The Caldecott Winner is awarded to the author of the most distinguished American picture book for children whose first publication was in America. The text should be worthy of the illustrations, but the award is made primarily for the artwork. The award is named after Randolph J Caldecott, a great English illustrator of the nineteenth Century.
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
By: Mo Willems
Reviewer: Brandon Berrey
Grade Level: K-3
Reading Level: 1.9
Little Trixie finally got to go on an errand with her daddy even though
she could not yet speak. Coming along on the trip was her daddy, the
laundry and her bunny. The walked through the park and past the
school to get to the laundromat. Trixie even got to help put the laundry in the machine and start the
washer. Yet, on the way home there was a huge problem. Since Trixie couldn't speak, daddy became
frustrated because Trixie was throwing a tantrum. Mommy finally realized what was wrong when they
got home. What was wrong with Trixie? Take a look at these wonderful pictures to answer that and
be prepared for a SHOCKING ending.
The House in the Night
By: Susan Marie Swanson
Illustrations By: Beth Krommes
Reviewer: Mike Slowinski
Grade Level: K-3
Reading Level: 1.7
In this Caldecott Medal-winning book, a young girl is given the key to a house which for her, unlocks an adventure that carries her out into the wonders of a starry night and back again into her cozy home. The cyclical plot offers readers a sense of comfort and ease, which lends itself for use as a calming bedtime story. Filled with clever, symbolic illustrations, this book is bound to capture the attention and wonder of young readers. A cute and entertaining read!
The Hello, Goodbye Window
By: Norton Juster
Illustrations By: Chris Raschka
Reviewer: Joseph Diefenthaler
Grade Level: K-3
Reading Level: 3.9
In this Caldecott Medal-winning book, a girl spends some time with her Nanna and Poppy. She loves the window in the kitchen, where people say "hello" when you come and "goodbye" when you leave. The little girl spends a day gardening with grandma, listening to Poppy play his harmanica and other fun stuff. She spends the night and helps Poppy make breakfast in the morning. Poppy's humor and Nanna's nurturing makes this a great book to read to kids.
Tops and Bottoms
(Published in 1995)
By: Janet Stevens
Illustrations By: Janet Stevens
Reviewer: Joseph Diefenthaler
Grade Level: K-3
Reading Level: 3.8
I chose to review two books because this one was published after the cut off but...it is an awesome book. In Tops and Bottoms, Hare and his family are struggling to make it. Hare lost most of what they had owned in a bet. Now he needs to find a way to get food for his family. Hare goes next door to bear who is sleeping most of the time. Hare asks bear if he wants to make a deal. Hare will use bears fields and he will give bear half of what he grows. Bear likes this deal so the first agreement is that Hare will keep the tops of what is grown and Bear gets the bottom. Bear is furious after the first harvest to see his pile of roots while Hare walks away with a great ammount of food. Hare continues to make deals and Bear gets even more frustrated. What would you like, the tops or the bottoms? This is a great book to teach students to think outside the box.