Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

Bloom by Doreen Cronin and Illustrated by David Small

Snappsy the Alligator by Julie Falatko and Illustrated by Tim Miller

Be a Friend by Salina Yoon

When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes and Illustrated by Laura Dronzek

A few of these authors have won the Caldecott in the past. Could any of these books earn a Caldecott medal?

When Spring Comes is my favorite of the four. Bloom is lovely as well. I don't however feel that any of them are Caldecott worthy.

Thank you Kristen. I have reserved them all at my library.

I just finished reading Bloom and IT is a lovely story... would have liked a more dramatic ending, but I understand that might have made the book too long. I have to agree I don't think Bloom is Caldecott worthy. I am waiting on the other three titles, I ordered from the library.
Happy Reading !!!

I love When spring comes and to be a friend. I think the unique color scheme in to be a friend could definitely make it a Caldecott contender. Snappsy is funny but I'm not sure about a medal.

I love When spring comes and to be a friend. I think the unique color scheme in to be a friend could definitely make it a Caldecott contender. Snappsy is funny but I'm not sure about a medal.

I love Salina Yoon's work and appreciate the original pallet she uses in Be A Friend, but I'm not sure it's enough to garner an award.

Be a Friend
I also liked this story and I liked the illustrations, but did not find them particularly extraordinary. The illustrations do add to and extend the story, especially when they show exactly what he is miming.

Bloom
I really loved this story! and I loved David Small's ink and watercolor illustrations. I also thought the ending was somewhat abrupt, but very satisfying. I don't know how it will stack up against other Caldecott contenders, but I thought it was extraordinary.

Snappsy the Alligator
Like Angie, I found Snappsy quite funny, but I agree that I don't believe the illustrations will garner a Caldecott. It was funny that Snappsy kept talking to the narrator, and then the narrator shows up in the story!

I just read Snappsy the Alligator and although it was quite funny I feel like it's been done before...The pictures are not unique to me so I don't see it being a caldecott contender. However, it will certainly be a read aloud for my 1st graders!!! They'll really get a kick out of it.

I am seriously bias when it comes to Kevin Henkes. He can do no wrong. I am currently doing an author study of him with my Kindergarten classes. I love When Spring Comes...it reminds me of Waiting (caldecott honor 2016) in regards to the story line. The pictures are soft beautiful. I love the alteration of full page illustrations and spot illustrations. I can't say it's a winner but I would definitely put it in the running.

Kevin Henkes is the best of the best. No doubt there. Henkes wrote When Spring Comes but his wife illustrated it.

It's amazing how they have such similarities in style

I just read Bloom, Snappsy, and Be a Friend. I thought Snappsy was the funniest story that kids would enjoy reading and Bloom had the best pictures of the three, although the story was a little long winded. Yet I don't think are any are Caldecott worthy. Will hopefully be getting Spring next week.

I just read Be a Friend last night. I loved the story and the illustrations. I loved that the backgroudn of all the pictures was a hint of tan and it really brought out the red, representing the minming activitiy in the story. However, when I think of past year's winners, I don't think it is caldecott worthy.

Bloom: Not impressed with the illustrations. I liked the message, "There is no such thing as an ordinary girl", but since this is a group about the Caldecott, again, I'm not impressed with the illustrations.

Snappsy the Alligator: I couldn't like this book because I have a personal vendetta against word bubbles in picture books. It was okay, but not even close to being a favorite and the illustrations weren't remarkable.

Be a Friend: I loved this book! Which is surprising since I don't like mimes. I loved the use of black, white, and red. This was my favorite of the four for this month. Of the four books listed here, I hope this book will be in the running for the Caldecott, although I realistically don't think it will be.

When Spring Comes: I loved the soft illustrations of this book and the pastel colors used.

When Spring Comes
I used this book very successfully in a story time a couple of weeks ago. The text was short and well-suited to the pre-school age group. The lovely, softly-textured acrylic paintings were large enough for everyone to see clearly. And the children had fun pointing out details in them. I personally like this book a lot, and I think it is a good contender for a Caldecott award.

When Spring Comes- pictures are soft and large enough for kids in the read to me stage to see. Definitely geared for preschool audience. Maybe my expectations are too high or I expect every book to be as good as Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea, but I don't rate it quite as high as the others did; maybe just a hair under Caldecott level.

These are all nice books, but I don't think any of them will be in the running for medals. Be a Friend was definitely my favorite of the four. The storyline was very sweet and I liked the simple palette and illustration style.

Bloom: I did not care for the illustrations or the story. The story went on way too long and the ending was weak. The illustrations sort of matched the story in that they seemed to be scrawled all over the pages, going on and on...

Snappsy the Alligator: I really liked the book and can't wait to use it as a read aloud. The illustrations were good and fit the story. However, I don't see it as a strong Caldecott contender.

Be a Friend: I definitely think this is a book where the illustrations enhance the story. My initial reaction to it was that the main character was annoying but I liked the illustrations. I read it after a very long day at school! I re-read it this weekend and had a much more positive reaction. I can see it as a Caldecott contender.

