Special Collections
Caldecott Award Winners
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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.
Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present
by Charlotte ZolotowThe heroine of this book has a problem. And at first it does not look as though Mr. Rabbit is going to be much help in solving it. For everyone knows you cannot give your mother a red roof, a yellow taxi-cab, a green caterpillar, or a blue lake for her birthday. But then all the little girl had said was that her mother liked red, yellow, green, and blue--and so Mr. Rabbit was trying.
The Judge
by Harve ZemachA horrible thing is coming this way Creeping closer day by day-- Its eyes are scary, Its tail is hairy... I tell you, Judge, we all better pray! Anxious prisoner after anxious prisoner echoes and embellishes this cry, but always in vain. The fiery old Judge, impatient with such foolish nonsense, calls them scoundrels, ninnyhammers, and throws them all in jail. But in the end, Justice is done--and the Judge is gone. Head first! Harve Zemach's cumulative verse tale is so infectious that children won't be able to avoid memorizing it. And Margot Zemach's hilarious pictures are brimming with vitality as well as color.
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."
Rumpelstiltskin
by Paul O. ZelinskyA miller's daughter finds her life at stake when she needs to turn straw into gold. A tiny man pops out and offers to help, for a very big price. All seems well until the man returns--and she cannot keep her promise. What will she do? Follow along in this retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm tale!
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
Rapunzel
by Paul O. ZelinskyTrapped in a tower with no door, Rapunzel is allowed to see no one but the sorceress who has imprisoned her-until the day a young prince hears her singing to the forest birds. . . . The timeless tale of Rapunzel is vividly and magnificently brought to life through Paul O. Zelinsky's powerful sense of narrative and his stunning oil paintings. "Simply put, this is a gorgeous book; it demonstrates respect for the traditions of painting and the fairy tale while at the same time adhering to a singular, wholly original, artistic vision. " (The Horn Book, starred review)
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.
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.
Hey, Al
by Arthur YorinksAl, a janitor, and his faithful dog, Eddie, live in a single room on the West Side. They eat together, they work together, they do everything together. So what's the problem? You name it. Their tiny home is crowded and cramped; their life is an endless struggle. Al and Eddie are totally miserable until a large and mysterious bird offers them a change of fortune. Transported to a gorgeous island in the sky, they are soon living a life of ease and comfort. But sometimes, they discover, the grass can be a little too green on the other side. After a dramatic escape from their "paradise," both man and dog agree: There really is no place like home. Arthur Yorinks and Richard Egielski have previously collaborated on Sid and Sol, which Maurice Sendak described as "a wonder"; Louis the Fish, named one of the Best Books of 1980 by School Library Journal; and Happened in Pinsk, a Booklist Children's Editors' Choice for 1984.
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
by Audrey Wood and Don WoodIn this delightful story, the king refuses to leave his bathtub and rule the kingdom. "Beauty aside, this also has a panache and sly wit that will please children and their parents, who will be called on to peruse the book again and again." --Booklist
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.
A Chair For My Mother
by Vera B. WilliamsThe jar of coins is full. The day has come to buy the chair--the big, fat, comfortable, wonderful chair they have been saving for. The chair that will replace the one that was burned up--along with everything else--in the terrible fire. A book of love and tenderness filled with the affirmation of life.
Working Cotton
by Sherley Anne WilliamsA young black girl relates the daily events of her family's migrant life in the cotton fields of central California.
Knuffle Bunny Too
by Mo WillemsTrixie hurries to school to show off her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny. But an awful surprise awaits her; someone else has the same bunny! Filled with hilarious illustrations, this is a wonderfully true story that will have the whole family laughing.
Knuffle Bunny
by Mo WillemsTrixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny was left behind. Using a combination of muted black-and-white photographs and expressive illustrations, this stunning book tells a brilliantly true-to-life tale about what happens when Daddy's in charge and things go terribly, hilariously wrong.
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
by Mo WillemsWhen a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place-a pigeon! But you've never met one like this before. As he pleads, wheedles, and begs his way through the book, children will love being able to answer back and decide his fate. In his hilarious picture book debut, popular cartoonist Mo Willems perfectly captures a preschooler's temper tantrum. Images and image descriptions available.
A Visit to William Blake's Inn
by Nancy WillardNancy Willard was inspired by William Blake's verbal and visual imagery as a child. She has now produced a book of poems that are not "in the style of" but more of an homage to Blake's poetry. The organizing principle is that Blake runs and inn and it is staffed and patronized by a variety of fanciful creatures and people. The rhyme schemes and words are mostly simple enough for children. The allusions and imagery extend the interest to older readers.
Newbery Medal Winner
Tuesday
by David WiesnerThe unpredictable events of a particular Tuesday unroll before the reader with the precision and clarity of a silent movie. A Caldecott Medal book.
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.
Flotsam
by David WiesnerA bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam--anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there's no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share . . . and to keep. In each of his amazing picture books, David Wiesner has revealed the magical possibilities of some ordinary thing or happening--a frog on a lily pad, a trip to the Empire State Building, a well-known nursery tale. This time, a day at the beach is the springboard into a wildly imaginative exploration of the mysteries of the deep, and of the qualities that enable us to witness these wonders and delight in them.
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
The Biggest Bear
by Lynd WardJohnny Orchard brings home a playful bear cub that soon becomes huge and a nuisance to the neighbors.
Winner of the Caldecott Medal
A Child's Calendar
by John UpdikeA collection of twelve poems describing the activities in a child's life and the changes in the weather as the year moves from January to December.
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
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.
The Moon Jumpers
by Janice May UdryChildren explore the world around them after the sun has gone down. A Caldecott Honor award winner.