Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

Hope Is an Arrow: The Story of Lebanese-American Poet Khalil Gibran by Cory McCarthy




Not Enough Lollipops by Megan Maynor




Kat Hats by Daniel Pinkwater




Where Butterflies Fill the Sky by Zahra Marwan


These were books recommended from our group members. Are these Caldecott contenders?

I have read all of these titles except Not Enough Lollipops. Where Butterflies Fill the Sky and Hope is an Arrow are definitely Caldecott worthy. The artistic style of Where Butterflies Fill the Sky may be off-putting to some committee members. I think it is fitting and lovely. Hope is an Arrow is one of my favorite 2022 picture books. Brilliant writing by Cory McCarthy. The fabulous award-winning illustrator Ekua Holmes created the remarkable collage illustrations and acrylic on paper. This title deserves to win multiple awards. It is spectacular!

Kat Hats
Renier's busy and frenetic gouache illustrations are a perfect match for this incredibly silly and laugh-out-loud story. I especially loved all of Glamorella's fashionable outfits!

Not Enough Lollipops
This was a fun story about sharing with very colorful illustrations. I especially loved the endpapers of multiple brilliantly-colored lollipops.

Where Butterflies Fill the Sky
While I understand that the author/artist has exhibited her artwork extensively and has won international awards for it, unfortunately, it does not appeal to me. I dislike artwork that distorts people's faces and forms, the perspectives were off, and the dull brownish color pallette did not appeal to me either. However, I did love the story and the author's note about her family's immigration in the back matter.

Not Enough Lollipops - The cover of the book sets the stage for a great attention grabber. The lollipop colors used in the book are mouthwatering! Facial emotions are fantastic throughout this humorous read. What a great book to start the new school year off! Word bubbles and conversation between students makes this a helpful classroom book for teaching grammar style. Could be a Caldecott hopeful!

Kat Hats - oh what creative thinking and illustrating went into this book! So much to look at. The cat expressions are comical. Cat owners can appreciate the many looks of the cats in the book. Not expecting this book to be Caldecott choice! But it is a fun and funny read!

Where Butterflies Fill the Sky is a remarkable story about immigration, family bonds, and hope for a better life. Zahra tells her story of having to leaving Kuwait and coming to America. She explains immigration very nicely, so that young readers can begin to understand how immigration works. Her illustrations are simplistic line drawings and are filled with an array of colors. Readers will begin to see unusual images throughout the pages of this book. Several pages of back matter explain the symbolisms used throughout the story. My well wishes for this story to reach top awards in children's literature -- perhaps even the Gold Caldecott Medal.

Two of these books are very strong contenders for Caldecott recognition. Hope Is an Arrow is a beautiful depiction of Gibran's thoughtful, loving poetry and art. I am a big fan of Ekua Holmes's collage work that employs color and texture so brilliantly in this book; the page where he escapes to a grove of cedar trees is glorious and inspiring, and even the cityscapes show the artistry of his thoughts wanting to break free and heal his heart and the world around him. A worthy tribute to an artist whose vision and words have impacted so many.

Marwan's Where Butterflies Fill the Sky is a heartfelt illumination of the experiences of a group of people whose plight I hadn't heard about before - stateless residents of Kuwait, some of whom have immigrated to the US. The symbolic nature of the artwork may turn off some readers, but I love how expressive and full of emotions it is. Through the use of butterflies and balloons, it transports us to a soaring feeling of freedom and hope in the future.

Personally, I didn't connect with Kat Hats' cluttered artwork or Lollipops' cartoonish illustrations and busy text.