Caldecott Medal winners

We are a household of book lovers. We like those good quality books, especially the ones that have stood the test of time. I'm always up for talking about books, so I thought I'd share some of what my littles and I have been reading.

While driving yesterday my (almost 4 year old) son saw a construction site and said, "I think they are building a new library." True story.

This summer I needed fresh, new inspiration for library books for my children. I wanted to have a plan of what I was going to checkout. Considering my studio art background I decided on the Caldecott Medal winners. Many are very familiar to me, but most are completely unknown... until now.

This medal is given to the artist who had created the most distinguished picture book of the year and named in honor of the nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott.

Randolph Caldecott was one of a group of three influential children's illustrators working in England in the 19th century. The other two illustrators were Kate Greenaway and Walter Crane. His illustrations for children were unique to their time in both their humor, and their ability to create a sense of movement, vitality, and action that complemented the stories they accompanied. (via)

And, like I learned in "The Sound of Music", we are starting at the very beginning. A very good place to start. (Well, sort of, I'll have to play catch up on the books that others have checked out or our library doesn't own. The first award was giving in 1938, but I'm starting with 1944.)

1944 Medal Winner: Many Moons , illustrated by Louis Slobodkin; text: James Thurber (Harcourt)

I liked this book! Two thumbs up!! At first glance, I didn't, and I did not like the illustrations. But I'm working on my quick-judging. And after reading it and getting into the story, I changed my mind. I really do like these illustrations! This was a longer book... as in my 22 mo old didn't want to sit for all of it. (But that could just be her, my son at 22 months would sit for l.o.n.g. stretches at a time letting me read book after book!) This story is about how many people try to help solve the king's dilemma with some very interesting solutions. I would check this one out again.

1946 Medal Winner: The Rooster Crows by Maud & Miska Petersham (Macmillan)

Like the title says, it's a collection of rhymes and jingles. Many were new to us. A few were ones we'd only ever heard on Wee Sing Songs and Fingerplays. I'll admit, I don't think we read all of them. We skipped around in the book as we read. Good illustrations! Some in color some black and white.

1947 Medal Winner: The Little Island , illustrated by Leonard Weisgard;

text: Golden MacDonald, pseud. [Margaret Wise Brown] (Doubleday )

A story of an island, a cat and nature. Notice the author. Sound familiar? ...author of Goodnight Moon and the Runaway Bunny! Good book! Another favorite of Lydia! It has a cat, she loves cats!

1948 Medal Winner: White Snow, Bright Snow , illustrated by Roger Duvoisin; text: AlvinTresselt (Lothrop)

I thought it was interesting a "snow" book won this award two years in a row! This one was good too, I just wasn't a fan of the illustrations. But they are bright and bold, very kid friendly I guess.

1949 Medal Winner: The Big Snow by Berta & Elmer Hader (Macmillan)

Loved these illustrations. It was a good story too! One I'd definitely use during a winter/snow themed unit and will check out again this winter! Made me want to always put out bird seed when it snows! (In this heat I love reading about snow!)

1967 Medal Winner: Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness (Holt)

This was one of our favorites! Sam (Samantha), her cat (Bangs), and the stories she makes up (Moonshine). Aaron asked me to read this one several times. Lydia didn't mine either, her love of cats, remember. :-)

1968 Medal Winner: Drummer Hoff , illustrated by Ed Emberley;

text: adapted by Barbara Emberley (Prentice-Hall)

Honestly, I thought about not checking this one out after I saw the cover. But then I remembered I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. These illustrations are just not. my. style. In the end, I decided it was a good book. It rhymed. I always like rhymes. I'm still a little unsure of how it ended though... I think everyone might have gotten blown up when the canon fired?!! Is it just my over active imagination?... everyone is standing RIGHT in front of it?!! If you check this one out, please, let me know what you think.

Sometimes up to four books were awarded honor books each year. If you are looking for more good books to checkout from your library try those runners up too! I KNOW some of those names will be familiar to you!

Have a fantastic weekend all!

Stay cool and happy reading!

Sarah