Publications about books for children and young adults
We decided to put more titles on the ballot this year. It means more math for Robin when we tally everything Wednesday morning, but she says that’s okay, bless her. On the real committee, once the ballot is decided there is more discussion before voting, so we’d like to hear lots of comments. Lurkers, it’s [...]
Robin and I have been figuring out how to finish things up here with some last-minute posts before the vote. Weirdly, we find that the three books we MOST want to discuss in the next two days are all about real people and have the word “Dream” in the title. I know this sounds like [...]
Robin and I have just worked out the blog logistics for next week. It’s time to mark your calendars, set your watch alarms, make creative alert tones for your smart phones, tie a string around your finger — whatever works for you. Just remember to come vote. It’s especially exciting for us to see the [...]
Here’s a book that was a big favorite around the Horn Book early in the year. I still love it and will add it to my personal collection, but I have to admit that its chances for a Caldecott seem a lot slimmer now that the year is drawing to a close. The central character [...]
As far as I’m concerned, there can never be too many twisted folktale retellings. Since this one is by Mo Willems, it had me at “Once upon a time.” Like lots of fractured folktales, this is full of winks. I’m okay with winks up to a point, but I don’t like it when too many [...]
How can November be over? Somehow it is, and that means our Picture Book Month coverage is finished, too. I was so happy to see this rich mix of new and old material added to the site — and it will stay up for you to enjoy later in case you are feeling the pressures [...]
Here’s a long post coming on the heels of yesterday’s announcement that we would start to get shorter. I’m justifying the length because I suspect Z is for Moose is one of the top contenders this year, and — if my research is correct — it is one of the two most starred picture books [...]
Oh, what has happened to us here at Calling Caldecott? Back in September, Robin and I set up a rigorous posting schedule only to find, a month later, that we were dealing with overwhelming time demands in other areas of our lives. I am amazed by Jonathan and Nina over at Heavy Medal. They must [...]
I hope you all caught Barbara Bader’s picture essay last Thursday, “Absorbing Pictures and What They Say.” It’s not to be missed! Today, we’ve posted an oldie: Esther Averill’s “What Is a Picture Book?” from 1957 in which she discusses the difference between picture books & illustrated books, and the Caldecott Medal’s first twenty years. [...]
Breaking news! The New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2012 have just been announced via Twitter. This year marks the 60th anniversary of this annual picture book award. Judges Chris Raschka, Bruce Handy (Vanity Fair), and Cathryn Mercier (director of the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons College) selected the [...]
