Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

Sparky! by Jenny Offill

Hi, Koo!: A Year of Seasons by Jon J. Muth

Firefly July and Other Very Short Poems by Paul B. Janeczko

Baby Bear by Kadir Nelson

Do you think these are Caldecott Contenders?

I adore Sparky. I would love to see this book get an award. Hi Koo! is wonderful.I like Firefly July. Baby Bear is stunning but there isn't much of a story. I am really excited about Have You Seen My Dragon by Steve Light. It is pretty amazing.

All great titles! The illustrations in Baby Bear are absolutely breathtaking, and it is my favorite of the year so far.

I agree with Jenna, Baby Bear is stunning. Though my public library is still in the process of acquiring this month's other titles, for sheer artistry Baby Bear is definitely my favorite for 2014 so far.

But the Caldecott is not about sheer artistry. Hardly anyone on this blog seems to talk about just WHY these books do or don't meet what Caldecott is specifically looking for. It's not just a popularity contest, what people "like." I would love to see some actual discussion and debate about how the words do or don't interact with the pictures and whether the choice of media is appropriate to the text and the many many other Caldecott criteria!

Kathy wrote: "But the Caldecott is not about sheer artistry. Hardly anyone on this blog seems to talk about just WHY these books do or don't meet what Caldecott is specifically looking for. It's not just a popul..."

I absolutely agree. A Caldecott medal is never given out if the text is not top notch. Unless ofcourse it is a wordless picture book. David Wiesner is the king of that type of book.

Kathy wrote: "But the Caldecott is not about sheer artistry. Hardly anyone on this blog seems to talk about just WHY these books do or don't meet what Caldecott is specifically looking for. It's not just a popul..."

In that case, let me be more specific.

As the Caldecott criteria states "The committee is to make its decision primarily on the illustration, but other components of a book are to be considered especially when they make a book less effective as a children’s picture book. Such other components might include the written text, the overall design of the book, etc," in my opinion, Baby Bear is the book I have read so far this year which provides a child with the best "visual experience" and effectively develops the theme of this primordial fear of isolation and finding our way in the world "through the series of pictures of which the book is comprised" (Ala.org).

A former member of the Caldecott committee described the selection process to me saying that the text and other elements of the book are only to be considered in their relationship to the illustrations, and I don't believe that the text and poetry of Baby Bear detract from the pictures. Quite the contrary; the words and pictures fit together beautifully to develop a comprehensive story, a quiet story, but all the better for exposing children to the subtleties of the sound and rhythm of language.

The colors are rich and deep, conveying the passage of time from the night until dawn. The animals are wonderfully detailed and lifelike--you can count the hairs on the wise moose, find a rainbow in the scales of the fish, and imagine your own reflection in the eyes of the squirrels.

The final image spread between the back pages is breathtaking--an expansive, beautiful landscape following the simple declaration that Baby Bear is home. It's a poignant and striking image that extends the story beyond the confines of language and even the conventional structure of the picture book (the same way David Wiesner's own magnificent illustrations often begin the storytelling before the title page). The message we are left with is that Baby Bear's home is not about who he meets along his journey or even where he finds himself at its conclusion, but that his home is within himself as he begins to see the world in a new light.

Kadir Nelson is a master of storytelling and Baby Bear is certainly no exception!

Has anyone read Paul Meets Bernadette by Rosy Lamb? It is absolutely breathtaking. The illustrations remind one of Wayne Thiebaud. They are just scrumptious. It is an adorable, unique picture book. It begs to be read over and over. I think it has a wonderful chance at the 2015 Caldecott.

Laura wrote: "Has anyone read Paul Meets Bernadette by Rosy Lamb? It is absolutely breathtaking. The illustrations remind one of Wayne Thiebaud. They are just scrumptious. It is an adorable, unique picture book...."

Though I enjoyed Paul Meets Bernadette that was actually the one for me in which the story felt a little flat! I do agree, though, that the illustrations are noteworthy. I believe they were done in oil paint? The texture is really striking and the use of color does helps to translate mundane objects into the realm of the fantastic (the teapot was my favorite.)

The little quirk of misnaming objects didn't quite sit right with me for whatever reason, though it is the precise reason the illustrations are quite critical in driving the narrative. I imagine it would be a cute little book to share with a child and start a dialogue in a one-to-one situation.

Though, having another chance to look at it, the copyright date is listed as 2013; would it still be eligible?

You are right. It was released Dec. 10, 2013. Terribly unfortunate. I don't believe it can be a contender for 2015.

I just got to read Sparky! this morning, and I must admit, it's left me somewhat disenchanted. Though the illustrations are skillfully rendered--the color palette fits the sloth-like slowness of the story just about perfectly-- and yet the illustrations are pretty dynamic in their use of space and as they convey the passage of time, from rainy days to sunsets. I may be a bit of a wet blanket, but I just don't care for stories about taking animals out of the wild and I can't reconcile Sparky's little smile on the last page with how sad he looks through the rest of the book.

ETA:
I was able to get Firefly July and Other Very Short Poems through inter-library loan as well. Though I think that poetry is a very important, though oft overlooked, component of the juvenile literature arsenal I have to admit this collection was very hit-or-miss for me.

The art is whimsical and the multimedia allows for great, textured illustrations and suits the cobbled-together nature of the poems quite well. The poems are loosely associated with their respective seasons, so it really falls to the artwork to bring everything together, and there were a few moments when it fell rather flat for me, in particular the transition to fall--the leaves were a nice touch, but it took me three readings to notice the word itself against the brick building. The introduction of summer felt much stronger with its bright color palette and warm yellows.

I was not a fan of Sparky!. I still need to read Firefly July and Other Very Short PoemsI loved Baby Bear, the illustrations were wonderful. I did also enjoy Hi, Koo!: A Year of Seasons

I loved Sparky! For so many reasons. I think it is a top-notch story of acceptance. The illustrations are soooo fantastic. Humorous and clever. Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons is terrific too.

Kadir Nelson's illustrations in Baby Bear are breathtaking. I remember looking at the galley at NCTE in Boston.

Cynthia wrote: "Kadir Nelson's illustrations in Baby Bear are breathtaking. I remember looking at the galley at NCTE in Boston."

The cover art is remarkable for Baby Bear. I wasn't as crazy about the text but it is truly visually breathtaking.

Laura wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "Kadir Nelson's illustrations in Baby Bear are breathtaking. I remember looking at the galley at NCTE in Boston."

The cover art is remarkable for Baby Bear. I wasn't as crazy about ..."

I'm curious, what about the story wasn't your cup of tea?

The story may be a little obtuse for its target audience. The ending needs a lot of explanation to children in my opinion. It is a cute tale. Aside from the artwork drawing me in and exciting me the story did not. Many other picturebooks this year have captivated me wholeheartedly.

I like Hi Koo best but I haven't read Firefly July yet.

I just got a copy of Gravity by Jason Chin and it looks like a NF book that could be a Caldecott winner. Has anyone seen it?

No, but I did get a peek at Chris Raschka's newest picture book called The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra: The Sound of Joy Is Enlightening. It is astonishing. I think this is Mr. Raschka's finest book to date.

My favorite picture book so far this year is Beekle!

I like Beekle too!

Still waiting for a copy of Hi Koo from my library, and I'm placing holds for these other books as well! I'm pretty excited to get my hands on Gravity now. Love a good non-fiction JP.

Firefly July is the standout from this batch to me. I think the poems are really well chosen, and I have been a fan of this illustrator since River of Words. Plus, this book would hold up to multiple rereadings. The reader would be sure to notice something new in the pictures every time, as well as, connect to poems depending on the time of year, or time of life, even.

Re: Firefly July
In this nicely designed book, the poems are very short, and are gathered into four sections, one section for each season. The watercolor, gouache and mixed media illustrations have a very busy, jumbled look. The illustrations not only illustrate what the poem says, but goes beyond the poem. For example, for "The Red Wheelbarrow," there is not only the wheelbarrow, but also white chickens pecking the ground around it. For "The Island," which describes an island looking like wrinkled elephant skin, the depiction is of a half-submerged elephant-looking rock. The illustrations for "Window" show a number of scenes through the windows of the train. The acknowledgments note where each poem was originally published.

Re: Baby Bear
I agree with Jenna, this is my favorite book so far. I love how Nelson put so much detail into his almost life-like oil paintings. And the paintings tell almost as much of the story as the text does. And I love how large the illustrations are; this book would be wonderful to share with a group at story time.

Re: Hi, Koo!
I thought the haikus were very succinct snapshots panda's interactions with nature and his friends, just as the author intended. The watercolor and ink paiantings helped to clarify and extend the poetry. I especially liked the illustration of the square-eyed children (after watching TV all winter).

Re: Sparky
I enjoyed the story, but I was not especially impressed with the watercolor and pencil illustrations. They were cute enough, and I thought the sloth particularly winsome, but I liked the illustrations for Hi, Koo! and Baby Bear much better.

I will probably always be a couple of months behind the rest of the group because our library system is so slow in acquiring and processing new books!

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak at A Perfectly Messed-Up Story by Patrick McDonnell. It is simply glorious. The illustrations are engaging and hilarious. The story is wonderful. The kids will want to read and reread this book. I will be astonished if A Perfectly Messed-Up Story does not win a Caldecott.

Laura, I adore Patrick McDonnell. Thank you for bringing up the new book; I'll certainly be on the lookout now!

Kelly wrote: "Laura, I adore Patrick McDonnell. Thank you for bringing up the new book; I'll certainly be on the lookout now!"

You are very welcome! The illustrations are so happy and full of life. It is just terrific.

Baby Bear--Wonderful lifelike illustrations that we expect from Nelson. The story is sweet, but does not compel me to reread it...although the 4 year old I was on vacation with this week enjoyed it twice. I returned it to the library today, but I felt there was a missing word on one of the pages in the final 1/3 of the book.

Wow! I suppose I am alone in my love of Sparky! I read this with a group of k-3 graders and was a little worried that the story would be too quiet, but they loved the quirky humor and Sparky's "talents". This clever tale had such great illustrations that really highlighted the simplicity of Sparky's charm. This is not a flashy animal (or a real one, for those concerned about animals being removed from the wild - ala Curious George and Babar) but it is a charming one, whose quiet abilities are meant to be savored by child and adult alike. Not flashy, but lovely in its own right.

Margaret wrote: "Wow! I suppose I am alone in my love of Sparky! I read this with a group of k-3 graders and was a little worried that the story would be too quiet, but they loved the quirky humor and Sparky's "t..."

You are definitely not alone. I have been in love with Sparky! for months.

I am REALLY late to the party but I just found this group. I am going to read all of the books and catch up!
Of these 4 books I feel Baby Bear by Kadir Nelson is the best. Kadir's illustrations are AMAZING!!! I feel like I could just reach out and feel the wet slipperiness of the frog, and the perspective from the ram's point of view looking down on Baby Bear is so unique! By far, to me, the two page spread of Baby Bear with the moon reflected in his eyes just seals the deal. WOW!! ~ Just WOW!!!
As an aside, I felt the text for Baby Bear was clunky.
With all of that being said I also loved Sparky. I enjoyed the expression of Sparky and the movement(so clear against the unmoving sloth) of the little girl. I like the color of the paper and subdued browns of the illustrations.

Ranell wrote: "I am REALLY late to the party but I just found this group. I am going to read all of the books and catch up!
Of these 4 books I feel Baby Bear by Kadir Nelson is the best. Kadir's illustrations a..."

Welcome! It is a cool group :)

Laura wrote: "Ranell wrote: "I am REALLY late to the party but I just found this group. I am going to read all of the books and catch up!
Of these 4 books I feel Baby Bear by Kadir Nelson is the best. Kadir's ..."

Thank You!!

Ranell wrote: "I am REALLY late to the party but I just found this group. I am going to read all of the books and catch up!
Of these 4 books I feel Baby Bear by Kadir Nelson is the best. Kadir's illustrations a..."


I have to say, I still think Baby Bear is one of my top picks for a Caldecott award or honor. But I just don't seem to have the same hang up over the text as you and a couple others describe, so who knows?