Hilary Horder Hippely Wins Charlotte Zolotow Award for I Know How to Draw an Owl

Madison, WI – I Know How to Draw an Owl, written by Hilary Horder Hippely and illustrated by Matt James, is the winner of the 2025 Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book. The award is given by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I Know How to Draw an Owl was edited by Neal Porter and published in the United States in 2024 by Neal Porter Books, an imprint of Holiday House. Two honor books and ten highly commended titles were also named.

When her teacher praises Belle’s drawing of an owl, asking how Belle made him look so alive, Belle simply shrugs. “I know, but I don’t want to tell.” She and her mother used to have their “own home, too — / with a table and chairs / and a sleepy cat,” but right now they’re living in their old blue car, sleeping in a park where an unseen owl sings a “hooty lullaby” night after night. “‘We’re lucky, Belle,’” says her mother. The owl is “‘keeping an eye on you and me.’” One night Belle finally sees the owl when it alights on a nearby branch. “Oh! He was big and wild, / that owl…” Belle looks into “his two wise eyes,” and the owl seems to stare right back at her. “He stayed with me / for a long, long time, / I think to say — / I’m glad you’re here. / I like sharing my home with you.”

Belle’s living situation is presented on her own terms, neither romanticized nor catastrophized, in this quiet, eloquent story. Belle believes she’ll keep her experience private, but that changes the day she sees a new boy arriving at school in an old blue car, looking tearful. Thinking of her owl, Belle shows the boy around, as if to say, “I’m here. / I understand. / I’ll keep my eye on you.” Belle’s perspective on the owl, her empathy for her classmate, and her mother’s loving support and care are beautifully conveyed in this skillfully understated and child-centered narrative.

The two 2025 Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Books:

● Emergency Quarters, written by Carlos Matias, illustrated by Gracey Zhang, edited by Caitlin Johnson, and published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2024, recounts five days that test Ernesto’s will power as he walks to and from school, each day with an additional quarter in his pocket. “‘For emergencies, Ernesto,’” says his mother. “‘If you need me, look for a pay phone.’” Ernesto resists buying a “crisp pack of baseball cards” at Señor José’s bodega, a “bright tropical drink” from Señora Mayra’s juice stand, a tamale at Doña Tania’s food truck, and a round of NBA Jam at Manny’s Video Games. On Friday, Ernesto is hanging at the barbershop when Felipa walks in with her cooler of empanadas. At home later, Ernesto’s mom smiles as she dusts crumbs off the front of her son’s shirt. “Ernesto grins back. / ‘There was an emergency at the barbershop.’” This vibrant story is wonderfully paced, with moments of humor and delightful details that capture the warmth of Ernesto’s family and the energy of his neighborhood.

● Noodles on a Bicycle, written by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Gracey Zhang, edited by Ann Kelley, and published by Random House Studio, an imprint of Random House, is told from the perspective of a group of children in Tokyo who “sit outside / and watch / and wait / for the flicker of pedal and wheel.” They admire the agility and athleticism of the noodle deliverymen who skillfully ride bicycles around the city, expertly “balancing towers on their shoulders.” The children imitate them and shout greetings and run alongside the men’s bicycles, working up an appetite for “soupy, slurpy noodles. / Thin, long, belly-filling noodles. / Cold, chewy noodles made for dipping.” And who should join them for dinner? Papa! Their very own “delivery daddy.” Vivid, poetic, dynamic language brings a specialized skill of a bygone era to life in this mouth-wateringly delicious work.

The ten 2025 Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Commended titles:

● Big Bear and Little Bear Go Fishing, written by Amy Hest and illustrated by Erin Stead (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House, 2024)

● Chooch Helped, written by Andrea L. Rogers and illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz (Levine Querido, 2024) 

● The Fish of Small Wishes, written by Elana K. Arnold and illustrated by Magdalena Mora (Roaring Brook Press, 2024)

● Joyful Song: A Naming Story, written by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Susan Gal (Levine Querido, 2024)

● Just Like Millie, written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (Candlewick Press, 2024) 

● Let’s Go! / haw êkwa!, written and illustrated by Julie Flett (Greystone Kids, 2024)

● No More Señora Mimí, written by Meg Medina and illustrated by Brittany Cicchese (Candlewick Press, 2024)

● Terrible Horses: A Story of Sibling Conflict and Companionship, written by Raymond Antrobus and illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max (Candlewick Press, 2024)

● Touch the Sky, written by Stephanie V. Lucianovic and illustrated by Chris Park (Carolrhoda/Lerner, 2024)

● We Are Definitely Human, written and illustrated by X. Fang (Tundra Books, 2024)

Established in 1998, the Charlotte Zolotow Award honors the work of Charlotte Zolotow, a distinguished children’s book editor for 38 years with Harper Junior Books, and author of more than 70 picture books, including such classic works as Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present (Harper, 1962) and William’s Doll (Harper, 1972). Ms. Zolotow attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a writing scholarship from 1933 to 1936, where she studied with Professor Helen C. White. Ms. Zolotow died in November, 2013, at the age of 98.

The annual award is given for outstanding writing in a picture book for children in the birth-through-seven age range published in the United States or Canada. This is the twenty-sixth time the award has been given. The 2025 award will be presented at an award ceremony in Madison on May 3, 2025.

Members of the 2025 Zolotow Award committee were: Madeline Tyner Freimuth, chair (Librarian, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Madison, Wisconsin); Nancy Engle (Library Media Technology Specialist, Dr. Virginia Henderson Elementary School, Madison, Wisconsin); Marissa Gehrke (Community Engagement Librarian, Verona Public Library, Verona, Wisconsin); Merri Lindgren (Librarian, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Madison, Wisconsin); and Paula Zipperer (former Director, Eagle’s Wing Child Care and Education Programs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin).

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center is a noncirculating library for adults with a professional, career, or academic interest in children’s and young adult literature. The Friends of the CCBC, Inc., cosponsor of the award event, is a nonprofit organization offering lectures, book sales, and other benefits for members, in addition to supporting the work of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center.