Caldecott

1. Caldecott

2. The Randolph Caldecott Medal • In 1937 Rene Paul Chambellan designed the Caldecott Medal. The bronze medal had the winner’s name and the date engraved on the back.

3. What is the Award Given For? • The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published that year.

4. Why is it named the Caldecott? • It was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. Caldecott greatly influenced illustration of children's books during the nineteenth century.

5. How is a book selected? • The members of the committee read each book and study the pictures carefully. They discuss the quality of the artwork. Is it interesting? Is it innovative? How does it enhance the story? This can be a long and difficult process because all of the members of the committee must, in the end, agree on only one book. However, the committee may choose books as "runners-up." These are called Honor Books.

6. What do illustrators use to create their pictures? • Artist or illustrator must use various original mediums, such as: • watercolor • ink • print • collage • pen or pencil

7. 2004 Mordicai Gerstein • This true story recounts the daring feat of a spirited young Frenchman who walked a tightrope between the World Trade Center twin towers in 1974. His joy in dancing on a thin wire high above Manhattan and the awe of the spectators in the streets far below is captured in exquisite ink and oil paintings that perfectly complement the spare, lyrical text.

8. 2005 Kevin Henkes • Henkes employs boldly outlined organic shapes and shades of black, white and gray with rose undertones on creamy paper to tell a simple story of a kitten who mistakes the moon for a bowl of milk. The moon, the flowers, the fireflies' lights and the kitten's eyes create a comforting circle motif. The gouache and colored pencil illustrations project a varied page design that rhythmically paces the spare text.

9. 2006 Chris Raschke • In this sunny portrait of familial love, a little girl tells us about her everyday experiences visiting her grandparents’ house. • Raschka’s style resembles the spontaneous drawings of children, perfectly mirroring the guileless young narrator’s exuberant voice. White space balances the density of the layered colors, creating a visual experience that is surprisingly sophisticated.

10. 2007 David Weisner • David Weisner won the award in 2007 for Flotsam. Flotsam is a wordless book, using only illustrations to convey or tell the story. This is a fanciful tale of a young boy who discovers an old-fashioned camera washed up on the beach. The developed film reveals fantastical underwater shots, including octopi reading in armchairs and elaborate cities built of seashells.

11. 2008 Brian Selznick • While secretly living in the walls of a Paris train station in the 1930s, young Hugo's life becomes connected to a young girl and old man who run a toy booth in the station. Black & white pencil illustrations evoke the flickering images of the silent films to which the book pays homage.

12. The 2009 Winner is: Beth Krommes • Richly detailed black-and-white scratchboard illustrations expand this timeless bedtime verse, offering reassurance to young children that there is always light in the darkness. • Krommes' elegant line, illuminated with touches of golden watercolor, evoke the warmth and comfort of home and family, as well as the joys of exploring the wider world.

13. Works Cited: • http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/aboutcaldecott/aboutcaldecott.cfm • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldecott_Medal