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Happy Picture Book Month! I am participating in a 2018 Mock Caldecott unit with Mr. Colby Sharp's fifth graders. We will read, evaluate, and discuss twenty-one picture books.

1. In identifying a "distinguished American picture book for children," defined as illustration, committee members need to consider:

1. Excellence of execution in the artistic technique employed;

2. Excellence of pictorial interpretation of story, theme, or concept;

3. Appropriateness of style of illustration to the story, theme or concept;

4. Delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting, mood or information through the pictures;

5. Excellence of presentation in recognition of a child audience.

2. The only limitation to graphic form is that the form must be one which may be used in a picture book. The book must be a self-contained entity, not dependent on other media (i.e., sound, film or computer program) for its enjoyment.

3. Each book is to be considered as a picture book. The committee is to make its decision primarily on the illustration, but other components of a book are to be considered especially when they make a book less effective as a children's picture book. Such other components might include the written text, the overall design of the book, etc. (Please click here to view the full manual.)

Nominee 1: Windows by Julia Denos; illustrated by E.B. Goodale

I premiered the book trailer on September 26, 2017.

E.B. Goodale: Hi John! Thanks for helping us celebrate the book trailer for Windows.

Thank you both for visiting Watch. Connect. Read. to finish my sentences and celebrate the book trailer. Shall we get started?

was so much fun to make! Julia and I spent a day together in my studio crafting it and making our little world come to life. The book trailer for Windows Windows has been a true collaboration between the two of us since the beginning and animating it felt like the culmination of our work together.

My husband, Jeff Allen, is a sound designer and composer for video games and so naturally I asked him to write the music for the trailer. We have never had an opportunity to collaborate until now and it was a blast! He has been a part of the Windows journey since the beginning as well (the interior apartment in the book is based on our real life home and neighborhood) and so having his soundtrack is the cherry on top of it all.

When I received the manuscript for Windows, I actually cried! It is a sweet, simple story that highlights the beauty in the everyday and sparks joy in my heart.

Julia Denos and Ifirst met working in a children's bookstore together many years ago and have been best buds ever since. This collaboration has been many years in the making and so we are VERY excited to share it with the world!

Windows tells the story of evening in a local neighborhood. It's all about that crepuscular time between night and day when the lights turn on in the windows down your street. Taking a walk through your neighborhood becomes a new experience.

E.B. Goodale's cover illustration captures the heart of that feeling: being outside, being inside. In just one moment you can pass by many worlds different from your own, but all of them "home".

Windows is my debut picture book text (as author only) for Candlewick Press. I wrote it with Emily in mind. I've always been moved by her atmospheric art and we have a similar taste in the stories we love, so it felt right to begin making books together. It's an honor to work with her.

From the New York Times-bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend comes the inspiring epilogue to the beloved classic nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty. After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat is a masterful picture book that will remind readers of all ages that life begins when you get back up.

For the launch of AFTER THE FALL, Dan Santat is going on a tour that literally REACHES NEW HEIGHTS at each and every stop! Starting in New Orleans, LA and ending in Denver, CO, the tour goes from sea level to "mile high" and many places in between, as you can see in the graphic below!

Nominee 3: This House, Once by Deborah Freedman

Barbara Herkert finished my sentences on March 29, 2017.

The first time I saw Caldecott Honor artist Lauren Castillo's cover illustration for A Boy, A Mouse, and A Spider: The Story of E. B. White I was thrilled! For me, Lauren's artwork brings the same warmth and tenderness to E.B. White's story as Garth Williams brought to Charlotte's Web.

was afraid of everything when he was a small boy? Writing helped him ease his fears.

was the finest children's book ever written! I love E.B. White's lists, his use of all the senses, and his delicious language. It is a celebration of the world, of nature in all its glory. Thank you, E.B. White.

School libraries are are safe havens where children can discover their passions, forget their fears. We need them now more than ever.

Picture books are art forms! They are opportunities for cuddle time, to share dreams and passions.

Mr. Schu, you should have asked me how it felt to walk in E.B. White's world for a while. More wonderful than I ever could have imagined. What an amazing man.

Nominee 6: The Antlered Ship by Dashka Slater; illustrated by Terry Fan and Eric Fan

Nominee 7: Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell
Matthew Cordell finished my sentences on November 30, 2017.

The book trailer for Wolf in the Snow gets to, I think, much of what the heart of the book is about for me. What do we do when confronted with a difficult choice? When there is fear and suffering, do we think of ourselves, acting in our own best interests? Or do we go beyond that and think of those around us? And who are the ones around us? Are they good? Bad? Are we good? Bad? As we are confronted with so many stereotypes and prejudices-about ourselves and others-we should all always be challenging ourselves with these questions and answers. Now more than ever. Adults and children alike.

