Congratulations to Riss Neilson and Kelly Murphy! A Love Like the Sun and Together We Build are the 2026 Rhode Island Great Reads books and our submissions for the National Book Festival in Washington, DC on August 22nd, 2026. A Love Like the Sun is our adult selection and Together We Build is our kids selection.
About Together We Build
A community of animals and humans work together to rebuild their farm after a storm causes damage in this companion picture book to Together We Grow by award-winning author Susan Vaught and acclaimed illustrator Kelly Murphy.
Flee and gather,
holding tight
helping friends
survive the night.
After a flood sweeps through, a family and their animals emerge from their shelters to find their farm and woods in disarray. As they start to tidy up and make repairs, tensions run high. Can the animals and humans work together to rebuild their homes?
About the Illustrator
Kelly Murphy was born and raised in the mystical swamps of southern New England. A New York Times bestselling illustrator and recipient of the E.B. White Award, she has illustrated books by acclaimed authors including Richard Peck, Dave Eggers, Jane Yolen, and Linda Ashman. Her more than 50 books have been translated into 15 languages and have earned numerous awards, starred reviews, and places on year-end “Best Books” lists from Publishers Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and The New York Times.
Kelly teaches illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and is a sought-after keynote speaker, competition juror, and workshop leader. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with her husband, author-illustrator Antoine Revoy, and their many animal companions.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL
The Library of Congress National Book Festival is an annual literary event that brings together best-selling authors and thousands of book fans for author talks, panel discussions, book signings and other activities. The Library of Congress National Book Festival will celebrate America 250 in 2026, featuring the creativity and inspiration of some of the nation’s most gifted authors on September 6th. The event showcases the importance of books and reading. Every year, the Library of Congress asks each state Center for the Book to select a title that represents the state’s literary landscape to highlight at the National Book Festival, these titles are part of the Great Reads From Great Places Initiative. The Rhode Island Center for the Book has chosen A Love Like the Sun and Together We Build as the Rhode Island Great Reads for 2026.