Winners of the Caldecott Medal: 1998-2002 Media Reviews Families.com

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!!

1998

“Rapunzel” by Paul O. Zelinsky

In this retelling of the classic tale, Paul Zelinsky really creates a believable story that a girl could have hair strong enough for someone to climb up it. Her hair is so thick and lush that it looks as if ropes could be made from it. As you all well know, I do not claim to be an art connoisseur; however, these illustrations look to me like Renaissance-era paintings. It is beautiful work.

Honor Books:

“The Gardener” illustrated by David Small; text: Sarah Stewart
“Harlem” illustrated by Christopher Myers; text: Walter Dean Myers
“There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” by Simms Taback

1999

“Snowflake Bentley” illustrated by Mary Azarian; text: Jacqueline Briggs Martin

This book is based on the true story of Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley. At an early age, Willie was interested in snowflakes and took every opportunity he could to study them. When he got a little bit older, his parents used all of their savings to buy him a camera with a microscope so that he could photograph the snowflakes. These are the earliest known photos of snowflakes. His work gave us the knowlegde that no two snowflakes are alike. This is an excellent book to read with your child. I found it really informative and I have since looked up information on Wilson Bentley. You can, too by visiting SnowflakeBentley.com.

Honor Books:

“Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and the Orchestra” illustrated by Brian Pinkney; text: Andrea Davis Pinkney
“No, David!” by David Shannon
“Snow” by Uri Shulevitz
“Tibet Through the Red Box” by Peter Sis

2000

“Joseph Had a Little Overcoat” by Simms Taback

This book is about a man named Joseph who makes many pieces of clothing out of his worn overcoat. It was inspired by an old Yiddish folk song called “I Have a Little Overcoat.” The best part about it is the illustration — which of course is why it won the Caldecott Medal. Each time Joseph is about to make something different, the object is shown die-cut out of the next page. You definitely have to read this book to see what I mean. The moral of the story? You can always make something out of nothing.

Honor Books:

“A Child’s Calendar” illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman; text: John Updike
“Sector 7” by David Wiesner
“When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry” by Molly Bang
“The Ugly Duckling” illustrated by Jerry Pinkney; text: adapted by Jerry Pinkney from Hans Christian Andersen

2001

“So You Want to Be President?” illustrated by David Small; text: Judith St. George

This book tells all about different United States presidents up to President Bill Clinton. It tells about where some of them grew up, jobs they had before they were president, and even special talents they have had. It gives suggestions about how you might become president because of certain things that past presidents did or had. I actually learned many things about former presidents. All of the drawings are caricatures, which means that they exaggerate certain features on the portraits. This was a very fun read.

Honor Books:

“Casey at the Bat” illustrated by Christopher Bing; text: Ernest Thayer
“Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type” illustrated by Betsy Lewin; text: Doreen Cronin
“Olivia” by Ian Falconer

2002

“The Three Pigs” by David Wiesner

This is not your typical story about the three little pigs. It starts off with the classic tale of three pig brothers who build houses out of different materials, but somewhere around the second pig’s house, the story turns. The pigs find themselves walking out of the story. First, they fold up a page and turn it into a paper airplane. After their ride on the airplane, they find themselves moving through other stories. In one, they even save a dragon from being slain. This is a great take on an old classic.

Honor Books:

“The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins” illustrated by Brian Selznick; text: Barbara Kerley
“Martin’s Big Words: the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” illustrated by Bryan Collier; text: Doreen Rappaport
“The Stray Dog” by Marc Simont