Special Collections
Caldecott Award Winners
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Hershel And The Hanukkah Goblins
by Eric A. KimmelA traveler rids a village synagogue of ghosts. A Caldecott Honor Book.
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.
A Very Special House
by Ruth KraussContinuing a two-year program to bring back twenty-two Maurice Sendak treasures long out of print, our second season of publication highlights one of the most successful author-illustrator pairings of all time. A pioneer of great children's literature, Ruth Krauss published more than thirty books for children during a career that spanned forty years. Krauss and Sendak collaborated on eight books, and we are delighted to reintroduce four of these gems in brand-new editions, together with a favorite Maurice Sendak picture book.
Wee Gillis
by Munro Leaf and Robert LawsonA Caldecott Honor Book by the creators of the beloved Story of Ferdinand; Wee Gillis lives in Scotland. He is an orphan, and he spends half of each year with his mother's people in the lowlands, while the other half finds him in the highlands with his father's kin. Both sides of Gillis's family are eager for him to settle down and adopt their ways. In the lowlands, he is taught to herd cattle, learning how to call them to him in even the heaviest of evening fogs. In the rocky highlands, he stalks stags from outcrop to outcrop, holding his breath so as not to make a sound. Wee Gillis is a quick study, and he soon picks up what his elders can teach him. And yet he is unprepared when the day comes for him to decide, once and for all, whether it will be the lowlands or the highlands that he will call his home. Robert Lawson and Munro Leaf's classic picture book is a tribute to the powers of the imagination...
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.
Hansel and Gretel
by Rika LesserPaul O. Zelinsky's stunning Caldecott Honor Book allows readers to see the story of Hansel and Gretel anew. Full color. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.
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
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
We Are Water Protectors
by Carole LindstromInspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption―a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade. Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all . . . When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth And poison her people’s water, one young water protector Takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.
A Big Mooncake for Little Star
by Grace LinA gorgeous picture book that tells a whimsical origin story of the phases of the moon, from award-winning, bestselling author-illustrator Grace Lin Pat, pat, pat...
Little Star's soft feet tiptoed to the Big Mooncake.Little Star loves the delicious Mooncake that she bakes with her mama. But she's not supposed to eat any yet! What happens when she can't resist a nibble?
In this stunning picture book that shines as bright as the stars in the sky, Newbery Honor author Grace Lin creates a heartwarming original story that explains phases of the moon.
A Caldecott Honors 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.
Frederick
by Leo LionniWhile the other field mice work to gather grain and nuts for winter, Frederick sits on a sunny rock by himself.
"I gather sun rays for the cold dark winter days," he tells them. Another day he gathers "colors," and then "words."
And when the food runs out, it is Frederick, the dreamer and poet, whose endless store of supplies warms the hearts of his fellow mice, and feeds their spirits during the darkest winter days.
Frederick's story will warm readers as well in this Caldecott Honor winning fable.Now available as an eBook.
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.
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.
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.
Mice Twice
by Joseph LowA round of uneasy hospitality results when Mouse and Dog arrive at Cat's house for dinner.
Black and White
by David MacaulayFour stories are told simultaneously, with each double-page spread divided into quadrants. The stories do not necessarily take place at the same moment in time, but are they really one story?
Winner of the Caldecott Medal
Castle
by David MacaulayThe word itself conjures up mystery, romance, intrigue, and grandeur. What could be more perfect for an author/illustrator who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern man?
With typical zest and wry sense of humor punctuating his drawings, David Macaulay traces the step-by-step planning and construction of both castle and town.
Cathedral
by David MacaulayReaders worldwide recognize Caldecott Medal winner David Macaulay's imaginary Cathedral of Chutreaux. This critically acclaimed book has been translated into a dozen languages and remains a classic of children's literature and a touchstone for budding architects.
Cathedral's numerous awards include a prestigious Caldecott Honor and designation as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year for Macaulay's intricate pen-and-ink illustrations. Journey back to centuries long ago and visit the fictional people of twelfth-, thirteenth-, and fourteenth-century Europe whose dreams, like Cathedral, stand the test of time.
This title has been selected as a Common Core text exemplar (Grades 6-8, Informational Texts: Science, Mathematics, and Technical Studies).
The Little Island
by Golden MacdonaldOnce there was a little island in the ocean. That little island changes as the seasons come and go. The storm and the day and night change it. So do the lobsters and seals and gulls that stop by. Then one day a kitten visits the little island and learns a secret that every child will enjoy.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
by James Marshall"With the same delightfully irreverent spirit that he brought to his retellings of Little Red Riding Hood, Marshall enlivens another favorite ... The illustrations are fraught with delicious humor and detail. Like its predecessor, perfect for several uses, from picture book hour to beginning reading".--Kirkus Reviews. Caldecott Honor Medal.
Alma and How She Got Her Name
by Juana Martinez-NealIf you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.
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.
Last Stop On Market Street
by Matt de la Peña and Christian RobinsonEvery Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn't he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty--and fun--in their routine and the world around them.
This energetic ride through a bustling city highlights the wonderful perspective only grandparent and grandchild can share.
Winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal
A 2016 Caldecott Honor Book
A New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2015
A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of 2015
Hondo & Fabian
by Peter MccartyA Caldecott Honor Book. Hondo the dog is off to the beach, on an adventure with his friend Fred. Fabian the cat stays at home, and gets into mischief with the baby. Who will have more fun?