Special Collections
Caldecott Award Winners
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Baboushka and the Three Kings
by Ruth RobbinsThe children of old Russia awaited with joy the coming of Baboushka at Christmastime as our children today await Santa Claus. Baboushka's story is retold here with beauty and warmth. When the three kings ask the old woman to join them in their search for the Child, she declines because her day's work is not finished. In vain, she tries to follow them the next day. Since that distant time, Baboushka has continued her endless search for the Child. The primitive beauty of old Russia is captured in rich four-color pictures by Nicolas Sidjakov, illustrator of the well-known THE FRIENDLY BEASTS. Included is the story in verse with music composed especially for this book.
Always Room for One More
by Sorche Nic LeodhasLachie MacLachlan, the generous hero of this enchanting picture book, is the delightful exception to the rule that the Scots are a thrifty lot. To his "wee house in the heather" where he lives with his wife and ten children, the good-natured Lachie invites every traveler who passes on a'stormy night, assuring all that "there's always room for one more.'" Tinkers, tailors, shepherds, even dogs -sing and dance the night away until, alas, the rafters groan and the walls of his hospitable little home bulge to the bursting point. But Lachie's kindness is repaid. Just how his grateful guests eventually say a wonderful "thank-you" provides a delightfully warm ending to this lilting narrative.
Nine Days To Christmas
by Marie Hall Ets and Aurora LabastidaPublished over 30 years ago, Nine Days to Christmas remains fresh and relevant. Ceci's first Christmas posada party and pinata have made her Mexican town come alive for generations of readers. "The youngest child will be completely transported by this lovely story".
Anatole
by Eve TitusA French mouse decides to earn an honest living by tasting the cheese in a cheese factory and leaving notes about its quality.
Chanticleer and the Fox
by Geoffrey Chaucer and Barbara CooneyWinner of the 1959 Caldecott Medal this interpretation of the Nun's Tale from the Canteberry Tales, is a great lesson.
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
by Mordicai Gerstein
In 1974, as the World Trade Center was being completed, a young French aerialist, Philippe Petit, threw a tightrope between the two towers and spent almost an hour walking, dancing, and performing tricks a quarter of a mile in the sky.
Petit's high wire walk has remained part of the history of New York City and of the World Trade Center. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers captures the poetry and magic of his feat with a poetry of its own: lyrical words and lovely ink and oil paintings that present the detail, the daring, and-in two dramatic foldout spreads-the vertiginous drama of Petit's feat.
Just as the massive towers of the World Trade Center remain in memory, so too does the image of a young man walking in the air between them- here given expression by a master picture book artist.
A Caldecott winner. The book is unpaged.
Mordicai Gerstein is the highly regarded author and illustrator of more than thirty books for children including, most recently, What Charlie Heard, a portrait of the composer Charles Ives.
He lives with his wife, Susan Harris, and their daughter, Risa, in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Winner of the 2004 Caldicot Medal for illustrations.
Just Me
by Marie Hall EtsA charming book for young readers. "A rabbit was nibbling some leaves of a bush. Rabbit, I said. (He didnt have any name because nobody owned him.) Rabbit, I cant fly like a bird, but I can hop like a rabbit. Let me see how you do it. So rabbit went off hoppety, hop, hop. And I hopped just like him."
The Snowy Day
by Ezra Jack KeatsNo book has captured the magic and sense of possibility of the first snowfall better than The Snowy Day. Universal in its appeal, the story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. Images and image descriptions available.
First the Egg
by Laura Vaccaro SeegerWhich came first, the chicken or the egg? The caterpillar or the butterfly? These and other origin questions are answered in a short collection of verses
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor
Seven Blind Mice
by Ed YoungA Caldecott Honor Book. "It's a pillar," says Red Mouse. "It's a fan!" cries Orange Mouse. "No, it's a spear," says Yellow Mouse. But as the seven blind mice go out one by one to investigate the strange Something by the pond, each comes back with a different idea of what it is. Argue as they might, they cannot agree. Only when the last mouse ventures out and investigates do they finally learn for certain what the strange Something is, and what the whole truth is as well! Caldecott medalist Ed Young's paper-collage illustrations joyously capture the wit and humor of this tale based on the ancient fable of the Blind Men and the Elephant. The very youngest readers will delight in Young's brightly colored mice who will lead them to discoveries of color, the days of the week, and one of the truest paths to wisdom.
Ox-Cart Man
by Donald HallChildren's book about the ox-cart man and his hard work throughout the year.
A Sick Day for Amos McGee
by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. SteadTHE BEST SICK DAY EVER and the animals in the zoo feature in this striking picture book debut. Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee's case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it's time they returned the favor A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year and the winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal. Images and image descriptions available.
