Caldecott Fever

My coworker, Amanda, and I challenged ourselves to read all 316 Caldecott Winners and Honors, most of which we read within the last few months. (Follow the link, Ama Reads, to see her favorites and least favorites, and a post on Caldecott Medal criteria.) The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. (ala.org)

Current Caldecott Winner, Locomotive

The following (in alphabetical order by title) are my Caldecott favorites, as reviewed through my Goodreads.com account.

• All the World, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Marla Frazee (2010 Honor)
• A Ball for Daisy, by Chris Raschka (2012 Winner)
• Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Williems (2004 Honor)
• Flora and the Flamingo, by Molly Idle (2014 Honor)
• Freight Train, by Donald Crews (1979 Honor)
• The Gardener, by Sarah Stewart, ill. by David Small (1998 Honor)
• Grandpa Green, by Lane Smith (2012 Honor)
• Hot Air: the (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride, by Marjorie Priceman (2006 Honor)
• If I Ran the Zoo, by Dr. Seuss (1951 Honor)
• Interrupting Chicken, by David Ezra Stein (2011 Honor)
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by  Brian Selznick (2008 Winner)
• Journey, by Aaron Becker (2014 Honor)
• King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, by Audrey Wood, ill. by Don Wood (1986 Honor)
• The Lion and the Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney (2010 Winner)
• Locomotive, by Brian Floca (2014 Winner)
• McElligot's Pool, by Dr. Seuss (1948 Honor)
• My Friend Rabbit, by Eric Rohmann (2003 Winner)
• Noah's Ark, by Peter Spier (1978 Winner)
• Officer Buckle and Gloria, by Peggy Rathmann (1996 Winner)
• Peppe the Lamplighter, by Elisa Bartone, ill. by Ted Lewin (1994 Honor)
• Red Sings from Treetops: a Year in Colors, by Joyce Sidman, ill. by Pamela Zagarenski  (2010 Honor)
• A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip C. Stead, ill. by Erin E. Stead (2011 Winner)
• Small Rain:Verses from the Bible, by Jessie Orton Jones, ill. by Elizabeth Orton Jones (1944 Honor)
• The Stray Dog, by Marc Simont (2002 Honor)
• This Is Not My Hat, by Jon Klassen (2013 Winner)

Yet, my #1 favorite Caldecott is A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Erin E. Stead's illustrations are perfect, heartfelt, and all-around beautiful with delicate bursts of color. (Also, I have a special place in my heart for wordless pages.) And the lovely storyline about a zookeeper and his relationship with the animals pushes it over the top.

Source

*Updated February 2014

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi