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