Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

Return by Aaron Becker

Their Great Gift: Courage, Sacrifice, and Hope in a New Land by John Coy


This Is My Dollhouse by Giselle Potter

Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge

What do you think of these publications? Are they distinguished?

I love all of Aaron Becker's books. Return is no exception. This Is My Doll house is detailed and lovely. Hoot and Peep is creative but not one of my favorite Lita Judge books. I haven't seen/read John Coy's book.

Just shared Hoot and Peet with my Early Childhood classes, they do a whole nocturnal unit. The kids loved it!! However I wouldn't place it in the caldecott running.

This is My Dollhouse
This is a terrific book about a little girl who has made herself a doll house out of a cardboard box, with furniture made from found and recycled materials. The illustrations extend the text by showing that the "elevator" is a Styrofoam cup and "popcorn" is small pieces of wadded up toilet paper, etc. Her friend Sophie has a store bought furnished dollhouse that is not nearly as much fun to play with as the made-from-scratch one. The illustrations certainly are an integral part of the story.

Their Great Gift
This is mostly a photography book of many ethnically and culturally diverse people who have immigrated to the US. The short and simple text briefly tells of some of the contributions of these immigrants. The photos are mostly black and white with a few color ones here and there. While this is a nice book to introduce young children to immigrants, in my opinion, the other books this month are more likely Caldecott contenders.

Return
What a fun ride through the imagination traveling to lost seas and castles and joining in battle to save the king and his kingdom. But of, course, all good times come to a realization that there's no place like home! The trilogy is a set of marvelous wonder and magical storytelling for any child!

The reader forgets it is wordless! For me, it takes me back to the classics of childhood....like Journey to the Center of the Earth. Not sure this book will top the Caldecott Honor Award given Becker's Journey, but I feel it has a great place on the shelves of children's literature as a trilogy of marvelous fantasy, adventure, storytelling, and using one's imagination!

Their Great Gift
This book offers a great look at cultural diversity both through text and real photographs. It's a lovely collaboration between a longtime friendship of author and photographer. They pose a wonderful question for our youth and families: What will we do with our great gifts and talents? Our forebears came here through hard work. Will we continue to work hard at family development, work, and community play?

The book is a good one for a starter prompt to lessons about society and humanity. Great addition to children's literature but not on the top of my Caldecott list.

This Is My Dollhouse by Giselle Potter - Great addition to a picture book collection and even greater lesson for children and their parents, too! In the 50's, we made playtime come alive with pictures cut out of the Sears and Roebuck Catalog! We found Moms, Dads, big sister and little brother! Their waredrobes, toys, and household items were endless! This is that kind of a book! Child's play costs little with a vivid imagination! This story relates that well!

Has anyone else read The Whale? It is absolutely gorgeous! Wordless, except for the first and last page, tells the story of two kids that are looking for a great whale. The illustrations are completely done in pencil and the authors are a husband/wife team. Reminded me a lot of Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride with specific frames similar to Flotsam.

Return
A terrific conclusion to the trilogy. This time Dad joins in on the adventure, after his daughter, despairing of getting his attention, disappears through her drawn door into the fantasy world. Dad eventually follows, and he and his daughter help save the king and his kingdom from some soldiers who have a device that sucks colors out of everything. At the end, daughter gives dad a hug, and the two of them go fly a kite. The watercolor and ink illustrations are just as intricate and detailed as in the previous books. I would vote for it for a Caldecott Award if I were on the committee.

Hoot and Peep
I loved this adorable book and its adorable big-eyed owls and other animals. The illustrations tell the story as much as the text does, and the owlish facial expressions are priceless.

Another solid wordless picture book from Aaron Becker. I like that one of the parents gets into the action in this installment. I'm not as wowed by the illustrations as I was when I read the first two. I wouldn't pick it for the Caldecott.


I liked this book, but wouldn't put it in the Caldecott running. The story is pretty standard, culminating in a moral about keeping an open mind to new ideas. The illustrations are energetic and bubbly. It reminds me of a mix of the Owly graphic novels and a Disney movie. A nice book, but probably not Caldecott material.

I like the idea of highlighting immigrant families that aren't usually represented. This book felt powerful and important. Is a book with photographic illustrations eligible for the Caldecott? It's not as powerful without the context of the text, and I don't think I'd put it on my Caldecott list.

A story about creativity and thinking outside the box. I like the message, and seeing the creative ways the main character creates props for her dollhouse. The illustrations were effective, but I wouldn't put it on my Caldecott list.

Hoot and Peep - Hoot and Peep is a delightful story about two owls in the same family with totally different views about life! At first, they just don’t accept each other’s viewpoints, but in time, they are willing to listen to each other and oh how sweet it is when they blend their voices!
This book can be used as a leading discussion on nature, girl power, or listening to other’s viewpoints.
The nocturnal pictures are a bright blue with lovely shades of brown, grey, and gold! Delightful addition to anyone’s bookshelf!
The girl power movement COULD place this book in the Caldecott mix!

Hoot and Peep is sweet and lovely, and my 3 year old is really enjoying it, but the illustrations aren't quite on par with some of the really excellent stories out this year.