The 2023 Dad Suggests Picture Book Bracket
We’re back and better than ever, folks! It’s time for the 3rd Annual Dad Suggests Picture Book Bracket! It’s the picture book event you’ve all been waiting for - surely counting down the days since last year’s tournament. And this year’s prize has a fun twist to it as well.
Since this is the first year of the Dad Suggests Picture Book Bracket since we’ve opened our bookstore in Fayetteville, AR, we’re going to be able to have printed brackets available for pickup in the store. AND if the bracket winner this year is local to Fayetteville, they can come in and choose any 4 picture books under $19.99 straight from our shop.
On the other hand, if the winner is somewhere else in the US and chooses to have their prize shipped, they can choose any 4 picture books from this year’s bracket as their prize - just like we did last year. Keep in mind that you’re welcome to fill out a bracket and even officially enter your picks even if you aren’t in the US, but the giveaway will go to the top finisher that has a US address for shipping.
This year’s bracket features 32 amazing picture books published within the last 5 years. And all of them have gained entry into the tournament because of how they placed in our annual Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards. For reference, here are the winners of the past 5 years:
2022 Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards
2021 Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards
2020 Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards
2019 Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards
2018 Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards
The top 8 picture books of 2022 have their very own region in the tournament, while the other 4 years have 6 teams each - leading to a 2018/2019 region, a 2019/2020 region and a 2020/2021 region. As the years go by, the competition only gets harder as books that finished lower in their respective years are dropped from the tournament!
How to Enter the Dad Suggests Picture Book Bracket
Scroll down to the image of the 2023 Dad Suggests Picture Book Bracket and click on the image to save it, print it out, and fill out your picks. After you have your picks in hand, head to the following link to access the Google form for the competition:
Remember! The Google form is the most important step! Completing the form is how you enter the competition - and don’t forget to hit SUBMIT at the end!
Complete the form by choosing the winner of each match-up. The game numbers for each match-up are in parentheses on your bracket. (Note: it’s much easier to fill out your picks if you have a completed paper bracket filled out in front of you.)
Each round grows in value by one point, beginning with 1 point per correct pick in round 1 match-ups and ending with 5 points for choosing the correct overall champion. Winners of each matchup are chosen by vote in our Instagram stories. So make sure to pay attention to our Instagram stories beginning on March 16th, and vote for your picks! (You can also refer to the full schedule below.)
Keep in mind that the winner must have a US address to ship the books to, and that only 1 entry per person is allowed. You can also refer to the google form and our contest rules for more details. Entries will close shortly before the first round begins.
Click to download and print!
Which picture book will be crowned champion of the 2023 Dad Suggests Picture Book Bracket? It’s up to you! Voting will begin in our Instagram stories on Thursday March 16th. Simply visit our stories on the day of voting, and vote for your favorite in each matchup.
2022 Dad Suggests Picture Book Bracket Schedule
Thursday March 16th - Games 1-8
Friday March 17th - Games 9-16
Saturday March 18th - Games 17-20
Sunday March 19th - Games 21-24
Monday March 20th - Games 25 - 26
Tuesday March 21st - Games 27 - 28
Wednesday March 22nd - Games 29-30
Thursday March 23rd - Game 31 - 2022 Championship Round!
What Can You Win?
The person with the winning bracket can choose:
4 free picture books from this year’s bracket to be shipped to their US address
OR
The chance to pick 4 free picture books (priced under $19.99 each) from our store in Fayetteville, AR
Day 1 Update
After Day 1 of voting, we currently have a 5-way tie for first place. 5 competitors scored 7/8 - and there are no perfect brackets left!
Round 1 results after the first day of voting!
Day 2 Update
After day 2 we have the sweet 16 all set! See the bracket below for all of the books that advanced to the second round. In the bracket standings, we have a sole leader with 13 points - and 3 people are tied for second place with 12 points. It’s still anybody’s game!
The sweet 16 is all set after day 2!
Day 3 Update
After 3 days of voting we have our first 4 teams into the Elite 8. Wins in the second round are worth 2 points instead of 1, and we also had a lead change. One player has 20 points, and they are trailed by another player at 19 points. See below to see which books moved on!
Updated bracket after the 3rd day of voting.
Day 4 Update
After 4 days of voting, we now have all of the picture books that make up 2023’s Elite 8. I’d say there’s been quite a few upsets along the way, and it’s hard to predict which book will come out on top! The leading bracket currently has a total of 24 points.
After day 4 we have the Elite 8 all set!
Day 5 Update
The 3rd round of voting has begun, and we have our first 2 books in the Final 4. The first 2 books to move on to the Final 4 are The Three Billy Goats Gruff and Pokko and the Drum! There has also been a lead change in the bracket competition, and the leader is sitting with 26 points!
The Final 4 is almost set after day 5.
Day 6 Update
The Final 4 is all set! Voting takes place today, March 22nd. And the championship vote will start tomorrow! We still have a sole leader sitting with 32 points, but the final 4 games are worth more points, and the championship even more! So if you still have books alive in your bracket, make sure to encourage friends to vote!
The Final 4 is all set!
Day 7 Update
We have our championship matchup set! The final round will feature The Barnabus Project vs. The Rabbit Listened! It’s going to be a very exciting final match - so make sure to get over to our Instagram stories and put in your vote!
Only one more matchup left before we have our champion.
Final Bracket Update
The Rabbit Listened is our 2023 champion! It actually made it to the finals last year, so it’s nice to see the little rabbit pull off the championship this time around. And the winning player of this year’s bracket competition won by 1 single point! Congratulations to the winner, we’ll be contacting you shortly. And thank you everybody for playing!
Good luck in this year’s tournament everyone - and I hope you have fun filling out your picks. If you fill out a paper bracket to play along, I’d love to see them! Tag us in the photos and use the hashtag #dadsuggestspicturebookbracket so we can see who’s competing this year!
