CALDECOTT AWARD WINNING LITERATURE

By: Kimberlee Vogel

2008 MEDAL WINNERThe Invention of Hugo Cabret

by Brian Selznick

When Hugo's father, a clockmaker, is killed in a fire, he's taken in by his uncle. They live together in a hidden room inside the walls of the Paris train station, where it's his job to maintain the station clocks -- until one night he disappears. Now Hugo is alone, still living inside the station walls, stealing to survive, and still maintaining the clocks so no one will know his uncle is gone. Hugo also works on an automaton, a mechanical man, that his father was trying to restore. He steals parts from a toyshop in the station. When he is caught, the mean store owner takes away his father's notebook and threatens him with arrest. But the old man's hidden past and Hugo's are intertwined, and the secret message hidden in the automaton's workings is only the beginning.

Ages 8 and up

2007 MEDAL WINNER

Flotsam by David Wiesner 

While digging for crabs, a wave sweeps the boy off his

feet and deposits an underwater camera on the

sand in front of him. After he recovers, he has the film

developed and is captivated by what he finds. Ultimately, he tosses the camera back

into the sea, where it's carried away by various creatures until it again

washes ashore for a new child to find.

Ages 4 and up

2006 MEDAL WINNER

The Hello, Goodbye Window 

illustrated by Chris Raschka written by  Norton Juster

A little girl recounts visits to her

grandparents' house, which always begin

and end with a stop at the Hello, Goodbye

Window in their kitchen.

Ages 2 and up

2005 MEDAL WINNERKitten's First Full

Moon illustrated and

written by Kevin Henkes

Ages 3 and up

Sitting on the stairs, little Kitten sees what

she takes to be a small bowl of milk in the night sky, but try

as she might, she cannot get to it. She reaches and chases

the bowl, but it always eludes her. Climbing up a tree, she sees

below what she thinks is an even bigger bowl of milk. Of course, it is

the moon and she gets soaking wet when

she jumps into its reflection on the

water. A real bowl of milk left for her on the porch gives the story a

happy ending.

2004 MEDAL WINNER

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers illustrated and written by Mordicai Gerstein

Ages 4 and up

Based on the true story of Philippe Petit, a French street performer living in

New York City who specialized in tight rope

walking, the events occurred in 1974. Petit decided that he wanted to walk from one of the

towers of the World Trade Center to the other.

2003 MEDAL WINNERMy Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann

Ages 3 and up

Though he means well, Rabbit's

exuberance gets him into trouble at

times. Still, his friend Mouse lets

him fly his toy plane, which of course

ends up in a tree. Rabbit's inventive solution to get the plane down doesn't exactly work ... but wait, not to worry, he has a new idea.

2002 MEDAL WINNER

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

In this revisitation of the Three Little Pigs, the pigs escape the storyline when the wolf blows down

their houses. They visit other fairytale

stories and eventually bring

their friends home to live in their still-

standing brick house.

Ages 4 and up

2001 MEDAL WINNERSo You Want to Be

President? Illustrated by David

Small text by Judith St.

GeorgeThis witty and sometimes irreverent

bookintroduces the Presidency and the men

whohave filled that office, from GeorgeWashington to George W. Bush. The

book isnot organized chronologically. Instead

thePresidents are grouped and compared

in original and amusing ways. One pageorganizes the Presidents by first names: your best chance at the Presidency is to be named James! Other pages compare

Presidents by physical size, spending habits, previous occupations, leisure

pursuits and marital status. The comparisons show the Presidentsas real, sometimes flawed, human

beings.

Ages 6-12

2000 MEDAL WINNER

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

Poor Joseph! His beloved overcoat is old

and worn. Clever Joseph! He continues

to find ways to ingeniously reinvent his tattered attire. Although Joseph's

clothing is patched and worn, the cheerful, vibrant illustrations

reveal the true riches in this Yiddish farmer's

life.Ages 4 and up

1999 MEDAL WINNERSnowflake Bentley Illustrated by Mary

Azarian text by Jacqueline Briggs

Martin

Ages 4 and up

Everyone believes that no two snowflakes are alike.

Why? Because Wilson Bentley spent his life

photographing over 6,000 of them, and never found a

match. From an early age, Bentley was fascinated by snow and wanted to share

its beauty. Jacqueline Briggs Martin's eloquent text and

Mary Azarian's colorful woodcuts illustrate his life and convey his enthusiasm

for snow.

1998 MEDAL WINNERRapunzel

by Paul O. Zelinsky

Ages 4 and up

A pregnant woman craves the leafy rapunzel growing in a sorceress's garden. When her

husband sneaks into the garden to steal some, the sorceress catches him, and she makes him

promise to give his first-born child to her.The sorceress raises infant Rapunzel, and, when the girl turns twelve, imprisons her in a tower. The only way to enter or exit the tower is to climb Rapunzel's long hair, and one day a

prince discovers the secret. He climbs, they meet, they marry.

When the sorceress learns that Rapunzel is pregnant, she chops off Rapunzel's hair in a

rage and banishes her to the wilderness. The next time the prince climbs the tower to his

bride, he finds only the sorceress, who tells him he'll never see his wife again.

Grief-stricken, he crashes to the ground and is blinded by thorns. A year later, chance reunites him with Rapunzel. Her tears of joy restore his vision. At last they can live happily ever after.

