Each year since 2004, the American Library Association gives the The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award to American books for beginning readers. ALA names both the winners and a number of honor books.
They seek books that apply creativity and imagination to draw in readers, much like the work of their namesake Dr. Seuss.
It is easy to see why Johnathan Frenske’s picture book Stop That Mop! (2025) won the 2026 medal. It doesn’t imitate Seuss, but, like Seuss’s work, rhymes for the fun of it, and does so inventively. The language is simple, as is the story, but the energy and images really bring the book to life. Clear rhymes, sometimes surprising, make this a natural choice for young kids.
It’s not as weighty or new as some Seuss, so it is unlikely to be a lifelong favorite, but I can see reading this time and again.
As the name suggests,