Please Touch Museum Book AwardHonorable Mention, Ages 3-5

Why Book Awards? Reading and learning through books is a big part of the Please Touch Museum experience. Books help develop a life-long love of learning. For this reason, Please Touch Museum began toon meer honoring outstanding children’s literature with our very own Book Award. Please Touch Museum is proud to be the first children’s museum in the country to celebrate the wonderful world of children’s picture books. Since 1985, Please Touch Museum’s Book Awards have been unique in highlighting some of the best examples of storytelling for young children that help foster a life-long love of reading.  All book selections are distinguished in text, illustration, and ability to explore and clarify an idea or concept for young children 7 and under. The award was created to recognize and encourage the writing of publications that help young children enjoy the process of learning through books, while reflecting PTM’s philosophy of learning through play. The Albert M. Greenfield Foundation is the founding sponsor of PTM’s Book Award, Storybook Ball and Celebrate Stories Month. Judging The Book Award is given exclusively to children’s picture books published during the preceding year, and is judged by a diverse panel of qualified professionals.  Books are chosen by a panel of volunteer educators, booksellers, librarians, and children’s authors and illustrators in conjunction with museum staff as well as the ACES students. ACES is a teen enrichment program focusing on community services, education, and skill-building programs. The Kid’s Choice winners are chosen by hundreds of elementary school students in our target age range from area schools including those participating in PTM’s Books to Know, Books to Grow! program as well as young visitors that vote for their favorite stories on Election Day. History The first award was given in 1985 to just one book, What’s Inside? by Duanne Daughty, published by Knopf Books for Young Readers in 1984.  A decade later, in 1995, the Book Award expanded, and the decision was made to honor two books each year: one book for children ages 3 and under, and one book for children ages 4 to 7.  In 2012, PTM officially added the Kid’s Choice category to the Book Awards honoring My Side of the Car by Kate and Jules Feiffer and Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage.  Since its inception, PTM has proudly honored over 55 outstanding children’s picture books with the Book Award. toon minder