The 2012 Randolph Caldecott Medal winner and Honor Books were announced on January 23, 2012 at the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association (ALA). If you're not familiar with this important American award for picture book illustration, see
The Randolph Caldecott Medal. In addition to the 2012 Caldecott Medal winner, three children's picture books were selected as 2012 Caldecott Honor Books.
The 2012 Caldecott Medal Winner: Chris Raschka
Chris Raschka, author and illustrator of
A Ball for Daisy, is the 2012 Randolph Caldecott Medal winner.
(Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., 2011. ISBN: 9780375858611).
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A Ball for Daisy will appeal to young children, from 2 or 3 to about 7 years old. The illustrations, created in ink, watercolor and gouache, fill the pages with movement and, for much of the book, the bright color of a big red ball.
A Ball for Daisy is a wordless picture book. It features a lively little dog, Daisy, who loves her big red ball. Daisy plays with her ball, and when she is tired, she lays down and uses her big red ball as a pillow.
When her owner, a little girl, takes her for a walk, they go to the park and play with Daisy's ball. When a curly brown poodle goes after the ball and bites it, the big red ball pops. Dusty is heartbroken and, in a fun, yet poignant sequence of spot illustrations tries hard to fix the ball, to no avail. The little girl throws the ball in the trash and the two walk sadly home where the girl consoles the sorrowful dog.
The next day when they go to the park, Daisy get a wonderful surprise. The owner of the dog, a girl with curly brown hair, and her dog are there with a present for Daisy - a big blue ball. Daisy and the curly brown dog play together, enjoying the ball. When Daisy gets home, she happily curls up with the big blue ball, her new pillow. Young children will identify with Daisy's distress at losing a favorite toy and will also enjoy following Daisy and her ball with their fingers as Daisy and the ball move around each page and from page to page.
This is not Chris Raschka's first Caldecott honor. Raschka won the 2006 Caldecott Medal for The Hello, Goodbye Window, which Norton Juster wrote. His book Yo! Yes? was a 1994 Caldecott Honor Book. Other books illustrated by Chris Raschka include the following poetry books for children: Good Sports, A Poke in the I, and A Kick in the Head.
The 2012 Caldecott Honor Books
Blackout, written and illustrated by John Rocco
(Disney · Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group, 2011. ISBN: 9781423121909)
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While I've never been through a blackout in New York City, I have been through blackouts in other places and remember being first a little scared and, then, with candles and flashlights, enjoying the adventure. John Rocco, remembering the great August blackout in New York City in 2003 shows how a family and a neighborhood come together during a blackout and how the family enjoys it so much they extend the experience. For more about this entertaining picture book, with its cartoon-like illustrations, read my overview of Blackout.
Grandpa Green, written and illustrated by Lane Smith
(Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership, 2011. ISBN: 9781596436077) Compare prices.
While I like the illustrations, with the elaborate topiaries in the green green garden of Grandpa Green, this picture book about family history and love seems to me more a book for adults than for children. A little boy tells all about the life of his great-grandfather, Grandpa Green, whom he loves very much. Adults tend to be struck by the poignancy of the story while children don’t seem to “get†it.
Me…Jane, written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell
(Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc., 2011. ISBN: 9780316045469) Compare prices.
Who knew that the childhood of primatologist Jane Goodall would make such a good children's story? Because of Dr. Goodall's Roots & Shoots program, many very young children know about her and this book will particularly appeal to them. However, you don't need to know anything about Dr. Goodall to enjoy the book with its child-friendly illustrations and surprise ending. For more about this unusual, and delightful, nonfiction book for young children, see my overview of Me…Jane.
For more excellent illustrated children’s books published in 2011, see my list of the Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2011.
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