Special Collections
Caldecott Award Winners
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The Treasure
by Uri ShulevitzA poor man, inspired by a recurring dream, journeys to a far city to look for a treasure, only to be told to go home and find it.
[This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts for grades 2-3 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
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
Time of Wonder
by Robert MccloskeyThe author pictures the beauty of rain, the quiet of night, the attractiveness of foggy mornings, the excitement of sailing, the terror of hurricanes, and the peace of Maine Island.
The Three Pigs
by David WiesnerThis Caldecott Medal-winning picture book begins placidly (and familiarly) enough, with three pigs collecting materials and going off to build houses of straw, sticks, and bricks. But the wolf's huffing and puffing blows the first pig right out of the story... and into the realm of pure imagination. The transition signals the start of a freewheeling adventure with characteristic David Wiesner effects--cinematic flow, astonishing shifts of perspective, and sly humor, as well as episodes of flight.
Satisfying both as a story and as an exploration of the nature of story, The Three Pigs takes visual narrative to a new level. Dialogue balloons, text excerpts, and a wide variety of illustration styles guide the reader through a dazzling fantasy universe to the surprising and happy ending.
Three Jovial Huntsmen
by Susan JeffersDespite the many animals in the forest, three hunters see only a ship, a house, and a pincushion and find nothing to shoot.
This Is Not My Hat
by Jon KlassenWINNER OF THE 2013 CALDECOTT MEDAL! From the creator of the #1 New York Times best-selling and award-winning I Want My Hat Back comes a second wry tale. When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. So it’s a good thing that enormous fish won’t wake up. And even if he does, it’s not like he’ll ever know what happened. . . . Visual humor swims to the fore as the best-selling Jon Klassen follows his breakout debut with another deadpan-funny tale.
They All Saw a Cat
by Brendan WenzelThe cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws...
In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many lives of one cat, and how perspective shapes what we see. When you see a cat, what do you see?
A 2017 Caldecott Honor Book
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.
Thank You, Omu!
by Oge MoraIn this remarkable author-illustrator debut that's perfect for fans of Last Stop on Market Street and Extra Yarn as well as for the Thanksgiving season, a generous woman is rewarded by her community.
Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu's delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself?
Debut author-illustrator Oge Mora brings to life a heartwarming story of sharing and community in colorful cut-paper designs as luscious as Omu's stew, with an extra serving of love. An author's note explains that "Omu" (pronounced AH-moo) means "queen" in the Igbo language of her parents, but growing up, she used it to mean "Grandma." This book was inspired by the strong female role models in Oge Mora's life.
A Caldecott Honors Books
Ten, Nine, Eight
by Molly BangNine stuffed animals, one sleepy toddler. Numbers from ten to one are part of this lullaby which observes the room of a little girl going to bed.
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
Tar Beach
by Faith Ringgold"Ringgold recounts the dream adventure of eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot, who flies above her apartment-building rooftop, the 'tar beach' of the title, looking down on 1939 Harlem. Part autobiographical, part fictional, this allegorical tale sparkles with symbolic and historical references central to African-American culture. The spectacular artwork resonates with color and texture. Children will delight in the universal dream of mastering one's world by flying over it. A practical and stunningly beautiful book. "--(starred) Horn
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal
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.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
by William SteigOne rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish that brings unexpected results. How Sylvester is eventually reunited with his loving family and restored to his own donkey self makes a story that is beautifully tender and perfectly joyful.
Illustrated with William Steig's glowing pictures, this winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal is a modern classic beloved by children everywhere. It also features his moving Caldecott Medal acceptance speech.
Swimmy
by Leo LionniA Caldecott Honor Book. When a hungry tuna fish comes to call, Swimmy is the only little fish to survive. All alone, he explores the wonders of sea. At last he finds a new school of fish, and discovers a way that they can safely explore together.
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
Strega Nona
by Tomie DePaolaWhen Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works in this classic Caldecott Honor book from Tomie dePaola.
Strega Nona—"Grandma Witch"—is the source for potions, cures, magic, and comfort in her Calabrian town. Her magical everfull pasta pot is especially intriguing to hungry Big Anthony. He is supposed to look after her house and tend her garden but one day, when she goes over the mountain to visit Strega Amelia, Big Anthony recites the magic verse over the pasta pot, with disastrous results.
