2026 Batchelder Award honors Tapioca Stories for ‘Croco’

CHICAGO - Tapioca Stories is the winner of the 2026 Mildred L. Batchelder Award for “Croco.” The award was announced today by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA’s Youth Media Awards Announcements in Chicago.

The Batchelder Award is given to the most outstanding children’s book originating in a language other than English in a country other than the United States and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States.

Originally published in Spanish in 2022 as “Croco,” the book was written and illustrated by Azul López and translated by Kit Maude.

In this tale of resilience and self-efficacy, Croco, a crocodile, tries to find a way out of a hole. With playful, mixed-media illustrations and a vertical layout, this book encourages rapt expectation. Like animals in his community, readers root for Croco while also learning that individuals control their own stories.

“A stranded crocodile’s predicament seems insurmountable, but a solution is within him, reminding readers of their own agency,” said Batchelder Award Committee Chair Dr. Wendy S. Stephens.

Four Batchelder Honor Books also were selected:

“The Adventures of Cipollino,” published by Enchanted Lion Books, originally published in Italian in 1951 as “La avventure di Cipollino,” written by Gianni Rodari, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova and translated by Antony Shugaar.

“From Memen to Mori,” published by Yen Press, originally published in Japanese in 2023 as “Memen to Mori,” written and illustrated by Shinsuke Yoshitake and translated by Ajani Oloye.

“Picking Tea with Baba,” published by Charlesbridge, originally published in Chinese in 2023 as "Father’s Tea Garden on Hilltop,” written by Xu Bin, illustrated by Yu Yin and translated by Shan Chen.

“Pilgrim Codex,” published by Em Querido, an imprint of Levine Querido, originally published in Spanish in 2022 as “Códice peregrino,” written by Vivian Mansour, illustrated by Emmanuel Valtierra and translated by Carlos Rodríguez Cortez.

Members of the 2026 Batchelder Award Committee are Chair Dr. Wendy S. Stephens,

Jacksonville State University, Alabama; Cristina Castor, Homewood Public Library, Alabama;

Dr. Sujei Lugo Vázquez, Boston Public Library; Marilyn J. Taniguchi, Los Angeles, California; Rachel L. Zuffa, Academies of Racine at Case, Wisconsin; and Award Administrative Assistant Maria Bohan, Mahopac Central School District, New York.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to America’s libraries. The ALA mission is to empower and advocate for all libraries and library workers to ensure equitable access to information for all. For 150 years, ALA has provided resources for information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more information, visit www.ala.org.

About the Association of Library Service to Children

ALSC, a division of the American Library Association, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 3,300 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for all children through libraries. Visit www.ala.org/alsc.

For information on the Mildred L. Batchelder Award and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.