1997 MEDAL WINNER

Golem by David Wisniewski

Ages 8 and up

To combat the persecution of the Jews in Prague, the

chief rabbi creates a powerful giant of clay

(the Golem). The Golem looks on him

as a father, and does all he can to help the

Jews fight their enemies. End notes develop the legend further and tell the

history of the persecution and

repression of Jews.

1996 MEDAL WINNEROfficer Buckle and Gloria

by Peggy Rathmann

Ages 4 and up

The students at Napville School snooze through Officer Buckle's safety speeches until his new police dog, Gloria, joins the act. Gloria's acting talents suddenly make

Officer Buckle the talk of the town. This zany book,

illustrated in vibrant color, tickles funny bones

while teaching gentle lessons about safety and

teamwork.

1995 MEDAL WINNERSmoky Night

illustrated by David Diaztext: Eve Bunting

Is based on the Los Angeles riots. It is told by a little boy home alone with his mother and his cat. His mother tries to explain why people riot and

she tries to protect her son from what is going on outside. During the night someone sets their apartment on fire and they have to evacuate. Everyone leaves the building safely, but they cannot find the little boy’s cat. He is

upset when they go to the shelter. He is afraid he will never see his cat again. He is thankful and relieved when a fire fighter walks into the

shelter carrying his cat and the cat belonging to Mrs. Kim, his neighbor.

Ages 6 and up

1994 MEDAL WINNERGrandfather's Journey

by Allen Saytext: edited by Walter Lorraine

This is the story of a Japanese immigrant's journey to America. Allen Say's (author)

grandfather came to this country as a young man. The grandfather traveled all over

America and saw the mountains, prairies, deserts, and cities. But, he settled in

California because he liked it the best. California had mountains, sun, and a

seacoast which reminded him of his home in Japan. He returned to Japan to marry and then brought his bride to California. They

had a daughter, but then Grandfather became homesick for Japan and his family moved back to Japan. He loves being with

his friends in Japan. He loved both countries all the rest of his life. His daughter married and had a son (Allen Say). The story is told

as Say remembers his grandfather's life and his own coming to America.Ages 7 and up

1993 MEDAL WINNER

Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold

McCullyA young girl both

inspires and learns from a man skilled at walking on wire. Conquering fear,

together they perform above the

Paris rooftops.

Ages 4 and up

1992 MEDAL WINNER

Tuesday by David Wiesner

Ages 6 and up

In four parallel stories, a boy's reunion with his parents is

disrupted by a herd of cows. When the adults waiting for

the boy's train grow sillier by the minute, their children

wonder what's happened to them. In the end, families are

closer together, adults learn to "live" again, and a farmer's

stolen cows are returned to be milked

1991 MEDAL WINNERBlack and White

by David Macaulay

A robber hides out in a herd of cattle who, in turn, disrupt the passage of a train. At the train station, passengers at first are

absorbed in the newspapers they are reading, but as the wait

lengthens, they start playing with the newspapers and with each

other. A boy, a passenger on the train, witnesses some of the events, but not all of them.

Parents, previously staid and distant, have apparently

changed, at least temporarily, because of their time spent

waiting for the train that day. The book can be frustratingly

confusing or, in the proper hands and minds, a challenge and a

source of fascination.

Ages 5 and up

1990 MEDAL WINNERLon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from

China by Ed Young

This powerfully illustrated Chinese variant on the story of Red Riding Hood features three sisters who outsmart Lon Po Po, or Granny Wolf,

who is disguised as the girls' grandmother.

Ages 4-8

1989 MEDAL WINNER

Song and Dance Man illustrated by Stephen

Gammelltext: Karen Ackerman

Ages 4 and up

On a lazy afternoon, Grandpa takes the kids

to the attic to regale them with tales of the olden days when he

performed on the vaudeville stage.

1988 MEDAL WINNEROwl Moon

illustrated by John Schoenherrtext: Jane Yolen

On a clear, still, winter night, a father takes his daughter owling for the

first time near their farm. The girl's been waiting a long time to go owling

with her Pa. In the woods, the father calls out to the night bird "Whoo-whoo-whoooooo," again and again. They walk on

deeper into the woods anticipating a response from the Great Horned

Owl.

1987 MEDAL WINNERHey, Al

illustrated by Richard Egielski text: Arthur Yorinks

When Al and Eddie tire of their relentless

struggle to survive on the West Side, they are

carted away by a magical bird to a

paradise. They change their minds when they

turn into birds themselves, and race

home to learn that "paradise lost is

sometimes heaven found."

Ages 6 and up

1986 MEDAL WINNERThe Polar Express

by Chris Van Allsburg

Ages 4 and up

Did you hear that sleigh bell? One young boy,

whose friends are beginning to doubt

Santa's existence, stays awake listening for that telltale jingle to validate his faith. What he hears instead is the toot of a

train horn, signaling the beginning of one of the

most beautiful Christmas books of all

time.

1985 MEDAL WINNERSaint George and the Dragon

illustrated by Trina Schart Hymantext: retold by Margaret Hodges

This is a knight versus dragon story. The Red Cross Knight is

sent by the Queen of the Fairies to fight a dragon that is ravaging a distant land. He is accompanied by a dwarf

and a beautiful woman named Una, who is daughter to the king and queen of the

land under attack. The dragon proves to be a formidable

opponent, and it is only after days of battle, and a little

help from the prayers of Una and a bit of magic, that the Red Cross Knight is able to

outlast and kill the beast. He earns the thanks of the

country, the title of Saint George, and Una as his bride.

Ages 8 and up