Special Collections
Caldecott Award Winners
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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 Lion and the Mouse
by Jerry PinkneyTextless retelling of the Lion and the Mouse fable, with beautiful images. Winner of the 2010 Caldecott Award. Images and image descriptions available.
Fables
by Arnold Lobelpig flying through marshmallow clouds to a marzipan moon? A camel pirouetting through the desert? A wolf who looks suspiciously like an apple tree-or is it the other way around? A bear in a frying-pan hat and paper-bag boots? Where can a reader-child or adult -find such marvelous things but in a fable? Arnold Lobel, creator of Frog and Toad, has given us his own funny and true fables. Each with a fresh and unexpected moral. Each accompanied by an illustration of glowing color and rich detail. Indeed, the reader of Arnold Lobel's fables will be rewarded - just like the mouse who goes off to see the world - by many moments of happiness. Winner of the 1981 Caldecott Medal This file should make an excellent embossed braille copy.
Drummer Hoff
by Barbara EmberleyIn this poem seven soldiers create a cannon, but Drummer Hoff has the last chance to "fire it off" Winner of the 1968 Caldecott Medal
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.
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
by Paul GobleFrom the Book jacket: In simple words and brilliant paintings that sweep and stam pede across his pages, Paul Goble tells of a Native American girl's love of horses. Her people saw that she understood the herd in a special way. The horses would follow her to drink at the river. And in the hot sun she would sleep con tentedly beside them as they grazed among flowers near her village. One day a thunderstorm drove the girl and the horses far from home, and the people were frightened. The girl was lost beneath strange, moonlit cliffs; yet, next morning, she was glad, for a beautiful stallion who was the leader of the wild horses wel comed her to live with them. PAUL GOBLE is in Residence at the Gall Indian and Western Arts at Mt. Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Among his other books are: THE FRIENDLY WOLF "A young Plains Indian boy and his sister, bored with berry-picking, wander off and become lost. They take overnight shelter in a wolfs den, and, in answer to their pleas for help, the wolf leads them home. Their tribe honors the wolf and declares friendship with the wolf people ... The clear text is complemented by colorful, full-page illustrations which present accurate, richly detailed information about Indian life...A splendid resource for children..." School Library Journal (starred review) LONE BULL'S HORSE RAID "The Plains Indians needed horses for hunting buffalo and hauling their possessions...This story tells of Lone Bull's first horse raid and the battle it led to, which enabled Lone Bull to stand before his people as a warrior. . .Magnificent color illustrations full of rich detail... in this excellently designed, honest portrayal of the Indian point of view." School Library Journal (starred review)
Jumanji
by Chris Van AllsburgThe game under the tree looked like a hundred others Peter and Judy had at home. But they were bored and restless and, looking for something interesting to do, thought they'd give Jumanji a try. Little did they know when they unfolded its ordinary-looking playing board that they were about to be plunged into the most exciting and bizarre adventure of their lives. In his second book for children, Chris Van Allsburg again explores the ever-shifting line between fantasy and reality with this story about a game that comes startlingly to life. His marvelous drawings beautifully convey a mix of the everyday and the extraordinary, as a quiet house is taken over by an exotic jungle.
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 Rooster Crows
by Maud Petersham and Miska PetershamIncludes well-known nursery rhymes, counting-out games, skipping-rope songs, finger games, and other jingles, such as: "The rooster crows and away he goes", "Mother, may I go out to swim", "Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear", and "Roses are red, violets are blue". An American Mother Goose for every child's library, it contains verses from collections all over America, beloved by children for generations and beautifully and charmingly illustrated by famous artists.
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.
The Big Snow
by Berta Hader and Elmer HaderFrom the book: WHEN the geese begin to fly south, the leaves flutter down from the trees and the cold winds begin to blow from the north, the animals of the woods and meadows, big and small, prepare for the long, cold winter ahead when the countryside is hidden under a deep blanket of snow. They gather food and look for warm, snug places in the ground, trees, caves or thickets, where they can find protection against the icy winds. It might have been hard for the birds and animals of the hillside to survive when the Big Snow came if their good friends, who lived in the little stone house, had not remembered to put food out for them. 1949 Caldecott Medal winner.
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.
My Friend Rabbit
by Eric RohmannThis Caldecott Medal Honor book is two-thirds illustrations, which are described. From the front flap: "When Mouse lets his best friend, Rabbit, play with his brand-new airplane, trouble isnt far behind. Of course, Rabbit has a solutionbut when Rabbit sets out to solve a problem, even bigger problems follow. This file should make an excellent embossed braille copy.
A Tree Is Nice
by Janice May Udry"Trees are very nice," says Janice May Udry in her first book for children. She goes on to explain that even one tree is nice, if it is the only one you happen to have. Some of the reasons why trees are so good to have around are funny. Some are indisputable facts. But in all of them there is a sense of poetic simplicity and beauty which will be sure to entrance any young child. Whether your child knows one tree or many, he or she will relish the descriptions of the delights to be had in, with, or under a tree. Marc Simont's joyous pictures, half of them in full color, accentuate the child-like charm of the words. And each painting of a tree or trees shows just how very nice they can be.
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.
Duffy and the Devil
by Harve ZemachIf you remember the story of Rumpelstiltskin, there will be no surprises here. And, the first paragraph may illicit load graons from those who are blind. Caldecott Medal winner. " Squire Lovel of Trove had no wife. His housekeeper, Old Jone, did the cooking and the cleaning for him. But the sharpness had long since gone out of her eyesight, so she couldn't do fine chores any more, like spinning and sewing and knitting. After a time the squire's clothes got so rough and ragged that he thought he'd better go find a maid to be Jone's helper."
The Glorious Flight
by Alice Provensen and Martin ProvensenA biography of the man whose fascination with flying machines produced the Blériot XI which crossed the English Channel in thirty-seven minutes in the early 1900s.
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
by Verna AardemaWhen Mosquito tells iguana a terrible lie, he sets off a chain of events. Owl will not wake the sun, so there is not sunrise. Find out what happens in this West-African tale and find out why mosquitos buzz in people's ears. Winner of the 1976 Caldecott Medal for best picture book.
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship--A Russian Tale
by Arthur RansomeThe Fool of the World, a peasant looked down on by his parents, wins the hand of the Czar's daughter after overcoming enormous obstacles
The Adventures of Beekle
by Dan Santat2015 Caldecott Award Winner!
This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name: Beekle.
New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Dan Santat combines classic storytelling with breathtaking art, creating an unforgettable tale about friendship, imagination, and the courage to find one's place in the world.
The House in the Night
by Susan Marie SwansonA spare, patterned text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home in this bedtime book for young children. Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to preschoolers—a key, a bed, the moon—this timeless book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe.
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.
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
The Egg Tree
by Katherine MilhousKaty and Carl spent a wonderful Easter on a Pennsylvania farm with their cousins and Grandmom. They took part in their first Easter Egg hunt which turned out to be most exciting when Katy found something special in the attic. What Katy finds, and what grandmother does about it, makes a charming story. Out of it comes the Egg Tree with hundreds of colored Easter eggs on its branches. The Egg Tree won the Caldecott Medal in 1951.
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.