Mike Lester, award-winning illustrator and editorial cartoonist for the Rome News-Tribune, did it again this weekend.

The National Cartoonists Society gave Lester its top award for book illustration at its 63rd annual awards dinner Saturday night. The Reuben — the Society’s biggest honor — recognized his work on “Cool Daddy Rat,” a read-aloud children’s book.

“I’m pretty proud of that,” Lester said Sunday, after being called away from painting the fence at his house in Rome. “Out of all the children’s books published in 2008, out of all the people they could have chosen, I won.”

This makes the fourth Reuben for Lester, who has been the editorial cartoonist for the paper since 2002 and is syndicated by United Feature Syndicate. Three are for book illustrations and one is for advertising illustration.

Lester said he would have preferred to win in the editorial cartooning category, but “a lot of people would love to have that problem. I’m very honored.”

The Society of Professional Journalists gave him its Sigma Delta Chi Award in Editorial Cartooning in 2007. In the past few years, Lester has won two first place and a second-place award for best original editorial cartoon from the National Newspaper Association as well as several Georgia Press Association awards.

Click here to see Lester's editorial cartoons.

Click here to visit Lester's Web site.