My goal for Samantha-Done: A Caldecott Odyssey

A year ago, when I was lonely, pregnant, and desperate for something to do I went to the library at least once a week. And since I can't do things without having some sort of goal attached to it I thought: "What better way to make Samantha neurotic like me then have a goal for library stories." So I decided we would read all the Caldecott Award winning books. These are the awards for illustrations. I think it's important to note that these awards are NOT and I repeat not awarded for the story line. Here is a 1 sentence history of the Caldecott, copied straight from ala.org

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It 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.

There are 72 winners, from 1938 to the present. And since I read about 2 to 3 per library trip I would have been finished a long while ago but for this book:

There wasn't a single copy in my entire library system. So I put it on hold once in my mom's system, didn't pick it up and then checked it out last time I went to CA (and paid .50 for not picking it up the first time). It wasn't worth the wait.


Then I tackled 2008. It is over 500 pages (but with lots and lots of pictures) and fyi-it was controversial that it won, but hey-Juv. fiction is juv fiction so whatever. Here it is:

It took us about 2 weeks of reading it at night to finish this puppy, but this is a great story. And because I've been waiting a year to do this I am going to let you book lovers out there know what my recommendations are:

Well-known classics you love:
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McClosky
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allensburg
Jumanji by Chris Van Allensburg
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans

Lesser Knowns that you'll Love:
A House in the Night (2009) by Susan Marie Swanson
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (2004) by Mordecai Gerstein - Please go check this out, Samantha asked for it every day we had it
Rapunzel (1998) by Paul O. Zelinsky
Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China (1990) by Ed Young
The Biggest Bear (1953) by Lyn Ward

2 for Adults:
They Were Strong and Good (1941) by Robert Lawson
So you Want to Be President (2001) by Judith St. George

And finally:

Why did they ever think these were appropriate for children/So stinkin' bad
(narrowed down one per decade)
1930's: Mei Li by Thomas Handforth
1940's: Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'aulaire (they called him "Abe" through the whole thing and if you've ever read ANYTHING on Abraham Lincoln you wouldn't call him that, especially in a biography)
1950's: Nothing too bad
1960's: Drummer Hoff by Barbra Emberly isn't bad, but I think the person illustrating HAD to be smoking something (which would make sense, it was the 60's)
1970's: Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Leo and Diane Dillon is SO BORING I WANTED TO DIE. Do you really think kids want to read about 26 African tribes. The pictures weren't that impressive either
1980's: Obviously everything was great because I was born that decade
1990's: Golem!!!!!!! by David Wisniewski. I think you should go and check this one out just so you can see how terrible it was.
2000's: The Three Pigs by David Weisner-isn't terrible but I don't see how kids could get the humor.

I'd be surprised if anyone made it this far into the post