Special Collections
Caldecott Award Winners
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Coyote
by Gerald McdermottCoyote, who has a nose for trouble, insists that the crows teach him how to fly, but the experience ends in disaster for him.
Grandfather's Journey
by Allen SayA picture book masterpiece from Caldecott medal winner Allen Say. Lyrical, breathtaking, splendid--words used to describe Allen Say's Grandfather's Journey when it was first published. At once deeply personal yet expressing universally held emotions, this tale of one man's love for two countries and his constant desire to be in both places captures readers' attention and hearts. Images and descriptions available.
Swamp Angel
by Anne Isaacs and Paul O. ZelinskySwamp Angel can lasso a tornado, and drink an entire lake dry. She single-handedly defeats the fearsome bear known as Thundering Tarnation, wrestling him from the top of the Great Smoky Mountains to the bottom of a deep lake.
Caldecott Medal-winning artist Paul O. Zelinsky's stunning folk-art paintings are the perfect match for the irony, exaggeration, and sheer good humor of this original tall tale set on the American frontier.
A Caldecott Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A Time magazine Best Book of the Year
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
John Henry
by Julius LesterJohn Henry is stronger than ten men, and can dig through a mountain faster than a steam drill. Julius Lester's folksy retelling of a popular African-American folk ballad has warmth, tall tale humor, and boundless energy.
Jerry Pinkney illustrates the story with "rich colors borrowed from the rocks and the earth, so beautiful that they summon their own share of smiles and tears" (Booklist).
Caldecott Honors Book
Smoky Night
by Eve Bunting and David DiazWhen the Los Angeles riots break out in the streets of their neighborhood, a young boy and his mother learn the value of getting along with others no matter what their background or nationality. Caldecott Medal winner.
Tops & Bottoms
by Janet StevensHare solves his family's problems by tricking rich and lazy Bear in this funny, energetic version of an old slave story. With roots in American slave tales,Tops & Bottoms celebrates the trickster tradition of using one's wits to overcome hardship. [This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts in grades 2-3 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
Hildilid's Night
by Cheli D. RyanAn old woman named Hildilid lives up on a hill and hates the dark nights. In order to get rid of her fear, she tries to trap the night in a sack.
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
by Lloyd MossUsing evocative poetic language, the author describes ten instruments coming on stage and performing, to the delight of the audience. [This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts for K-1 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
Officer Buckle and Gloria
by Peggy RathmannOfficer Buckle is dedicated to teaching schoolchildren important safety tips, such as never put anything in your ear and never stand on a swivel chair. The problem is, Officer Buckle's school assemblies are dull, dull, dull, and the children of Napville just sleep, sleep, sleep. That is, until Gloria the police dog is invited along!
The Graphic Alphabet
by David PelletierMost alphabet books for pre-readers and early readers set out to make the somewhat abstract idea of letters as clear and as clearly linked to words as possible. In The Graphic Alphabet, graphic designer David Pelletier has created an alphabet book that aims to explore letters for their beauty and complexity as design elements as well as help teach kids how to read. His "A," for example, stands for "avalanche," and with its normally pointed top tumbling down the right diagonal, the letter doesn't just stand for the avalanche, it becomes the word. Pelletier is equally ingenious throughout. And while this might not be the best book to make the concept of letters concrete for youngsters, it will certainly help instill in them a sense of wonder about letters and words.
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
Starry Messenger
by Peter SisPeter Sís gives a view of the life of Galileo Galilei.
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
Golem
by David WisniewskiRetold from traditional sources and accompanied by David Wisniewski's unique cut-paper illustrations, Golem is a dramatic tale of supernatural forces invoked to save an oppressed people. It also offers a thought-provoking look at the consequences of unleashing power beyond human control. The afterword discusses the legend of the golem and its roots in the history of the Jews. A Caldecott Medal Book.
The Gardener
by David Small and Sarah StewartBy the author-and-illustrator team of the bestselling The Library
Lydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a cantankerous baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, bit by bit brightening the shop and bringing smiles to customers' faces with the flowers she grows. But it is in a secret place that Lydia Grace works on her masterpiece -- an ambitious rooftop garden -- which she hopes will make even Uncle Jim smile. Sarah Stewart introduces readers to an engaging and determined young heroine, whose story is told through letters written home, while David Small's illustrations beautifully evoke the Depression-era setting.
The Gardener is a 1997 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and a 1998 Caldecott Honor Book.
