Caldecott Award Winners by Ambrea

 

Recently, I took a class on children’s picture books.  It was a delightful class and I learned so much about children’s literature, picture books, popular illustrators, important literary awards, and more.  I enjoyed it immensely!  However, over the course of 10 weeks I was tasked with reading over 240 children’s books.

Yep, you read correctly:  I read 240 children’s books in just under two months.

Which means I have a lot of books to share.

I decided to start with some Caldecott Medal winners.  (If you’ve never heard of the Caldecott Medal, it’s like the Major Leagues in baseball – it’s like winning the series.  It’s also awarded to the illustrator.)  Here were some of my favorite Caldecott Medal winners:

The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (2010) 

This book is an adaptation of the classic fable by Aesop, in which a lion spares a mouse and, soon, the little mouse has the opportunity to return the favor.  Although it’s completely wordless, it isn’t soundless and it certainly isn’t dull.  It’s a fascinating, delightful, and beautiful rendition of a familiar fable.  It’s well worth checking out, because the artwork is simply magnificent.

 

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead (2011) 

Amos McGee spends every day at the zoo with his animal friends, but, when he finds himself under the weather, his friends decide to pay him a visit and cheer him up.  This particular book has quickly become one of my all-time favorite picture books.  The artwork is lovely and soft, while the narrative is wonderfully sweet.  It has become near and dear to my heart, because Amos McGee is unwaveringly kind:  he always has tissues for the rhinoceros, he treats the painfully shy penguin with extra gentleness, and he always lets the tortoise win the race.  Amos McGee is the best, and no one can tell me otherwise.

 

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (2013)

A little fish admits his hat doesn’t belong to him.  It fits him perfectly, it clearly should have belonged to him, and it surely won’t be missed—well, probably.  This book is brilliantly illustrated and wholly humorous.  Not only is it thick with irony, it’s delightfully suspenseful.  Will the fish get away with his theft?  Will he make it to the kelp fields and thwart any pursuit?  Probably, maybe, somewhat.

 

The Adventures of Beekle:  The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat (2015)

After an imaginary friend is born on a faraway island, he patiently awaits the arrival of his best friend.  He waits and waits and waits—and then he decides to go out and find them on his own.  This book is wildly imaginative, beautifully illustrated, wonderfully colorful, and fantastically executed.  Honestly, there’s just so much to love about Beekle and his journey.  It’s a classic tale of friendship and finding a place to call home, and it’s an adventure worth taking.

 

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson (2020)

 An ode to the movers and dreamers and achievers and heroes, this book was originally conceived as a poem and quickly became a story of grit, determination, passion, and perseverance.  Written by Alexander, a Newbery Award-winning author, and illustrated by Nelson, a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator, this book crafts a beautiful and heartbreaking narrative about black history in the United States.  It has some of the most magnificent artwork I’ve ever seen.  Each page is an oil painting, each image carefully crafted to match the original poem.  It’s absolutely exquisite.

 

Watercress by Andrea Wang and Jason Chin (2022)

 A young girl is embarrassed when her parents forage for watercress growing on the side of the road; however, she soon learns more about her parents’ history in China and grows to understand the importance of watercress.  This book is a moving story about familial ties and shared history.  The watercolor illustrations are simply beautiful, expressive and lush.  It’s a lovely, heart-wrenching book that brought a few tears to my eyes.

 

Hot Dog by Doug Salati (2023)

 In the city, it’s too hot, too noisy, too crowded, too much!  One little dog and his owner have had enough.  The artwork is bright and colorful and rather unique.  It has a certain style to it that reminded me of my favorite childhood cartoons, but it also has some lovely formatting.  I particularly loved the depictions of the city, feeling boxed in crowded, while the beach was open and bright and blissfully cool.  It’s the perfect summertime read.