Emporia State University has named the winner of the 2020 Bill Martin, Jr., Picture Book Award.
“Grumpy Monkey,” written by Nickelodeon International producer Suzanne Lang and illustrated by her husband, Max, details a chimpanzee’s rough day and reactions to advice from friends. It spent over 30 weeks on the New York Times’ bestseller list.
The award is named Bill Martin, an Emporia State education graduate who worked as a teacher and principal before writing over 300 children’s books through his career.
The award program was established by the Kansas Reading Association in 1996. ESU began presenting the award in March 2018. Books are suggested by teachers, parents, communities and librarians.
Suzanne Lang will be at Emporia State to speak and sign copies of the book as part of the Kansas Regional Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Conference on Nov. 2.
