Kidlit411 Banner Design Winners & Honorable Mention (2026 and 2027)
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| © Olga Smith |
November 24, 2025
Every time we run our banner design contest, we are blown away by the designs we receive, and this year it is no different.
Because we received so many wonderful designs, we picked 24 banners to use, in both 2026 and 2027. The top three banners win cash prizes, and all artists will be featured in an Illustrator Spotlight during the month their banner is up on Kidlit411.
Congratulations to all!
FIRST PLACE ($175) - Olga Smith
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| © Olga Smith |
Olga Smith is our first place winner! We love the quirky and funny chickens reading children's books, the lively design that leads one's eyes across the banner, and the lovely saturated colors. The image was created in Procreate. Her banner will be featured in January 2026 along with an Illustrator Spotlight.
SECOND PLACE ($125) - Mark Holly
Second place goes to Mark Holly. We love the elegant design, the mix of clean shapes with intricate patterns, and the vibrant color palette. The image was created using digital media. His banner will be featured in February 2026 along with an Illustrator Spotlight.
THIRD PLACE ($75) - Daryna Rudyk
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| © Daryna Rudyk |
Our third place winner is Daryna Rudyk. We love the adorable children loving life, the bird's eye view, and the vibrant colors. The image was created using procreate. Her banner will be featured in March 2026 along with an Illustrator Spotlight.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The following 21 honorable mention banners will be featured the rest of 2026 and 2027. They are not ranked in any order of preference; they have been chosen roughly to correspond with a month of the year. We love how each design is so unique and representative of the artist's style, yet they all reflect the joy of children's literature and Kidlit411.
April 2026 - Brittany Harper
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| © Brittany Harper - Procreate |
May 2026 - Kathryn Kindig
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| © Kathryn Kindig - Adobe Illustrator |
June 2026 - Rania Abouzeid
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| © Rania Abouzeid watercolor and finaliners on watercolor paper |
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| © Patrick Johns pen and ink, digital drawing |
August 2026 - Elizabeth Hubal
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| © Crista McGinley Adobe Illustrator |
October 2026 - Hollie Michaels
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| © Hollie Michaels sketch on paper, drawn digitally in Affinity Designer |
November 2026 - Moni Ritchie Hadley
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| © Moni Ritchie Hadley digital with acrylic overlays |
December 2026 - Tammie Lyon
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| © Tammie Lyon watercolor and colored pencil |
2027
January 2027 - Kathryn Rammell
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| © Kathryn Rammell digital |
February 2027 - Sara Weingartner
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| © Sara Weingartner Procreate |
March 2027 - Katherine Thorne
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| © Claire Konser digital fabric collage |
May 2027 - Johna Mandel
June 2027 - Ramia G. Spaulding
November 2027 - Shan-Te Chen
December 2027 - Nancy S Lee
Congratulations again to all, and thank you to everyone who entered our contest! We can't wait to learn more about each of these artists during the month their banner is featured.
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