Wolf in the Snow's cover shows the book's two heroes. A girl and a wolf pup. The girl in this story is a very brave soul. The pup is brave to trust her. What happens when the girl reunites the pup with its pack takes incredible courage. And what happens after that takes incredible trust on behalf of everyone. To me, a wolf is a powerfully brave and loving creature. Loyal to family. And fiercely protective. I kept asking myself... is the "wolf" in this book just the wolf? Or is it the girl too?

I created the illustrations in my favorite blend of pen and ink drawing with watercolor painting. But the art in this book is slightly different from some of my others. The girl and surrounding nature are drawn very loosely and minimally-as I tend to do. But the wolves are drawn more realistically and more detailed than I typically draw. For one, to suggest the distinct difference between wolf and human. How we might think and react and how they might. I hope the art will also put the reader in a very real place as they see the wolves drawn in this way. It takes a lot of courage for the girl to do what she does in the book-to bring a lost wolf pup back to its pack. Before she, also lost, finds her own way home. It was essential to depict the wolves more realistically to draw out these feelings of fear and, ultimately, reassurance that play out in the book.

I hope Wolf in the Snow leads children and adults to want to learn more about wolves. I knew next to nothing about wolves when I first embarked upon the journey of making this book. As I tried (and failed many times) to find the story in this book, I found another entirely true story about wolves. They have been demonized throughout literature. (Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, etc.) Which has led to the unfair treatment and relentless killing of these noble creatures. In fact, they are highly complex, intelligent animals. They want much of the same things that we want. Safety. Family. Companionship. Joy. Life. They are wild animals, but they are not bloodthirsty and vicious. They hunt animals-not humans-purely for survival. And wolves have come to fear humans, just as we have come to fear them.

Wordless picture books are deceptively difficult. They are difficult to make and they are difficult to read. Because there are no words, the visual language needs to be clearer than ever. Because there are no words, they can be read in a multitude of ways. This can be a wonderful thing. Or-if confusing-this could be the worst thing. When a wordless picture book works, it is brilliant. I won't try and shoot for brilliance, but I'll just hope that my book works.

Matt: Yes, this story began with a pair of cardinals who visited my yard countless times. When my kids were very young, it became a sort of game. If we spotted one of the cardinals out at the bird feeder, we'd go to the window to see if we could find the other one. They were almost always together. I was struck by their devotion to each other and wondered how far one of them might fly to be with the other, if they ever became separated.

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Happy Picture Book Month! I am participating in a 2018 Mock Caldecott unit with Mr. Colby Sharp's fifth graders. We will read, evaluate, and discuss twenty-one picture books.

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Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)

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Terms

1. The Medal shall be awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year. There are no limitations as to the character of the picture book except that the illustrations be original work. Honor books may be named. These shall be books that are also truly distinguished.

2. The award is restricted to artists who are citizens or residents of the United States. Books published in a U.S. territory or U.S. commonwealth are eligible.

3. The committee in its deliberations is to consider only books eligible for the award, as specified in the terms.

Definitions

1. A "picture book for children" as distinguished from other books with illustrations, is one that essentially provides the child with a visual experience. A picture book has a collective unity of story-line, theme, or concept, developed through the series of pictures of which the book is comprised.

2. A "picture book for children" is one for which children are an intended potential audience. The book displays respect for children's understandings, abilities, and appreciations. Children are defined as persons of ages up to and including fourteen and picture books for this entire age range are to be considered.

3. "Distinguished" is defined as:

1. Marked by eminence and distinction; noted for significant achievement.

2. Marked by excellence in quality.

3. Marked by conspicuous excellence or eminence.

4. The artist is the illustrator or co-illustrators. The artist may be awarded the medal posthumously.

5. The term "original work" may have several meanings. For purposes of these awards, it is defined as follows:
"Original work" means that the illustrations were created by this artist and no one else. Further, "original work" means that the illustrations are presented here for the first time and have not been previously published elsewhere in this or any other form. Illustrations reprinted or compiled from other sources are not eligible.

6. "American picture book in the United States" means that books first published in previous years in other countries are not eligible. Books published simultaneously in the U.S. and another country may be eligible. Books published in a U.S. territory or U.S. commonwealth are eligible.

7. "In English" means that the committee considers only books written and published in English. This requirement DOES NOT limit the use of words or phrases in another language where appropriate in context.

8. "Published...in the preceding year" means that the book has a publication date in that year, was available for purchase in that year, and has a copyright date no later than that year. A book might have a copyright date prior to the year under consideration but, for various reasons, was not published until the year under consideration. If a book is published prior to its year of copyright as stated in the book, it shall be considered in its year of copyright as stated in the book. The intent of the definition is that every book be eligible for consideration, but that no book be considered in more than one year.

