Students at The Good Hope School in St. Croix with some of the contenders for the 2013 Irma Black Award.

New York’s Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature (CCL) has named Michelle Knudsen’s Big Mean Mike (Candlewick) the winner of its Irma Black Award for the best read-aloud picture book for first and second grade, and Andrea Menotti’s How Many Jelly Beans? (Chronicle) the winner of its Cook Prize for the best picture book that teaches science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) principles. Both winners were determined by students from around the world. Knudsen previously received a 2006 Irma Black Award for The Library Lion, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. More than 7,500 first and second graders voted to make Big Mean Mike—illustrated by Scott Magoon—the favorite, according to Jennifer M. Brown, CCL’s interim director. Brown also notes that more than 2,000 third- and fourth-grade students participated in voting for the Cook Prize, up from last year’s 619. How Many Jelly Beans? is illustrated by Yancey Labat. The winners will be celebrated at a ceremony held in Tabas Auditorium at the Bank Street College of Education on May 23, 2013. Peter H. Reynolds will deliver the opening keynote.

Award administrators Jennifer Brown (l.) and Kristin Freda (r.) of the Bank
Street College of Education hold up the most oft-cited finale of the book.