The Snowy Day – Ezra Jack Keats

I know other parts of the country are seeing signs of spring, but here in Colorado we can expect another couple months of snow. I want to share one of my favorite books about snow with you. The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats, received the Caldecott Award in 1963. I remember the book from my own childhood. The illustrations are unique. One of Keats techniques was to blend collage with gouache (an opaque watercolor mixed with art gum. His illustrations capture the magic of how snow can transform a neighborhood into beauty, softness, and mystery. Keats set new ground … Continue reading →

Snowflake Bentley – Jacqueline Briggs Martin

How do you study snowflakes when they keep melting? Winner of the 1999 Caldecott Medal, Snowflake Bentley is a biography of a boy who figures out a way to share snowflakes with the world. It’s a story of persistence and problem solving. William Bentley was born in 1865, in the time “ when farmers worked with ox and sled and cut the dark with lantern light”. The illustrations are prints from carved woodblocks. They are perfect at invoking the simpler time period of this story. As a young farm boy, Bentley studied all kinds of things in nature, but most … Continue reading →

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale – Mo Willems

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems recently won a Caldecott Honor. It’s the sequel to Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale which also won a Caldecott Honor in 2005. The books are both illustrated with drawings on top of black and white photographs. According to Willems website, he pronounces “Knuffle” with a hard “K” The word “knuffle” is Dutch for snuggle. In Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale the reader meets a little girl named Trixie. She’s old enough to walk, but not yet talking. The book shows Trixie and her daddy walking through the neighborhood to … Continue reading →

2008 Caldecott Winners

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 … Continue reading →

The Three Pigs – David Weisner

This version of the classic story “The Three Pigs” is by far my favorite out of all I’ve read. It must have been some other people’s favorite too – it’s a Caldecott winner. We start out the story in the traditionally accepted way, with the first little pig deciding to build his house out of straw, the wolf looking on ravenously. When the house is completed, the wolf comes and says, “Little pig, little pig, let me come in.” To which the pig replies, “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin.” So, of course, the wolf blows. But he doesn’t … Continue reading →

Writing About the Caldecott Medal Winners

For those of you who have been reading my blogs about the Caldecott Medal winners, you know that I have learned a lot. I have learned not necessarily just about art or illustrations, but about myself as an avid reader and a parent. I have learned about the kinds of books that I would like to share with my daughter, and those I would prefer to leave until she is a little bit older. I have enjoyed reading these books as much as I did when I was younger. I have liked reading them as much as I enjoy reading … Continue reading →

Winners of the Caldecott Medal: 2003-2006

Come read the books deemed worthy of the Caldecott Medal! I am giving a brief synopsis of each book along with a comment about the artwork here and there. I am also including lists of the Honor winners for each year. I hope you enjoy my series. Comments are welcomed!! 2003 “My Friend Rabbit” by Eric Rohmann “My Friend Rabbit” is about a little mouse and his friend named Rabbit. It seems that no matter what rabbit does, he is always getting into some kind of mischief. In this story, he gets his toy airplane stuck in a tree and … Continue reading →

Winners of the Caldecott Medal: 1993-1997

Come read the books deemed worthy of the Caldecott Medal! I am giving a brief synopsis of each book along with a comment about the artwork here and there. I am also including lists of the Honor winners for each year. I hope you enjoy my series. Comments are welcomed!! 1993 “Mirette on the High Wire” by Emily Arnold McCully There was a widow named Madame Gateau who ran a boardinghouse. She and her daughter Mirette always made sure that their guests were comfortable. But one day a stranger appears and Mirette becomes fascinated with his unusual talent. Will Mirette … Continue reading →

Winners of the Caldecott Medal: 1988-1992

For more information about the origins of the Caldecott Medal, please see The Caldecott Medal and the Man for Whom it was Named. I am giving a brief synopsis of each book along with a comment about the artwork here and there. I am also including lists of the Honor winners for each year. I hope you enjoy my series. Comments are welcomed!! 1988 “Owl Moon” illustrated by John Schoenhert; text: Jane Yolen One night a little girl goes owling with her father. They crunch through the snow and her father calls out, “Whoo-whoo…” several times, but there is no … Continue reading →

Winners of the Caldecott Medal: 1983-1987

Come read the books deemed worthy of the Caldecott Medal! I am giving a brief synopsis of each book along with a comment about the artwork here and there. I am also including lists of the Honor winners for each year. I hope you enjoy my series. Comments are welcomed!! 1983 “Shadow” translated and illustrated by Marcia Brown; original text in French: Blaise Cendrars “Shadow” is a book describing the African view of a dancing image. This image comes to life when a storyteller tells his stories around a bright fire. Dark colors are used in this book to emphasize … Continue reading →