Adrienne L. Pettinelli
113 Articles
Last 30 days
Last 6 months
Last 12 months
Last 24 months
Specific Dates
From:
To:
The 2026 Caldecott Announcement
Way back in May of 2025, Brian Wilson emailed to ask us if he could write about Fireworks for Calling Caldecott, so we have to credit Brian with seeing this winner coming before the year was half over. I admit I thought the gatefold might mean no gold for this book, but Cátia Chien’s colorful, exuberant illustrations won the day. This...
Review of Nunu and the Sea
Nunu and the Sea by Isabella Kung; illus. by the author Primary Knopf 48 pp. 10/25 9780593812723 $18.99 Enraged by homework she doesn’t understand, Nunu runs into her room, slams the door, screams, and tears up the yellow origami house on her desk. In a story line reminiscent of Sendak’s...
Three days more...
Three more dawns / Three more days / Three days more! (You’re welcome for the Les Mis earworm). We hope the Caldecott committee members get to Chicago before the bitterly cold temps and monster snowstorm hit. If you can’t be bundled up at home, maybe hunkered down in a hotel to vote on the most distinguished picture book of 2025 isn’t such a bad gig? (Whatever you’re doing this weekend, if you’re affected by the extreme weather,...
Results of the 2026 Calling Caldecott mock vote
Our 2026 mock vote winner—by a lot more than a whisker—is: Cat Nap, written and illustrated by Brian Lies. And our one honor book is: Fireworks, illustrated by Cátia Chien, written by Matthew Burgess. Congratulations to Brian Lies and Cátia Chien, and to all of you Calling Caldecott voters! Thanks so much for playing along...
2026 Calling Caldecott Mock Ballot — Now Open!
Now is the time, dear Calling Caldecott readers! Our mock Caldecott poll is open, and it's time to select your top three choices for the most distinguished picture book of 2025. Over the last four-and-a-half months, we’ve covered thirty eligible books (or is it twenty-nine?). We've looked at the ecletic NYT/NYPL’s Best Illustrated list — which doesn’t have to contend with eligibility rules — and we’ve...
Books we missed
I’ve heard a lot of folks say that 2025 was an outstanding year for picture books, and it was, but I think that every year. Announcement day is coming soon, though, and there are some books we didn’t get to cover that we wanted to briefly acknowledge before the big day arrives. I’ll start with...
Aggie and the Ghost
When I was in the fifth grade, our teacher, Mrs. Maleski, had the class keep journals, which she periodically collected and graded. I still have my journal, a classic black-and-white marbled Mead composition book. My personality is fully-formed in its pages—my preoccupation with my pets and what I was having for lunch, my intolerance of wet socks, my focus on...
Review of Outside In and the Inside Out: A Story About Arnold Lobel
Outside In and the Inside Out: A Story About Arnold Lobel by Emmy Kastner; illus. by the author Primary Viking 40 pp. 9/25 9780593692509 $18.99 This picture-book biography of Arnold Lobel (1933–1987), which somewhat mimics the look of Lobel’s Frog and Toad series, explores his life through the lens of...
PREMIUM
Review of Cool Buds: Treasure Map!
Cool Buds: Treasure Map! [I Can Read! Comics]by Barbara Lehman; illus. by the authorPrimary Clarion/HarperCollins 32 pp.1/26 9780063389090 $18.99Paper ed. 9780063389083 $5.99In the second installment of this comics series for new readers (Cool Buds: To the Rescue!), the Cool Buds—an Arctic fox, Atlantic puffin, Arctic hare, and harbor seal—find a...
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
Thank you for visiting.
We’ve noticed you are using a private browser. To continue, please log in or create an account.
