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Caldecott Award Winners
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The Noisy Paint Box
by Mary Grandpre and Barb RosenstockVasya Kandinsky was a proper little boy: he studied math and history, he practiced the piano, he sat up straight and was perfectly polite. And when his family sent him to art classes, they expected him to paint pretty houses and flowers--like a proper artist. But as Vasya opened his paint box and began mixing the reds, the yellows, the blues, he heard a strange sound--the swirling colors trilled like an orchestra tuning up for a symphony! And as he grew older, he continued to hear brilliant colors singing and see vibrant sounds dancing. But was Vasya brave enough to put aside his proper still lifes and portraits and paint . . . music? In this exuberant celebration of creativity, Barb Rosenstock and Mary GrandPré tell the fascinating story of Vasily Kandinsky, one of the very first painters of abstract art. Throughout his life, Kandinsky experienced colors as sounds, and sounds as colors--and bold, groundbreaking works burst forth from his noisy paint box. Backmatter includes four paintings by Kandinsky, an author's note, sources, links to websites on synesthesia and abstract art.From the Hardcover edition.
Henry's Freedom Box
by Ellen Levine and Kadir NelsonA stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mails himself to freedom by a Jane Addams Peace Award-winning author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist.
Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves' birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows up and marries, but he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows exactly what he must do: He will mail himself to the North. After an arduous journey in the crate, Henry finally has a birthday -- his first day of freedom.
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
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.
Hershel And The Hanukkah Goblins
by Eric A. KimmelA traveler rids a village synagogue of ghosts. A Caldecott Honor Book.
The Relatives Came
by Cynthia RylantIn a rainbow-colored station wagon that smelled like a real car, the relatives came.
When they arrived, they hugged and hugged from the kitchen to the front room.
All summer they tended the garden and ate up all the strawberries and melons.
They plucked banjos and strummed guitars.
When they finally had to leave, they were sad, but not for long.
They all knew they would be together next summer.
Frog and Toad Are Friends
by Arnold LobelFrom writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other--just as best friends should be. Images and image 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
Jambo Means Hello
by Muriel L. FeelingsA children's introduction to Swahili. Winner of the Caldecott Honor Medal and an ALA Notable Book.
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse
by Leo LionniA Caldecott Honor Book. Alexander, the mouse, makes friends with Willy, a toy mouse, and wants to be just like him until he discovers that Willy is to be thrown away.
Marshmallow
by Clare Turlay NewberryA Caldecott Honor Book. Oliver is a tabby cat and Marshmallow is a baby rabbit who moves into Olivers home. At first Oliver does not welcome Marshmallow, but the little bunnys charms are impossible to resist.
Interrupting Chicken
by David Ezra SteinIt's bedtime for the little red chicken, and papa is going to read her a story. "You're not going to interrupt the story tonight, are you?" asks Papa. "Oh no, Papa. I'll be good," says the little red chicken. But she just can't help herself! Whether it's Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, or Chicken Little, as soon as the story gets going . . . out jumps the little red chicken--right into the story--saving the characters from danger and ending the story early. Will that chicken ever get to sleep?
McElligot's Pool
by Dr SeussA young man dreams of all the fish that might just be coming to be caught in McElligot's pool, from whales, to dogfish, from catfish to eels. Let your imagination run wild in this delightful story.
April's Kittens
by Clare Turlay Newberry(Book has picture descriptions) Many children understand April's dilemma when her cat, Sheba, has three kittens. April is thrilled until her father insists that theirs is strictly a one-cat household. April must give up three cats, but which ones? The aptly named Charcoal? Tiger-striped Butch? Sweet-faced Brenda? -- or even Sheba? How April eventually comes up with the perfect solutions makes for a heartwarming story that has appealed to many young cat lovers and will continue to delight generations of children everywhere.
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.
The Right Word
by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet2015 Caldecott Honor Book
2015 Sibert Medal Winner
For shy young Peter Mark Roget, books were the best companions -- and it wasn't long before Peter began writing his own book. But he didn't write stories; he wrote lists. Peter took his love for words and turned it to organizing ideas and finding exactly the right word to express just what he thought. His lists grew and grew, eventually turning into one of the most important reference books of all time.
Readers of all ages will marvel at Roget's life, depicted through lyrical text and brilliantly detailed illustrations. This elegant book celebrates the joy of learning and the power of words.
Rain Drop Splash
by Alvin TresseltWith this classic picture book, young readers can follow the course of a heavy rain as it drenches people and animals and changes the landscape below.
Bartholomew and the Oobleck
by Dr SeussAn ooey-gooey, green oobleck was not exactly what the king had in mind when he ordered something extra-special from his royal magicians.
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.]
Little Bear's Visit
by Else Holmelund MinarikLittle Bear spends a day with Grandmother and Grandfather Bear and has so much fun, he falls fast asleep.
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
Green Eyes
by A. BirnbaumCaldecott Honor winning illustrator, A. Birnbaum has captured the childlike wonder of each season in this 1953 picture book. Green Eyes, the curious kitten, ventures beyond his familiar big red box and greets spring, summer, fall, and winter--each with their unique colors, scents, and feelings. Children will delight in discovery with Green Eyes as he ventures out and cozies up to the familiar warmth of home upon his return.A Caldecott Honor BookA New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book "Spectacular." --The New Yorker"This genius among caricaturists, Birnbaum, brings the essence of his art to the eyes of small children." --New York Herald Tribune"Here is everything a small looker wants and needs in a first picture book." --The Chicago Tribune
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
When I was Young in the Mountains
by Cynthia RylantA story about the childhood reminiscences of growing up in the Appalachian Mountains & the pleasures in life.
Moses
by Carole Boston Weatherford and Kadir Nelson2007 Caldecott Honor book
I SET THE NORTH STAR IN THE HEAVENS AND I MEAN FOR YOU TO BE FREE . . .
Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman hears these words from God one summer night and decides to leave her husband and family behind and escape. Taking with her only her faith, she must creep through the woods with hounds at her feet, sleep for days in a potato hole, and trust people who could have easily turned her in.
But she was never alone.
In lyrical text, Carole Boston Weatherford describes Tubman's spiritual journey as she hears the voice of God guiding her north to freedom on that very first trip to escape the brutal practice of forced servitude. Tubman would make nineteen subsequent trips back south, never being caught, but none as profound as this first one. Courageous, compassionate, and deeply religious, Harriet Tubman, with her bravery and relentless pursuit of freedom, is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal
Dave the Potter
by Laban Carrick HillTo us it is just dirt, the ground we walk on... But to Dave it was clay, the plain and basic stuff upon which he formed a life as a slave nearly 200 years ago. Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter living in South Carolina in the 1800s. He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved onto his pots, transcending the limitations he faced as a slave. In this inspiring and lyrical portrayal, National Book Award nominee Laban Carrick Hill's elegantly simple text and award-winning artist Bryan Collier's resplendent, earth-toned illustrations tell Dave's story, a story rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty.
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal
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.