This year’s ALA Midwinter conference, which took place January 25–29 in Philadelphia, brought together librarians and publishers, educators, authors, and illustrators for networking and professional development. The meeting also featured the much-anticipated annual announcement of the ALA Youth Media Awards, including the 2020 Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz Awards. We’ve assembled a selection of photo highlights from the event.

Members of the 2020 Caldecott committee with a copy of this year’s winner, The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (HMH/Versify).

Nic Stone (r.), author of Clean Getaway (Crown), with educator, blogger, and friend Vera Ahiyya, also known as “The Tutu Teacher.”

Author Carlos Hernandez happened to be in the Philadelphia area and stopped by ALA Midwinter, where he placed the Pure Belpré Author Award sticker on his middle-grade novel Sal and Gabi Break the Universe (Disney/Riordan).

Candlewick staffers don their Timmy Failure swag in honor of the upcoming film.

(From l.): co-editors Aisha Saeed and S.K. Ali with essay contributor Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow sign copies of Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices (Amulet, May).

Author-illustrator Greg Pizzoli receives the phone call about The Book Hog (Disney-Hyperion) winning the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor.

Peachtree organized an event with author-illustrator Don Tate and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania for a preview of Don Tate’s forthcoming picture book biography William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad (Nov.), and a look at some historical documents related to the book. (Back row, from l.): professor Jonda C. McNair, author Janet Wong, associate professor Alan R. Bailey, Peachtree v-p and associate publisher Kathy Landwehr; (second row, from l.) publicity and marketing manager Elyse Vincenty, Tate, president and publisher Margaret Quinlin; (front row, second from r.) librarian Tom Bober, and Booklist editor Julia Smith.

Allison Mills signs her middle-grade novel The Ghost Collector (Annick).

2020 Caldecott Committee members with Alvina Ling, editor of the Caldecott Honor Book Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Little, Brown)

Bloomsbury hosted nearly 70 librarians at a sneak peek event for some of its upcoming picture books. The event was emceed by Isaac Fitzgerald, author of How to Be a Pirate, illustrated by Brigette Barrager (Mar.).

Rashin Kheiriyeh, illustrator of Story Boat (by Kyo Maclear), a picture book about the migrant experience seen through a child’s eye.

At the Morris Finalist dinner: (from l.) authors David Yoon (Frankly in Love, Putnam), Ben Philippe (2020 Morris winner The Field Guide to the North American Teenager, Balzer + Bray), Nafiza Azad (The Candle and the Flame, Scholastic Press), Katy Rose Pool (There Will Come a Darkness, Holt), and Alicia D. Williams (Genesis Begins Again, Atheneum/Dlouhy).

Marieke Nijkamp (r.) met with readers and signed advance copies of her next YA thriller, Even If We Break (Sourcebooks, Sept.).

Allan Wolf, author of The Day the Universe Exploded My Head, led a group readaloud of the book’s titular poem on the PopTop stage. (From l.): authors Sylvia Vardell, Janet Wong, Wolf, Cindy Mitchell, and Kacen Callender (King and the Dragonflies).

(From l.): Authors J.L. Powers (Under Water, Cinco Puntos) and Erin Yun (Pippa Park Raises Her Game, Fabled Films Press) with Nicole Wheeler of Fabled Films.

Camp author L.C. Rosen (Little, Brown).

The team at Random House Graphic celebrates the imprint’s launch at the Tuttleman Gallery: (from l.) senior editor Whitney Leopard, designer Patrick Crotty, publishing director Gina Gagliano, and marketing and publicity manager Nicole Valdez.

Amy Ignatow, author of The Cutest Thing Ever, illustrated by Hsinping Pan (Abrams, 2019).

Author-illustrator David Ouimet (I Go Quiet, Norton Young Readers) serves cookies at Annick’s 40th anniversary party for The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko.

(From l.): Claribel Ortega (Ghost Squad, Scholastic Press) and debut author Alex Aster (The Curse of the Night Witch, Sourcebooks) sign each other’s advance copies.

Simon & Schuster celebrates 20 years of Doreen Cronin’s Click, Clack, Moo, illustrated by Betsy Lewin.

Author Seamus Kirst speaks with librarians during his signing of Papa, Daddy, and Riley, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth (Magination Press).