The Talking Eggs
by Robert D. San SouciA Southern folktale in which kind Blanche, following the instructions of an old witch, gains riches, while her greedy sister makes fun of the old woman and is duly rewarded.
Anatole and the Cat
by Eve Titus and Paul GaldoneAnatole is the happiest, most contented mouse in all of Paris. He is Vice-President in charge of Cheese Tasting at Duvall's cheese factory. He works in secret at night-- the people at Duvall have no idea their mysterious taster is really a mouse! So M'sieu Duvall thinks nothing of bringing his pet cat to the factory... Clever Anatole must act to protect his job, and his life! He must do what no mouse has done before-- find a way to bell the cat. Bonne chance, Anatole!
Cinderella or the Little Glass Slipper
by Charles PerraultThe fairy tale about a gorgeous and poor girl named Cinderella who is ill-treated by her stepmother and stepsisters. Will she find her prince?
Lon Po Po
by Ed YoungIn this Chinese version of the classic fairy tale, a mother leaves her three children home alone while she goes to visit their grandmother. When the children are visited by a wolf, pretending to be their Po Po, or granny, they let him in the house, but ultimately are not fooled by his deep voice and hairy face
Winner of the Caldecott Medal
This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts for K-1 at http://www.corestandards.org.
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins
by Barbara KerleyNot until the mid 1800s were dinosaurs heard of in Victorian England. But when artist Waterhouse Hawkins built the first life-size models of dinosaurs in his native England, and later in America, he dazzled the world with his awe-inspiring creations. The author and illustrator present a story of consuming passion, triumph, loss, and a remarkable legacy that lives on today. Full-color illustrations.
What Do You Say, Dear?
by Sesyle JoslinA handbook of etiquette for young ladies and gentlemen to be used as a guide for everyday social behavior. For very small children.
The Funny Little Woman
by Arlene MoselThis is the story of a funny little woman who lives all by herself in her own little hut. She's a dumpling maker by trade, and one day a naughty dumpling escapes down a crack in her floor. As she reaches for it, the floor gives way and the woman finds herself on an ancient road surrounded by statues of gods. The statues warn the woman not to attract the attention of the local Oni (an evil demon) but the woman's giggles can't keep her hidden for long. Soon she's cooking for all the Oni in their homes with the help of a magic paddle. By the end, however, the woman wishes to return to her house and it is only when she is able to make the Oni laugh at her (rather than vice versa) that she is enabled to escape and prosper. Like all good folktales, this one contains elements that are familiar throughout the world. This book was the recipient of the 1973 Caldecott Medal.
Paddle-to-the-Sea
by Holling Clancy HollingA young Indian boy carves a little canoe with a figure inside and names him Paddle-to-the-Sea. Paddle's journey, in text and pictures, through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean provides an excellent geographic and historical picture of the region.
Arrow to the Sun
by Gerald McdermottA young boy searches for his father, but before he can claim his heritage he must first prove his worthiness by passing through the four ceremonial chambers: the kiva of lions, the kiva of snakes, the kiva of bees, and the kiva of lightning. This book was the Caldecott Book Award Winner in 1975.
Mirette On the High Wire
by Emily MccullyWinner of the 1993 Caldecott Medal. One day, a mysterious stranger arrives at the boardinghouse of the widow Gâteaua sad-faced stranger, who keeps to himself. When the widow's daughter, Mirette, discovers him crossing the courtyard on air, she begs him to teach her how he does it. But Mirette doesn't know that the stranger was once the Great Bellini master wire-walker. Or that Bellini has been stopped by a terrible fear. And it is she who must teach him courage once again. Emily Arnold McCully's sweeping watercolor paintings carry the reader over the rooftops of nineteenth-century Paris, and into an elegant, beautiful world of acrobats, jugglers, mimes, actors, and one gallant, resourceful little girl.
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
Radiant Child
by Javaka SteptoeA visually stunning picture book biography about modern art phenomenon Jean-Michel Basquiat, written and illustrated by Coretta Scott King Award winner Javaka Steptoe.
Jean-Michael Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City. Now, award-winning illustrator Javaka Steptoe's vivid text and bold artwork echoing Basquiat's own introduce young readers to the powerful message that art doesn't always have to be neat or clean--and definitely not inside the lines--to be beautiful.
Winner of the Caldecott Medal
Trombone Shorty
by Troy "Trombone Shorty" AndrewsA 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Award Winner Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six, and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest. Along with esteemed illustrator Bryan Collier, Andrews has created a lively picture book autobiography about how he followed his dream of becoming a musician, despite the odds, until he reached international stardom. Trombone Shorty is a celebration of the rich cultural history of New Orleans and the power of music.