9. "Resident" specifies that author has established and maintains a residence in the United States, U.S. territory, or U.S. commonwealth as distinct from being a casual or occasional visitor.

10. The term, "only the books eligible for the award," specifies that the committee is not to consider the entire body of the work by an artist or whether the artist has previously won the award. The committee's decision is to be made following deliberation about books of the specified calendar year.

Criteria

1. In identifying a "distinguished American picture book for children," defined as illustration, committee members need to consider:

1. Excellence of execution in the artistic technique employed;

2. Excellence of pictorial interpretation of story, theme, or concept;

3. Appropriateness of style of illustration to the story, theme or concept;

4. Delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting, mood or information through the pictures;

5. Excellence of presentation in recognition of a child audience.

2. The only limitation to graphic form is that the form must be one which may be used in a picture book. The book must be a self-contained entity, not dependent on other media (i.e., sound, film or computer program) for its enjoyment.

3. Each book is to be considered as a picture book. The committee is to make its decision primarily on the illustration, but other components of a book are to be considered especially when they make a book less effective as a children's picture book. Such other components might include the written text, the overall design of the book, etc.

Note: The committee should keep in mind that the award is for distinguished illustrations in a picture book and for excellence of pictorial presentation for children. The award is not for didactic intent or for popularity.

[Adopted by the ALSC board, January 1978. Revised, Midwinter 1987. Revised, Annual 2008.]

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Terms The Medal shall be awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year. There are no limitations as to the character of the picture book except that the illustrations be original work.

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Some children's book illustrators might not have gotten a lot of sleep over the weekend. That's because they might have been wondering if this could be the year they win one of the grand prizes of children's literature: the Randolph Caldecott Medal.

This year is the 75th anniversary of the Caldecott, which is given to the most distinguished children's picture book of the year. The winner is being named Monday morning at a meeting of the American Library Association.

Retired children's librarian Rita Auerbach, who chaired the 2010 Caldecott award committee, says picture books allow children who are not yet readers to tell themselves the story. They "give children a sense of pictorial possibility - a way to imagine words that they might not imagine on their own," she says.

The Caldecott Medal has been given to a long list of children's books, from Make Way for Ducklings and Madeline's Rescue to Where the Wild Things Are and The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

"It's a little like winning the Nobel Prize, in that forever afterward you are 'Caldecott-winning illustrator,' " Auerbach says. "That phrase accompanies your name wherever your name appears, and that's a quite wonderful thing."

As important as the honorific may be, the Caldecott has another advantage. It has a big impact on sales - more so than most literary awards. Chris Van Allsburg won in 1982 for Jumanji, and he says he didn't quite want to believe he was in the running. "I always believe that you can curse your possible good fortune by anticipating it. So a much better mindset is to tell yourself you couldn't possibly get it, but on some level believe that it might still happen," he laughs. "So that's a hard place to get to mentally, but I'm capable of doing it."

Van Allsburg won a second Caldecott in 1986 for The Polar Express, which has become a beloved children's classic, especially popular around Christmas. "Years ago I signed it for parents giving it to their children, and their children have subsequently become parents themselves, so now I am signing it for that generation, so that's a terrific feeling."

Kevin Henkes has created a series of books about whimsical little kids who just happen to be mice: Chrysanthemum, Sheila Ray the Brave and, perhaps most famously, Lily, of Lily's Purple Plastic Purse. So it was somewhat ironic that he won his Caldecott for Kitten's First Full Moon, a book about the natural enemy of mice. "It is funny, I think - the bulk of my work, the thing I am most well-known for are the mouse books, but I'll take it," he says, laughing.

Like Van Allsburg, Henkes writes as well as illustrates his books. He says he loves the way words and pictures can play against one another. "When it's done right, it can be so beautiful," he says. "And I think when it's done right and you see those words and those pictures together, those particular words and those particular pictures, once you see them you can't separate them anymore because they really become one."

Both Henkes and Van Allsburg say they're happy their books have helped young children learn to read. Van Allsburg, who started as a sculptor, says he never expected to get fan mail from teachers. "They say, 'Mr. Van Allsburg, your books have a kind of challenge and a puzzle and a mystery to them that seem to stimulate the desire for the kids to read, and they've been enormously helpful in getting kids who are reluctant readers to become enthusiastic readers,' " he says. "I think that's just naturally what will happen if you've got a great story and it's got some great pictures along with it. "

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A Colorful Anniversary: The Caldecott Medal Turns 75

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The award for the most distinguished children's picture book of the year is announced Monday. The first winner, in 1938, was a book of illustrated animals from the Bible, but the medal has also gone to books like Madeline's Rescue and Where the Wild Things Are.

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