CALDECOTT BOOK AWARDS - Kindergarten Lessons

What are Caldecott awards? The Caldecott Medal book awards are presented annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published that year.

The award was named in honor of 19th century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. There are now 2 runner up awards as well, since there are many beautifully illustrated picture books published each year.

2015 Caldecott Winner

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, illustrated and written by Dan Santat, Beekle, an imaginary friend, goes through a journey looking for his human. Santat uses fine details, color, and great drawings to convey the essence of this special childhood relationship. “Santat makes the unimaginable, imaginable,” said Caldecott Medal Committee Chair Junko Yokota.

2015 Honor Books:

Nana in the City , written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo

The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art, illustrated by Mary GrandPré, written by Barb Rosenstock

Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett

Viva Frida, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant

This One Summer, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, written by Mariko Tamaki

2014 Caldecott winner

Locomotive, written and illustrated by Brian Floca

It’s the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad.

Shows the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean. Hear the hiss of the steam, feel the heat of the engine, watch the landscape race by. Come ride the rails, come cross the young country!

2014 Honor Books:

Journey, written and illustrated by Aaron Becker

Flora and the Flamingo, written and illustrated by Molly Idle

Mr. Wuffles! written and illustrated by David Wiesner 2013 Caldecott winner – Jon Klassen

The 2013 Caldecott Medal winner is This Is Not My Hat,written and illustrated by Jon Klassen, published by Candlewick Press.

In this funny story, a tiny fish knows it’s wrong to steal a hat. It fits him just right but the big fish wants his hat back.

2013 Caldecott Honor Books

Extra Yarn , also illustrated by Jon Klassen, is written by Mac Barnett. A selfish archduke threatens to halt a little girl’s transformation of a colourless town and steal her box of magical yarn.

Green , illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger.

In this concept book, Seeger engages all the senses with her fresh approach to the multiple meanings of “green.” Using thickly layered acrylics, word pairings and cleverly placed die cuts, she invites readers to pause, pay attention and wonder.

One Cool Friend, illustrated by David Small, written by Toni Buzzeo.

When well-mannered Elliot reluctantly visits the aquarium with his distracting father, he politely asks whether he can have a penguin–and then removes one from the penguin pool to his backpack. The fun of caring for a penguin in a New England Victorian house is followed by a surprise revelation by Elliot’s father.

2012 Caldecott Winner, Chris Raschka

The 2012 Caldecott Medal winner was A Ball for Daisy , written and illustrated by Chris Raschka. In a wordless book with huge children’s appeal, Chris Raschka gives us the story of a little dog whose most prized possession is accidentally destroyed.

Chris Raschkas paintings of watercolor, gouache and ink explore the themes of love and loss that permit thousands of possible variants, said Caldecott Medal Committee Chair Steven L. Herb.

Blackout – One hot summer night in the city, all the power goes out. The TV shuts off and a boy wails, “Mommm!” His sister can no longer use the phone, Mom can’t work on her computer, and Dad can’t finish cooking dinner. What’s a family to do?

When they go up to the roof to escape the heat, they find the lights–in stars that can be seen for a change–and so many neighbors it’s like a block party in the sky!

Grandpa Green wasn’t always a gardener. He was a boy who lived on a farm and a child who had chickenpox. He was a soldier, a husband and, most of all, an artist.

Follow his grandson through a garden where memories are handed down through the shapes of topiary trees and imagination recreates things forgotten.

Me . . . Jane

Patrick McDonnell tells the story of the young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee.

As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of “a life living with and helping all animals,” until one day she finds that her dream has come true.

2011 Caldecott winner, Erin E. Stead

The 2011 winner was illustrator Erin E. Stead for, “A Sick Day for Amos McGee”, written by Philip Stead (Neal Porter/Roaring Brook).

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