True, there are fewer limos arriving out front for the Otters than for the Oscars, but it is nonetheless the premier gathering of the San Francisco Bay Area children’s book literati. Every year the Northern California Children’s Booksellers Association presents its Otter Award to an individual or organization for an “ongoing and unique role in bringing children and books together.” This year, the 22nd Otter Award went to sisters Valerie Lewis and Monica Holmes, who run Hicklebee’s Children’s Books in San Jose. Read on for a photo-tour of the celebration, which was held November 6 at the offices of Chronicle Books. (All photos: Amy Goldsmith.)