This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award, which was established in 2016 by Penguin Young Readers, the Children’s Book Council, and Every Child a Reader in honor of the late author-illustrator and Llama Llama creator, who died of cancer at the age of 50. The award is presented annually to “a picture book that is both a superb read-aloud and reflects Anna Dewdney’s mission to spark compassion, empathy, and connection through reading.”

This year, the public is invited to help select the winning picture book from a longlist of publisher submissions. Now through April 17, parents, caregivers, librarians, educators, and booksellers can visit the Every Child a Reader website to vote from a list of titles published between 2020 and 2025. A shortlist of finalists will be reviewed by an independent selection committee chaired by Dewdney’s daughter, teacher Berol Dewdney.

The winner will be announced in June, followed by a virtual celebration hosted by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader. Viking Books for Young Readers, the publisher of Llama Llama, will donate 250 copies of the winning title to a school, library, or literacy organization of the creator’s choice.

Berol Dewdney said in a statement, “Watching the Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award grow over 10 years has been a profound joy. My mother believed that when we read together, we become more human—that when we open the pages of a book, we are opening our hearts. Her life, and this award, are about honoring those moments of connection, creating more of them, and celebrating the power of storytelling to foster empathy and love.”

Since the Llama Llama series launched just over 20 years ago in 2005, the perennially popular picture books have been adapted for a Netflix animated series starring Jennifer Garner, reimagined by Dolly Parton for a musical at Dollywood, and performed by musicians such as Camila Cabello, Ludacris, and Migos. In addition, Llama Llama Red Pajama was selected as Jumpstart’s Read for the Record book in 2011, setting the world record for the most readings of a single book in one day.

Viking will publish the latest title in the series, Llama Llama Graduation Day!, on April 7.