The 2016 edition of . . . THE CROOKIES!

Welcome to the second annual edition of The Little Crooked Cottage Book Awards — otherwise known as ...

THE CROOKIES! 

The Cottagers have been busy considering all the brilliant titles on our Little Crooked Bookshelf, and we’ve carefully chosen winners for each respective category. Without further ado, the envelopes, please …

Most versatile protagonist: Apple from What’s an Apple? by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli

Coolest hair on a bear: Big Puff's afro in the Super Happy Party Bears series by Marcie Colleen

Most (eventually) lovable villain: The Snurtch from The Snurtch by Sean Farrell, illustrated by Charles Santos

Best one-liner: "Whishhhhh.” —Boggan from The Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Chris Turnham

Most stylishly accessorized milk carton: Milk from Milk Goes to School by Terry Border

The MVP Award, for most valuable picture book element: The removable pancake from Pancakes! An Interactive Recipe Book, illustrated by Lotta Nieminen

Mr. Pig's Pig of the Year: Peddles from Peddles by Elizabeth Rose Stanton

BFFs we'd most like to invite us to a sleepover party: Penny & Jelly from Penny & Jelly: Slumber Under the Stars by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Thyra Header

Squiggliest plot twist: I o U . . . .vvVVvv^ (translation: Oh, no! It’s a shark!) from A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen and Mike Lower

Most beautiful cover: Beautiful by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Joanne Lew Vriethoff

Best soundtrack: Punk Skunks by Trisha Speed Shaskan and Stephen Shaskan

Most adorable duo: Ella and Penguin from Ella and Penguin Stick Together by Megan Maynor,  illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet

Stinkiest protagonist: Smelly Baby from Lucy's Lovey by Betsy Devany, illustrated by Christopher Denise

Best adapted (from real life) picture book: Toby by Hazel Mitchell

Most gorgeously illustrated maps: Charles Darwin's Around The World Adventure by Jennifer Thermes

Loudest barker: Emerson from Emerson Barks by Liza Woodruff

And finally, the character least likely to have asked to be in this list: Snappsy from Snappsy the Alligator by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Tim Miller

CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners, and to all the children's book characters, authors, & illustrators we’ve hosted at the Cottage this year. Keep up the good work, and best wishes to you and yours (and whatever amazing new books you’re working on) in 2017!

Introducing...THE CROOKIES!

Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Little Crooked Cottage Book Awards — otherwise known as...THE CROOKIES! 

The Cottagers have been busy considering all the titles on our Little Crooked Bookshelf, and we’ve carefully chosen winners for each respective category. Without further ado, the envelopes, please…

Best Supporting Squirrel: Squirrel from Bear and Squirrel Are Friends by Deb Pilutti

Best Pen Name: Rowboat Watkins, author-illustrator of Rude Cakes

Most Moo-ving Cameo: The Cow on Page 8 of The Terrible Two by Jory John, Mac Barnett, and Kevin Cornell

Most Underutilized Performer: The Beige Crayon of The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

Favorite Invisible BFF: Leo from Leo: A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson

Coziest Underground Dwelling: Mouse’s house in Alice Schertle and Stephanie Yue’s Such a Little Mouse.

Greatest Tragedy Ever to Befall a Sandwich: the sandwich dropped in the sand (and later devoured by seagulls) in it’s tough to lose your balloon by Jarrett J. Krosoczka.

Leaftime Achievement Award: Little Tree from little tree by Loren Long, for bravely (and finally!) dropping its foliage.

Cheekiest Cameo: Baby Santa’s bottom in When Santa Was a Baby by Linda Bailey and Geneviève Godbout.

Best Exclamatory Sentence: Little Red from Tara Lazar and Troy Cummings' Little Red Gliding Hood... "Oh, slippery slush!"

Best Hair and Creative Use of Snail Drool: the Witch from Boo-La-La Witch Spa by Samantha Berger and Isabel Roxas.

Funniest Cover: First Grade Dropout by Audrey Vernick and Matthew Cordell.

And finally...The Academy's... er... The Cottage's vote for Most Charismatic Breakfast Food is split three ways.

The winners are: Bacon from Kelly DiPucchio and Eric Wight's Everyone Loves Bacon, and Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast from Josh Funk and Brendan Kearney's Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast.

CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners, and to all the authors and illustrators we’ve hosted at the Cottage this year. We’re all so grateful you do what you do — please keep up the brilliant work, and best wishes to you and yours (and whatever amazing new books you’re working on) in 2016!