Rebecca Lee Kunz wins the Caldecott Medal for ‘Chooch Helped’
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Contact: Antonio Gonzalez Cerna
antonio@levinequerido.com
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Rebecca Lee Kunz wins the Caldecott Medal for ‘Chooch Helped’
HOBOKEN, NJ — The Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children went to Rebecca Lee Kunz, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Although she has been working as a fine artist for over 20 years, Chooch Helped is her first book.
“I’m stunned,” said Kunz from her home in Santa Fe, NM. She is the first Cherokee artist to win this award.
“I remember picking up Caldecott books when I was a child. To be named among those incredible artists is a huge honor. I loved Chooch Helped from the moment I read it, and I poured my heart and soul into the art. The illustrations are rich with Cherokee symbolism and culture.”
Kunz illustrations were done primarily in watercolor, gouache, printmaking, collage, and digital illustration.
According to Executive Editor Nick Thomas, "Rebecca internalized Andrea's beautiful text so completely, it became her own. She delivered a crawdad gigging spread that is one of the most beautiful pieces of art I've ever seen. This may be Rebecca's first picture book, but it's one she's been working her whole life towards."
“Obviously, we couldn’t have done that without an incredible manuscript. I feel awe and gratitude to have worked on this book” explained Thomas.
Chooch Helped, written by Andrea L. Rogers (Cherokee Nation) and illustrated by Kunz, was a labor of love born out of a serendipitous meeting at the 2022 Cherokee National Holiday in Oklahoma.
“I was giving away earrings with Man Made Monsters art in exchange for preorders,” explained Rogers. “As soon as I met Rebecca, I texted Nick with her studio link and pictures of her art.”
“Chooch wouldn’t exist without LQ,” said Rogers from her home in Arkansas.
“I’m grateful for the choices and the trust LQ puts in their authors and the illustrators. And for saying YES to things that not everybody will say yes to. These are stories that are needed.” she stressed. “Contemporary Native stories are needed.”
For legendary children’s book publisher and LQ president, Arthur Levine, this win represents a growing legacy: “This recognition validates my belief that quality matters.”
“In five short years, Levine Querido has received numerous awards, including the Newbery Medal for The Last Cuentista, the Printz Medal for Everything Sad is Untrue, and now the Caldecott Medal,” he explained. “We only hope to keep up our standards and continue to trust the talented people we work with.”
“The ethos of Levine Querido has always been that beauty, meaning, and delight are gloriously abundant in so many communities that have been overlooked. You don’t have to be Cherokee to love this book. It’s a warm, relatable story that every sibling can recognize—no matter what their family looks like.”
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About the Book
Chooch Helped by Andrea L. Rogers | illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz
A Cherokee girl introduces her younger brother to their family's traditions— begrudgingly! — in this picture book written by Walter Award-winner Andrea L. Rogers, and features collage illustrations from debut artist Rebecca Lee Kunz.
Grades P-3 | 48 Pg | 9781646144549 | $18.99
About the Creators
Rebecca Lee Kunz (b. 1975 Norman, OK) is a multimedia artist and the owner of Tree of Life Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She earned a BFA in painting from the College of Santa Fe. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, her work draws upon traditional iconography and is greatly inspired by mythic and archetypical symbolism. Chooch Helped is her first book.
Andrea L. Rogers is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the oldest of three. She is the author of Mary and the Trail of Tears, Man Made Monsters, When We Gather, The Art Thieves, and Chooch Helped—winner of the 2025 Caldecott Medal. She is a PhD student at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and lives near Artists Point.
About Levine Querido
Levine Querido is a 7-person team on a mission to uplift underrepresented voices in children's books. Founder and president, Arthur Levine led an eponymous imprint at Scholastic for 23 years, and was editor-in-chief of Alfred A. Knopf books for young readers, and G.P.Putnam’s Sons books for young readers. Visit www.levinequerido.com for a full archive of the company’s awards, honors, and publications. LQ is distributed by Chronicle Books.