Chanticleer Shortlisted

Little Peeps Awards for Early Readers

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Story books, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books, and Educational Books. These books have advanced to the Long List for the CIBAs. 

These titles have moved forward from the 2025 LITTLE PEEPS LONG LIST to the 2025 Little Peeps Book Awards SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Little Peeps SEMI-FINALISTS. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.

• Amy B. Mccoy – Katie Finds Her Voice: A Story About Autism
• Andrew Woolnough – Nuts About Dinosaurs
• Angelina Natale – Peanut and Butter: A Sky View Farm Adventure
• Ann P. Borrmann – You Little Monkey
• Anna Gerrodette – Wild Rides with Pedal and Blaze
• Anne Polli – Mason the Magnificent
• Antonia Blackmore & illustrated by Sarah P Sharpe – Figgles & Flo the Elephant in the Room
• Ben St. James – Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town
• Brittany Petish- Sally the Brave
• Cal Lopez & Natalia Ulloa – Humans Are Awesome: A Kid’s Guide to Staying Smarter Than AI
• Carrie A. Buck – Ivy Learns to Share
• Christine Kessides – Tail Tale Too
• Corey Turner – Cloudy Days
• David Waugh – Benny the Lost Balloon
• Dzvinka Hayda – The Legend of the Dipper
• Gail Heath – Miracle on the Mountain: An Appalachian Christmas
• Glenda Keiper – Clancy McFancy and the Tree with Bright Green Leaves
• J.W. Zarek – Bella Brown Visits a Bee Farm
• J.W. Zarek – Bella Brown’s Messier Than Messy Room
• J.W. Zarek – Bella-Brown Grandma’s Missing Butterfly Locket
• J.W. Zarek – The Stomp-Clomp-Clump Monster Above the Bed
• Jane Xu – Can Pandas Be Koalas Too
• Jessica Mcanelly – Birdie’s Picnic Party a Tasty Take on Food Safety
• Kate Shooltz – Kate the Earthling
• Kim P. Chesney – A Mysterious Night at the Library
• Kim Sloan – Billy Bob’s Adventures Learning the 50 States
• Kristen J Anderson – Lorelei the Lorelei: The Problem with Science Fairs, Cicadas, and Sewers
• Kristy Whilden – Alice’s Colorful New World
• Leslie Calimeri – One Day with Dinosaurs
• Lisa Mueller – Dot’s Spots
• Lolisa Marie Monroe – Dungoolee
• Lori Hoffman Penna – Catawampus the Story of a Crooked Cat
• Lori Orlinsky – Being Middle
• M.D. Mcalister – Phin York and the Giants of Wintercoombe
• Michelle Mcalister – Gilly Green Will Sing
• Michelle Mcalister – Nighttime for Everyone
• Michelle Mcalister – Snelliot the Bold
• Mike Darcy – Little Joe and the Big City
• Miki Taylor – Bentley Finds a Hippopotomonsterous
• Mr. Steve – Fishing Is Fun
• Mr. Steve – The B Hive
• Nicole Metas – Hemi Bunny Finds a Mommy
• Once Upon a Dance – Bellyrina
• Paloma Williams – Milo’s Big Beautiful Journey
• Pamela Gray Willcox – Tux the Little Emperor
• Patty York Raymond – There Was a Tenacious Teacher Who Scarfed Down a Sticker
• Payton Lynch – The Journey To You
• Rae St. Clair Bridgman – W Is for Winnipeg a Little Architect’s ABC
• Robin Currie – How Do You Sleep
• Ruth Amanda – Ess-Car-Go!
• Sally Kashner – River Song
• Sally Kashner – The Night Has a Secret
• Sherry Roberts – Amica Helps Zoe
• Sherry Roberts – Just Call Me Pardner
• Shlomo Goldman – Ryder the Spider Discovers the Body
• Svetlana Kitik – Mother’s Mega Marrow: a Gardening for Kids Nature Storybook About Growing Food, Sharing, and Outdoor Learning
• Sydney Roubian – Scarecrow Finds a Heart
• Tamara Neal – I Know Why the Red Bird Talked
• Thomas Anthony – Walter the Polar Bear
• TK Sheffield – Nellie’s Island Small Hooves Big Heart Island Adventures Start
• Tom Morency – Doris the Dragon
• Vassi Rombis – Luna the Little Witch the Magic of Teamwork
• Wanda Carter Roush – The Jellybean Gospel the Born-Again Bunny

Congrats to all the other authors who made the cut!