When Spring Comes: Beautiful story and pictures. It certainly is worthy of consideration. I just wonder if the illustrations are unique enough to win top honors.

I thought Bloom and When Spring Comes were both lovely in different ways.

I love seeing longer picture books like Bloom - a sort of modern fairy tale, and I'm partial to Small's illustrations. They're well-suited to the story, with some great details that extend the story (body language, clothing, etc). It doesn't scream Caldecott to me, but I think it's a great book, and I love the practicality of the magic (is there even magic in the story? I'm not sure) and the "no such thing as an ordinary girl" message.

When Spring Comes is perfect for the toddler/preschool set - my 3 year old was fascinated with all the details, and it's got a wonderful pace. The trick with a Kevin Henkes book that's not illustrated by him is that you can't help but wonder how he would have illustrated it - which is really beside the point for Caldecott purposes, but hard to put aside. I'm not sure how it stacks up against flashier contenders, but I thought it was definitely worth a close look.

Of the 4 this month I like Be a Friend best, because of the simple color palette, social skills application, and the appeal to young students. I'll admit that Emily Arrow's song brings it even more alive for the kiddos!

I did enjoy When Spring Comes as well for Dronzek's lovely illustrations, the beginning reader language and the repetition of words (I don't have it in front of me, but I think I remember that).

Bloom was traditional David Small for me, not necessarily something special. Although it is a longer picture book I did appreciate this power to the girls title, where they are getting their hands dirty.

Snappsy just didn't speak to me. I think I need to give it another chance with a group of students.

Of this month's picks I'd have to pick Be A Friend as the strongest contender of the Caldecott. I loved how simply the mimed actions were conveyed to the reader.

Snappsy the Alligator was my favorite story-wise. What a fun read! These illustrations were their own version of oddball which I liked. I especially enjoyed how the narration was separated from the rest of the frame.

When Spring Comes was pretty, but I keep mistaking the kittens on the cover for bunnies and I can't get over it!

My absolutely least favorite was Bloom. I did not enjoy the story or the illustrations. I thought the story was too long for a picture book, but not long enough for a chapter book. While I can see what the author was going for, I don't think it was executed well. The illustrations didn't do anything for me either.

I was surprised to have such "blah" reactions to two of the four picks; I'm usually someone who likes pretty much everything.

I especially enjoy picture books where you genuinely need both illustrations and text to get the whole story, so Snappsy the Alligator and Be A Friend worked really well for me.

As a fun picture book, I think Snappsy takes the cake. My teen read it out of curiosity and told me repeatedly how much she enjoyed it. That said, I'm not sure the illustrations quite mark it as a Caldecott contender.

I didn't love the illustrations in Bloom. Sorry. I don't pretend to be an expert in art, but they just seemed too sloppy to me. The story was cute, and I can see how the illustrations complemented the story, but I don't see it as Caldecott material.

Be a Friend and When Spring Comes both had lovely illustrations, though in different ways. The sparse and simple coloration in Friend made for a pretty powerful impact. The exuberant coloration in Spring really helped portray the differences between the seasons. Are either of these potential Caldecott winners? I could see it.

I am stunned by the majority of bad reactions to David Small's illustrations. He is a Caldecott award winning illustrator. One of the absolute best in the business. I may have not been blown away by the words in Bloom, but the illustrations are magnificent. Creative, whimsical, detailed. Just gorgeous.

Laura wrote: "I am stunned by the majority of bad reactions to David Small's illustrations. He is a Caldecott award winning illustrator. One of the absolute best in the business. I may have not been blown away b..."

I'm still getting my feet wet in this group, so I am glad you took the time to make this comment. Food for thought!

Serenity wrote: "Laura wrote: "I am stunned by the majority of bad reactions to David Small's illustrations. He is a Caldecott award winning illustrator. One of the absolute best in the business. I may have not bee..."

Welcome to the group! I think we are a nice, book loving bunch :)

I reread this information about the Caldecott medal and the guidelines the committee uses. I think it is helpful to go back to these guidelines when thinking about this award. This comes from: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/...

In identifying a “distinguished American picture book for children,” defined as illustration, committee members need to consider:
1. Excellence of execution in the artistic technique employed;
2. Excellence of pictorial interpretation of story, theme, or concept;
3. Appropriateness of style of illustration to the story, theme or concept;
4. Delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting, mood or information through the pictures;
5. Excellence of presentation in recognition of a child audience.
The only limitation to graphic form is that the form must be one which may be used in a picture book. The book must be a self-contained entity, not dependent on other media (i.e., sound, film or computer program) for its enjoyment.

Each book is to be considered as a picture book. 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.

Note: The committee should keep in mind that the award is for distinguished illustrations in a picture book and for excellence of pictorial presentation for children. The award is not for didactic intent or for popularity.

I am looking forward to May's list!