NEW YORK, NY (September 2025)—Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is thrilled to name artist Catherine Bock as the winner of the eighth annual Little, Brown Emerging Artist Award for her submission Peanut Shells. Established in 2018, this award seeks to recognize a previously unpublished creator whose work amplifies and portrays a distinct and diverse cultural point of view, identity, or background. The recipient of the award also receives valuable mentorship from an acclaimed illustrator and group of children’s book professionals. This year’s award was judged by Caldecott honoree LeUyen Pham.
Catherine Bock (she/her) is a mixed media artist based in Georgia. She is currently working towards a BFA in Illustration to achieve her dream of creating children's books. As a child she immersed herself in works by the likes of Maurice Sendak and Arnold Lobel. Today, those childhood stories continue to inspire her work. She works both digitally and traditionally with watercolors, gouache, and color pencils. Color and texture are dominant in her work as she explores them to draw heartfelt characters. You can visit her online at ttps://catherinebcreates.wixsite.com/bock or on Instagram at @catherineb.creates.
On her submission Peanut Shells, Catherine shared the following: “One of my favorite childhood snacks was the inspiration behind my piece. Boiled peanuts and friendship both require warmth and patience, creating the perfect symbol of kindness.”
LeUyen Pham also shared the following about Catherine’s submission: “Catherine effectively uses color, texture and deceptively simple designs that vibrate with emotion to capture complicated feelings children will recognize. Her thoughtful and resonant book proposal, Peanut Shells, not only tells a warm and accessible story of friendship, it sensitively helps children develop empathy for those struggling with residual trauma and mental health issue.”
ABOUT THE LITTLE, BROWN EMERGING ARTISTS AWARD:
This initiative seeks promising new talent and encourages the development of high-quality picture books that resonate with readers of diverse backgrounds and experience, while also providing valuable mentorship by an acclaimed illustrator and children’s book professionals.
Qualifying submissions should draw from the rich cultural experiences of this country—whether they manifest in character, theme, setting, plot, or are derived simply from the artist’s own experience of identity. Diversity includes literal or metaphorical inclusion of characters of underrepresented ethnicity, religious background, gender identity, class, mental or physical disability, or any other nondominant populations.
The award will be given to the entrant who submits the most accomplished picture book submission in the form of a mock-up. One prize is available and consists of American Express. gift cards totaling $1,000, and a portfolio review by a Little, Brown Books for Young Readers’ professional children’s book design and editorial team, and distinguished Artist Mentor LeUyen Pham. The winner of the Little, Brown Emerging Artist Award will also have an opportunity for his or her submission to be reviewed by the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers editorial team for possible future publication. Past winners of the award include Felipe Ortiz (2024), a Mexican American illustrator whose work has been exhibited in New York City and Prague, and Cathy Wu (2021), whose debut picture book Popo and Meimei Can Help published in April 2024.
Artists must be previously unpublished and not currently represented by a publishing agent. One winner will be selected by a panel of three representatives from the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers editorial team along with an artist mentor. Submissions are judged based on the quality of their text, art, and storytelling; the incorporation of diversity; and the originality and creativity of their work. For more information and to enter, artists may visit LBArtistAward.com.
ABOUT THIS YEAR’S JUDGE AND MENTOR LEUYEN PHAM:
New York Times bestselling illustrator and Caldecott honoree LeUyen Pham has created over one hundred and forty books for children, including Bear Came Along, the Princess in Black series with Shannon and Dean Hale, The Man Who Didn’t Like Animals with Deborah Underwood, Lunar New Year Love Story with Gene Luen Yang, and her own Outside, Inside.
ABOUT LITTLE, BROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS:
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