In this retelling of an old tale, author-illustrator Tomie dePaola combines humor in the writing and warmth in the paintings as he builds the story to its hilarious climax.
The Stray Dog
by Marc SimontWhen a little dog appears at a family picnic, the girl and boy play with him all afternoon, and they name him Willy. At day's end they say good-bye. But the dog has won their hearts and stays on their minds. The following Saturday the family returns to the picnic grounds to look for Willy, but they are not alone -- the dogcatcher is looking for him, too . . . Caldecott Medalist Marc Simont's heartwarming tale of a stray dog who finds a home is told with appealing simplicity and grace.
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
A Story, A Story
by Gail E. HaleyMany African stories, whether or not they are about Kwaku Ananse the "spider man," are called, "Spider Stories." This book is about how that came to be. The African storyteller begins: "We do not really mean, we do not really mean that what we are about to say is true. A Story, a story; let it come, let it go." And it tells that long, long ago there were no stories on earth for children to hear. All stories belonged to Nyame, the Sky God.
Ananse, the Spider man, wanted to buy some of these stories, so he spun a web up to the sky and went up to bargain with the Sky God. The price the Sky God asked was Osebo, the leopard of-the- terrible-teeth, Mmboro the hornet who-stings-like-fire, and Mmoatia the fairy whom-men-never-see. How Ananse paid the price is told in a graceful and clever text, with forceful, lovely woodcut illustrations, which have been described.
Winner of the 1971 Caldecott Award.
[This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards for K-1 in English language arts at http://www.corestandards.org.]
The Storm Book
by Charlotte ZolotowIt is a day in the country, and everything is hot and still. Then the hazy sky begins to shift. Something is astir, something soundless.
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
by Jon Scieszka and Lane SmithA revisionist storyteller provides his mad, hilarious versions of children's favorite tales in this collection that includes Little Red Running Shorts, The Princess and the Bowling Ball, Cinderumpelstilskin, and others.
Starry Messenger
by Peter Sis"In every age, there are courageous individuals who dare to break with tradition, explore new ideas, and challenge accepted truths. Galileo Galilei was one such figure—a genius who forever changed our understanding of the universe. He was the first to turn the telescope to the heavens, mapping the stars and offering undeniable evidence that the Earth is not the fixed center of the universe, but revolves around the sun alongside other planets. In Starry Messenger, Peter Sis brings Galileo’s remarkable story to life through beautifully woven illustrations, simple yet profound language, and Galileo’s own words written over 350 years ago. This extraordinary book offers a vivid glimpse into the life of a man whose discoveries continue to resonate with truth and inspire generations."
The Spider and the Fly
by Tony Diterlizzi and Mary HowittA New Version of an Old Story first appeared in The New Years in 1829 and five years later in Mary Howitts Sketches of Natural History. Teaches a moral - Not everyone who talks sweetly offers sweets.
So You Want to be President
by Judith St. George
That's a big job, and getting bigger But why not? Presidents have come in just about every variety They've been generals like George Washington and actors like Ronald Reagan; big like William Howard Taft, and small like James Madison; handsome like Franklin Pierce and homely like Abraham Lincoln; They've been born in log cabins like Andrew Jackson and mansions like William Harrison.
[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 2000 Caldecott Medal
Song of the Swallows
by Leo PolitiThe story of the friendship between Juan, a little boy in the California town of Capistrano and Julian, the old gardener and bell-ringer at the Mission of San Juan Capistrano.
Song and Dance Man
by Karen Ackerman and Stephen GammellWhen his grandchildren follow Grandpa up the attic stairs, a dazzling show, better than any on TV, is about to begin! Grandpa opens a dusty trunk, pulls out bowler hat and gold-tipped cane, and suddenly we are back in the good old days, the song and dance days. The lights are twinkling, and a vaudeville man is doing the first slippery steps of the old soft shoe. So sit right back and enjoy the show as Karen Ackerman and Stephen Gammell's warm, wondrous Grandpa brings new life to days gone by.