One Little Squiggle...One BIG Award!

Congratulations to One Little Squiggle for winning the SCBWI 2025 Spark Honor Award for excellence in independent publishing for children! One Little Squiggle was one of four books selected to win a Spark Award last year. Check out the winners below:

2025 Spark Award Winners

Congratulations to all of the 2025 winners! I'm elated that One Little Squiggle gets to be part of this great group of books and has an opportunity to represent such an esteemed organization. What an amazing honor!!! 😊

Who is SCBWI?

SCBWI stands for Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and it's the preeminent membership organization for children’s book creators. It's a global community of writers, illustrators, translators, publishers, librarians, advocates, and other industry professionals working to establish a more imaginative and inclusive world through the power of children’s literature. Founded in 1971, SCBWI has close to 80 regions and 20,000 members worldwide.

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is a global community that provides the resources, professional networking, and community-building opportunities to support children's book creators throughout their careers.

I've been a member of SCBWI since I began publishing children's books in 2020, and it is, in my opinion, the most meaningful and helpful professional organization that I belong to. I highly recommend this organization to any and all children's book creators. For more information about SCBWI, visit their website here.

What is the Spark Award?

The Spark Award is an annual award that recognizes excellence in children’s books published through an independent or non-traditional publishing route. The Spark Award is offered in two categories: Picture Books and Books for Older Readers. One Little Squiggle won the Spark Honor Award for the picture book category. According to Sarah Diamond, the SCBWI's Associate Director of Digital Content and Awards,

"There were hundreds of entries to choose from, but the judges were especially impressed with One Little Squiggle! The professionalism and quality of the writing and art is an exceptional example of independent publishing."

What is the prize for winning the Spark Honor Award?

Spark Honor Award winners receive $500 each. In addition, honor recipients receive Spark seals to display on their books, the opportunity to attend a virtual conference of their choice tuition-free, and the chance to be featured in the SCBWI INSIGHT newsletter and publicized through SCBWI social networking sites.

I plan to attend the SCBWI's 2026 Virtual Summer Conference, which is a conference I've wanted to attend for years but have never had the opportunity to do so. I also plan to use the prize money to help fund the illustrations for One Little Squiggle's sequel, Many Little Squiggles, which will release in the fall of 2026. For more information about Many Little Squiggles, follow the publishing journey here.

My Closing Thoughts

I don't write books in hopes of winning awards, or becoming famous, or even making money. I write and create children's books because I genuinely enjoy the thrill of a compelling story and the challenge of creating one. I love weaving words together in fun and interesting ways, the interplay of written words and illustrations to tell a story, and seeing a book idea actually come to life. It's a really cool process! That's why I'm here.

That being said, it's also really cool to have other people who love children's books as much as I do recognize and award the effort that I've put into creating my books. I am beyond honored to win this award, and I hope to represent the SCBWI well. I've always had a feeling that One Little Squiggle was destined for BIG things, and this award is a fantastic start! Now, let's go make make more books...maybe even some award-winning ones! 😃 For more information about One Little Squiggle, check out the book page here.