Eric Carle, Illustration for The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1969, 1987 PRH LLC.
Announcing the 2025 Carle Honors Honorees
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art announces this year’s Carle Honors honorees—the individuals and organizations whose creative vision and long-term dedication have had a profound effect on picture books and the vital role they play in arts appreciation and early literacy. The 2025 Carle Honors honorees are Artist: George Ford; Angel: Cooperative Children’s Book Center; Bridge: Seattle Children’s Theatre; and Mentor: Andrea Davis Pinkney. The honorees will be celebrated at the Museum’s annual gala and fundraiser at The New York Historical in New York City on Thursday, September 25, 2025. The evening will be hosted by Mac Barnett, a New York Times bestselling author and 2025-2026 U.S. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.
“We can’t wait to come together to celebrate the unique contributions of these exceptional honorees,” said The Carle’s Director of Development Rebecca Miller Goggins. “Through the Carle Honors, the best and brightest in the picture book art community help support our highest aspirations for the Museum.”
The Carle Honors honorees are selected each year by a committee chaired by children’s literature historian and critic Leonard S. Marcus. The committee recognizes four distinct awards: Artist, for lifelong innovation in the field; Angel, whose generous resources are crucial to making illustrated children’s book art exhibitions, education programs, and related projects a reality; Bridge, individuals or organizations who have found inspired ways to bring the art of the picture book to larger audiences through work in other fields; and Mentor, editors, designers, and educators who champion the art form.
“The 2025 Carle Honors will again celebrate the highest ideals of our children’s book community,” said Marcus, Carle Honors Committee Chair and founder of the Carle Honors. “Together, our honorees exemplify the many kinds of dedicated hard work and rare talent that go into the making and sharing of picture book and art experiences that children love and remember for a lifetime.”
About the 2025 Honorees
Artist: George C. Ford, Jr. George Ford
George C. Ford, Jr. George Ford (b. 1926) is a pioneering children’s book illustrator and designer who has dedicated his career to inspiring Black people, and especially Black children, with reflections of their own excellence. In 1974, he became the first recipient of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, for Ray Charles, written by Sharon Bell Mathis. He is a past president of the Council on Interracial Books for Children; and was an active member of the organization Black Creators for Children. Ford has illustrated dozens of titles, including classics such as Nikki Giovanni’s Ego Tripping, The Story of Ruby Bridges, and Bright Eyes Brown Skin, one of his many collaborations with Just Us Books.
Photo Credit: Olivia G. Ford
Angel: Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), School of Education, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Since its founding in 1963, the CCBC has provided opportunities for engagement with and critical thinking about children’s and young adult literature and related issues. A book examination center funded to serve librarians and educators in Wisconsin but with reach and impact far beyond the state, the library has promoted the importance of highquality literature and diverse books for children and teens for decades through thematic bibliographies and its annual recommended list, CCBC Choices. The CCBC’s awardwinning intellectual freedom work, which began in 1978, and its commitment to documenting representation in books for youth through the annual CCBC Diversity Statistics, are among the singular ways this small library has tremendous impact.
Bridge: Seattle Children’s Theatre
One of the most prominent theatres for young audiences in the world, Seattle Children’s Theatre (SCT) has been igniting imaginations and inspiring young minds for 50 years. Since 1975, SCT has produced nearly 300 shows, many based on picture books and classic children’s literature, reaching more than four million audience members with professional theatre made just for them. SCT believes that every child deserves access to the transformative power of storytelling, which is why they are committed to equity, inclusion, and making theatre accessible to all. Through bold productions, innovative education programs, and community-driven initiatives, SCT creates spaces where every child feels seen, heard, and valued.
Mentor: Andrea Davis Pinkney
Andrea Davis Pinkney’s illustrious thirty-year career as a publishing executive, editor, and author reflects her deep commitment to improving the quality of children’s lives by illuminating culturally relevant stories and depictions. She works tirelessly to bring new talent to the field and bolster publishing’s diversity landscape. Pinkney has authored nearly 50 books for children, garnering numerous Coretta Scott King Book Awards, the Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor, and the Parenting Publications gold medal. Currently Vice President, Executive Editor at Scholastic since 2005, Pinkney also is a four-time NAACP Image Award nominee, New York State Writers Hall of Fame inductee, and recipient of the Regina Medal, Kerlan Award, and American Library Association Children’s Literature Lecture Award for her singular body of work and distinguished contribution to the field of children’s literature.
Photo Credit: Danielle Allen
Sponsorships and Donations
The Carle Honors is a key fundraiser for The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, and all proceeds support the Museum’s mission to celebrate and elevate the art of the picture book, inspiring joy, hope, and understanding through this beloved medium. Corporate sponsorships, individual and corporate tickets, and donation opportunities abound. A portion of every ticket supports the attendance of select artists through our Inspiration Fund. Additional details are forthcoming, but for immediate information, please contact Rebecca Miller Goggins, Director of Development, at 413-559-6308 or Rebeccag@carlemuseum.org.
About The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Founded by Eric and Barbara Carle in 2002, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is the international champion of picture book art. Situated on 7.5 acres in Amherst, Massachusetts, The Carle houses a rich and deep collection of art of more than 300 picture book artists, including Eric Carle (author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar), and illuminates its collection through exhibitions, education, programming, and artmaking—making it a critical resource for picture book artists and authors, and artloving communities locally, nationally, and abroad. The Carle’s mission is to elevate picture book art and inspire a love of art and art creation. Since opening its doors more than 20 years ago, The Carle has welcomed more than one million visitors—plus more than four million additional museumgoers who have enjoyed its touring exhibitions around the world. For further information, please contact: Amanda Domizio, Amanda Domizio Communications, 347-229-2877 / amanda@domiziopr.com.