Harlem
by Walter Dean MyersA poem calling to life the deep, rich and hope-filled history of the Harlem community. Connects readers to the spirit of Harlem in its music, art, literature, and everyday life.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
by Simms TabackThere was an old lady who swallowed a fly, a favorite American folk poem, was first heard in the United States in the 1940s. Using an ever-expanding die-cut hole, Simms Taback gives us a rollicking, eye-popping version of the well-loved poem.
Rapunzel
by Paul O. ZelinskyTrapped in a tower with no door, Rapunzel is allowed to see no one but the sorceress who has imprisoned her-until the day a young prince hears her singing to the forest birds. . . . The timeless tale of Rapunzel is vividly and magnificently brought to life through Paul O. Zelinsky's powerful sense of narrative and his stunning oil paintings. "Simply put, this is a gorgeous book; it demonstrates respect for the traditions of painting and the fairy tale while at the same time adhering to a singular, wholly original, artistic vision. " (The Horn Book, starred review)
No, David!
by David ShannonWhen David Shannon was five years old, he wrote and illustrated his first book. On every page were these words: NO, DAVID! . . . and a picture of David doing things he was not supposed to do. Now David is all grown up. But some things never change. . . .
Over fifteen years after its initial publication, NO, DAVID! remains a perennial household favorite, delighting children, parents, and teachers alike. David is a beloved character, whose unabashed good humor, mischievous smile, and laughter-inducing antics underline the love parents have for their children--even when they misbehave.
Snow
by Uri ShulevitzThis Caldecott Honor Book and "Publishers Weekly" Best Book of the Year is now in paperback. As snowflakes slowly come down, one by one, people in the city ignore them and only a boy and his dog think that the snowfall will amount to anything. Full color.
Duke Ellington
by Andrea Davis PinkneyEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, "King of the Keys," was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. "He was a smooth-talkin', slick-steppin', piano-playin' kid," writes master wordsmith Andrea Pinkney in the rhythmic, fluid, swinging prose of this excellent biography for early readers. It was ragtime music that first "set Duke's fingers to wiggling." He got back to work and taught himself to "press on the pearlies." Soon 19-year-old Duke was playing compositions "smoother than a hairdo sleeked with pomade" at parties, pool halls, country clubs, and cabarets. Skipping from D.C. to 1920s Harlem, "the place where jazz music ruled," Duke and his small band called the Washingtonians began performing in New York City clubs, including the Cotton Club, where Duke Ellington and his Orchestra was officially born.
Snowflake Bentley
by Jacqueline Briggs MartinSnow in Vermont is as common as dirt. Why would anyone want to photograph it?
But from the time he was a small boy, Wilson Bentley thinks of the icy crystals as small miracles, and he determines that one day his camera will capture for others their extraordinary beauty.
Often misunderstood in his time, Wilson Bentley took pictures that even today reveal two important truths about snowflakes: first, that no two are alike, and second, that each one is startlingly beautiful.
His story, gracefully told by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and brought to life in Mary Azarian's lovely woodcuts, gives children insight into a soul who had not only a scientist's vision and perseverance, but a clear passion for the wonders of nature.
A Child's Calendar
by John UpdikeA collection of twelve poems describing the activities in a child's life and the changes in the weather as the year moves from January to December.
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry
by Molly BangSophie gets mad, climbs a tree to calm down, and is soon ready to come home to her loving family. "The text is. . . brief, for it is Bang's double-page illustrations, vibrating with saturated colors, that reveal the drama of the child's emotions. " - School Library Journal, starred review. "Bang's strong, nonproscriptive acknowledgment of a feeling most children will recognize will be welcomed. " - Booklist, starred review
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
by Simms TabackThe story takes place in a small village in Poland probably in the middle or late 19th century, and the people are dressed in costumes of the period. This elegant picture book tells the story of Joseph's overcoat, and what he does wih it when it wears out. Along the way, children meet some Yiddish words and glimpse a bit of Jewish culture. This picture book includes picture descriptions, and this file should make an excellent embossed braille copy.
Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type
by Doreen Cronin and Betsy LewinFarmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type. All day long he hears:
Click, clack, MOO.
Click, clack, MOO.
Clickety, clack, MOO.
But Farmer Brown's problems REALLY begin when his cows start leaving him notes.... Doreen Cronin's understated text and Betsy Lewin's expressive illustrations make the most of this hilarious situation. Come join the fun as a bunch of literate cows turn Farmer Brown's farm upside down.
Olivia
by Ian FalconerOlivia is a little pig who likes to dress up, sing songs, dance, think, snooze and is even quite good at building sandcastles. At the end of the day, when she snuggles up in bed and her mother reads her a story (or three), Olivia feels very full of love.