2025 Outstanding Comics Award for Children

GNCRT Outstanding Comics Award for Children Committee

• Jennie Law, Chair

• Katie Lawrence, Vice-Chair

• Kim Becnel

• Jennifer Dawes

• Brandi Hamlin

• Christian Hines

• Tina Lerno

• Midoria Linster

• Eva Volin

Winner

Froggy: A Pond Full of Pals! Written by Paige Walshe. Art by Paige Walshe. 2025. Flying Eye Books, $12.99 (9781838742195).

Young Froggy sets off from his home swamp to explore the great, wide world in this beautifully illustrated, witty story full of humor and heart. Around the bend, he encounters adventures, challenges, and new friends.

Honors

Fresh Start. Written by Gale Galligan. Art by Gale Galligan. Colors by K Czap. 2025. Graphix, $24.99 (9781338045864).

Thai American Ollie is used to moving for her dad's diplomat job. After moving to Virginia she learns that they’ll be staying permanently. What does it mean for her to build real friendships and put down roots? Wide-ranging art styles highlight both Ollie’s complex emotions and her creativity. 

The Snips: A Bad Buzz Day. Written by Raúl the Third. Art by Raúl the Third. Colors by Elaine Bay. Coloring by Eleonora Bruni. Lettering by Rob Leigh. 2025. LB Ink, $14.99 (9780316528689).

Scissor City's superhero barber team, The Snips, battle the rampaging Unruly Hairthing and solve a mysterious plague of terrible haircuts featuring the letters BBB. Spanish is seamlessly included throughout. Raúl the Third creates a vibrant universe using a unique blend of classic comic, Pop Art, and vintage cartoon styles.

Winner

How to Draw a Secret. Written by Cindy Chang. Art by Cindy Chang. Colors by Cristina Rose Chua. 2025. Allida Books, $15.99 (9780358659655). 

In this autobiographical story, tween Cindy Chang travels to Taiwan with her mom and sisters for a funeral and to see her father for the first time in four years. During the trip Cindy must reimagine her definition of family when long held secrets are uncovered.  

Honors

How to say Goodbye in Cuban. Written by Daniel Miyares. Art by Daniel Miyares. 2025. Anne Schwartz Books, $21.99 (9780593568293).

In 1960s Cuba, young Carlos recounts an idyllic childhood until the tumult of Fidel Castro’s rise to power. Based on the artist/writer’s grandfather’s recollections of his childhood in Cuba and his family’s perilous migration to the United States. This book is an emotional tale about the power of family and a germane meditation on what it means to be free.

I'm a Dumbo Octopus!: A Graphic Guide to Cephalopods. Written by Anne Lambelet. Art by Anne Lambelet. 2025. Graphic Universe, $31.99 (9798765603055).

Striking, atmospheric illustrations take readers on a deep-sea tour of cephalopod life. Grimpy (Grimpoteuthis) serves as a guide as we learn what makes cephalopods so extraordinary. A standout pick for curious young readers, educators, and anyone eager to dive into the wonders of ocean science.

Winner

Witches of Brooklyn v.1. Written by Sophie Escabasse. Art by Sophie Escabasse. 2020. RH Graphic, $13.99 (9780593119273).

Witches of Brooklyn v.2: What the Hex?! . Written by Sophie Escabasse. Art by Sophie Escabasse. 2021. RH Graphic, $13.99 (9780593119303).

Witches of Brooklyn v.3: S’More Magic. Written by Sophie Escabasse. Art by Sophie Escabasse. 2022. RH Graphic, $13.99 (9780593119334).

Witches of Brooklyn v.4: Spell of a Time. Written by Sophie Escabasse. Art by Sophie Escabasse. 2023. RH Graphic, $14.99 (9780593565933).

Witches of Brooklyn v.5: Curse & Reverse. Written by Sophie Escabasse. Art by Sophie Escabasse. 2025. RH Graphic, $21.99 (9780593813447).

When preteen Effie moves to Brooklyn to live with her aunts after the death of her mother, she discovers her beloved aunts are actually witches. So is she! Effie quickly adapts to a new life in which magic, mayhem, and merriment rule the day. 

Honors

Are You Afraid of the Dark? v.1: The Witch’s Wings and Other Terrifying Tales. Written by Tehlor Kay Mejia. Illustrated by Junyi Wu, Justin & Alexis Hernandez, Kaylee Rowena. Letters by Bernardo Brice. 2023. Abrams Fanfare, $24.99 (9781419763564).

Are You Afraid of the Dark? v.2: The Sinister Sisters and Other Terrifying Tales. Written by Roseanne A. Brown. Art by Shazleen Khan, Bill Masuku and Gigi Murakami. Letters by Lor Prescott with Sara Linsley. 2025. Abrams Fanfare, $24.99 (9781419763588). 

In this series spinoff of the television show Are You Afraid of the Dark?, the Midnight Society is back and inducting new members! Each volume pulls from urban legends and lore (the first book from Hispanic cultures and the second Ghanaian folktales) to craft spine-tingling tales that are both horrifying and cautionary.

Peapod Farm v.1: Stepping Stones. Written by Lucy Knisley. Art by Lucy Knisley. Colors by Whitney Cogar. 2020. RH Graphic, $12.99 (9781984896841).

Peapod Farm v.2: Apple Crush. Written by Lucy Knisley. Art by Lucy Knisley. Colors by Whitney Cogar. 2022. RH Graphic, $13.99 (9781984896889).

Peapod Farm v.3: Sugar Shack. Written by Lucy Knisley. Art by Lucy Knisley. Colors by Whitney Cogar. 2025. RH Graphic, $21.99 (9780593125502).

In this heartfelt story that arcs across three volumes, Jen must relearn what family means now that she and her mother have moved from her beloved city life to Peapod Farm with her mother’s partner Walter and his daughters, Andy and Reese.