• Andrew Draws, by David McPhail
• The Crayon: A Colorful Tale about Friendship, by Simon Rickerty
• If I Wrote a Book About You, by Stephany Aulenback, illustrated by Denise Holmes
• Lost for Words, by Natalie Russell;
• TouchThinkLearn: Numbers, by Xavier Deneux

Sing:

• I Got the Rhythm, by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Frank Morrison
• I Love My Hat, by Douglas Florian, illustrated by Paige Keiser;
• The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House, by Eric Litwin, illustrated by Scott Magoon;
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, by Caroline Jayne Church;
• The Wheels on the Bus, sung by the Amador family, illustrated by Melanie Williamson

Talk:

• Daddy’s Zigzagging Bedtime Story, by Alan Lawrence Sitomer, illustrated by Abby Carter
• Froodle, by Antoinette Portis
• Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper
• Miss You Like Crazy, by Pamela Hall, illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell Who’s In the Tree? And Other Lift-the-Flap Surprises, by Craig Shuttlewood

Play:

• The Eyes Game, by Herve Tullet
• Movi la mano / I Moved My Hand, by Jorje Lujan and Mandana Sadat
• Tea with Grandpa, by Barney Saltzberg
• Time Together: Me and Dad, by Maria Catherine, illustrated by Pascal Campion
• Where’s Lenny? by Ken Wilson-Max
•  

To be eligible for the 2015 Bell Awards, a book must have been published for the first time in the United States between November 16, 2013 and November 15, 2014.

For more information, visit the CLEL Bell Awards webpages.