Presenting The Carle Honors

Bryan Collier uses watercolor and collage to create masterful illustrations. A graduate of Pratt Institute, he was Program Director of the Harlem Horizon Art Studio at the Harlem Hospital Center for twelve years and continues to volunteer for the organization. Collier has received numerous awards for his writing and illustrations, including four Caldecott Honors and nine Coretta Scott King Awards (three honors and six winners). His book, Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope, was the first picture book about the then future President. Black Boy, Rise, written by Brynne Barnes and illustrated by Collier, was nominated for “Outstanding Literary Work – Children” at the 57th NAACP Image Awards in February 2026. Collier was the 2014 U.S. nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award and received the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award early in his career.

Ellen Michelson is president of E.A. Michelson Philanthropy, a foundation that is the leading private funder of Creative Aging, which provides arts education for adults 55 and older. The foundation’s advocacy and philanthropic support is divided between more than 25 American art museums, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, and the American Alliance of Museums. Michelson has been building a children’s book collection since 1993, with a focus on the education of children in Britain and America (17th century-20th century). A variety of books from her collection have been loaned to exhibitions at the Grolier Club (100 Books Famous in Children’s Literature, 2014); The University of Minnesota Kerlan Collection (The ABC of It, 2019); and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (CLICK! Photographers Make Picture Books, 2026). 

The International Youth Library (IYL) was founded in 1949 by Jella Lepman in Munich, Germany, and is the world’s largest library for international children’s and youth literature. It has grown to become an internationally recognized literature center. The IYL’s work is guided by the conviction that children and young adult books are an essential part of the cultural life of a society and a country, and as such must be preserved, documented, and shared. To bring this mission to life, the IYL runs an annual program of exhibitions, author readings, workshops, panel discussions, and an international literature festival, and offers a fellowship program for foreign researchers that is unique worldwide.

Claudia Zoe Bedrick is publisher, editor, and art director of Enchanted Lion Books, an award-winning, independent press based in New York City. Enchanted Lion, which will turn twenty-five in 2027, is devoted to translating and creating picture books that inspire wonder and curiosity while inviting readers of all ages into the mystery of being alive in a challenging, yet beautiful world. Enchanted Lion advocates for the picture book as a medium for both children’s and YA/adult literature, and to that end it launched its Unruly imprint in 2020. Across years and books, Enchanted Lion has sought to explore, extend, and subtilize the unique space that is the picture book, while enlarging our collective sense of what is possible.

Robert L. Forbes is a collector, photographer, award-winning writer, and longtime advocate of the arts, creativity, and education. His wit, intellect, and enthusiasm inspired him to publish three books of poetry, illustrated by Ronald Searle, and Addison Mizner, Visionary Architect, illustrated by Barbara McClintock. His engaging weekly storytimes have charmed thousands of children across South Florida for nearly twenty years. Dedicated to sharing inspiring art and books with children and adults, Forbes is a Trustee Emeritus and member of the Collections Committee at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, and he serves as Chair of the Library Committee and Vice Chairman of the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, FL.

Kwame Alexander is #1 New York Times bestselling author of 45 books, including Why Fathers Cry at Night; Black Star, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor book; J vs K, an illustrated novel he penned with Jerry Craft; the motivational primer for graduates, creatives, and professionals, entitled Say Yes; and The Crossover, his Newbery-Medal winning novel-turned Emmy® Award-winning Disney+ TV series. He is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Emmy®-nominated Acoustic Rooster and his Barnyard Band and Acoustic Rooster: Jazzy Jams, a PBS KIDS special and series of shorts produced by GBH Kids based on his beloved children’s book of the same name. He regularly shares his passion for literacy, books, and the craft of writing around the world, including Ghana, West Africa, where he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic. A recipient of the 2025 NAACP Image Award, Alexander is a 2026 Sine 250+ Fellow at American University and the founder of the literacy non-profit One Word at a Time.