The big news in Children’s Literature this week was the announcement of the Caldecott and Newbery Medal winners. I’m sure Tristi and will be reviewing all of them in detail soon. Today I’ll tell you about the Caldecott winners.
The Caldecott Medal is awarded to the most distinguished American picture book for children. This year, the award went to The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. The pencil illustrations tell a great deal of the story in this 544 page book. It’s the story of an orphan and inventor living in a Paris train station. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is recommended for ages 9-12.
Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine and illustrated by Kadir Nelson is a 2008 Caldecott honor book. This story tells about Henry “Box” Brown, a slave who mailed himself to freedom after his wife and children were sold away from him. The book is recommended for grades 2-5.
First the Egg, written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger is also a Caldecott Honor book. This book is illustrated with die-cuts and brush strokes that illustrate the word “then”. It’s recommended for ages 4-8.
Another Honor Book is The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, written and illustrated by Peter Sis. The book is a graphic memoir of Sis’s own Prague childhood. The drawings show the prevalence of the secret police. The book shows a gradual questioning of authority and the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall. Recommended for ages 9-12.
Or last Honor Book is Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, written and illustrated by Mo Willems. The book shows double-paged spread with photo collages of a Brooklyn neighborhood, along with the charming Trixie, her daddy, and Knuffle Bunny.
For More on the Caldecott Award and Past Caldecott Winners See:
Writing About the Caldecott Medal Winners
The Caldecott Medal and the Man for Whom It was Named
The Three Pigs – David Weisner