This week blog co-editor Jackie Friedman Mighdoll reviews the 2025 Mildred Batchelder award winner and four honor books .

by Jackie Friedman

At the end of January, the American Library Association hands out the youth awards including the Mildred L. Batchelder award for outstanding books originally published in another language in another country and subsequently published in English in the US. This year there was an award winner and also four honor titles. The books were originally published in Estonia, France, Colombia, and Argentina and cover a range from early picture book to middle grade.

Here they are!

This year the award went to:

In this book of vignettes, John, a retired classroom skeleton, goes to live in the country in Estonia with Grams and Gramps. Some of his adventures include scaring burglars, taking saunas with the grandkids, and rescuing snails. The black-white-and-hot pink illustrations enhance the fun. The book stands out in the way it layers a straight-forward, fun narrative with love and poignance. The grandparents and John clearly care for each other, and together they face the challenges of aging and death with empathy, grace, and a touch of humor.

Here’s an interview we did with the translator Adam Cullen.

Meet the translator: Adam Cullen on Estonian children’s literature

The original title was in Estonian with Võro dialogue. Võro is an endangered language of Southern Estonia. There’s more fascinating information about the culture in the book and the decisions the translator made here.

World Kid Lit contributor Paula Holmes  visited Estonia last summer to learn more about their children’s literature initiatives.

A Visit to Estonia with Paula Holmes

There were also four honor books recognized this year:

Home is a non-fiction, poetic tour of the homes of twenty-seven animals from around the world. The Marginalian’s in-depth review includes many images of the detailed illustrations as well as the poems. In her review, she calls out the “wonder, perfection, and diversity” of the animal dwellings chosen. This description also applies to the translator’s work! Vineet Lal blends scientific and poetic language that evokes natural awe and imparts the facts.

This Colombian middle grade is about a boy and his mother who travel to the Caribbean where the boy meets a pirate and a 330 year-old story-telling parrot. I loved the magical realistic elements, especially the boy’s size that changes as his self-esteem does. Other compelling details include an eco-friendly message, philosophical messages, and beautiful illustrations woven throughout. 

This interview with the translator gives insight as to how the book made it into English, the elements that she loves the most, and specific translation challenges.

The story starts with Mr. Lepron, a rabbit who loves vegetables and makes the most amazing soup. The success of his soup spurs him to start a soup business which even as it succeeds starts to wear him down. His dreams become nightmares, and he realizes it’s time to shutter the business and return to what he enjoys: his family, the moonlight, and soup. This longer picture book has a fable-like feel with gorgeous illustrations that range from animal lairs to other-worldly nightmares, all chock-full of details. The translation sings, making this an ideal read-aloud. “Some carry onions, some cradle carrots, and a few are fond of carting crinkly cabbage.” This is a picture book with a message as valuable for adults as it is for kids!

The original Italian publisher, Topipittori, has an interview with the author on their page, who also happens to be the publisher!

This irreverent picture book about a baby who cries “like a flood and three tidal waves” until she makes a “colossal fart” tickled me both because of the bravery in the topic and the brilliance in the execution. The double page spreads of bright fantastical drawings are full of fun details, and the translation ensures the words and language are equally as playful. “The fart blasted like a plane taking off in the middle of the room, like nine blenders whirring at full power, twenty-seven hair dryers growling, forty-two kettles whistling…”