Caldecott Tag

PBS Roundtable Caldecotts Part 2Part 2 IG
March 29, 2024 In Caldecott, Roundtable

PBSummit Roundtable – Caldecott Honor Books 2024 – Part 2

Today we bring you Part 2 of our 2024 Caldecott breakdown!

If you missed the first part of our Caldecott discussion, we chatted about Caldecott Honor Books THERE WAS A PARTY FOR LANGSTON illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey and written by Jason Reynolds and IN EVERY LIFE written and illustrated by Marla Frazee. Click here to check it out.

In this video, we get to discuss the Caldecott Medal Winner BIG written and illustrated by Vashti Harrison and Caldecott Honor Book THE TRUTH ABOUT DRAGONS illustrated by Hanna Cha and written by Julie Leung.

It’s an embarrassment of riches with this year’s honorees!

Emma Walton Hamilton starts the discussion by introducing to the BIG themes and emotions of BIG and Kelli Panique shares the quiet brilliance of THE TRUTH ABOUT DRAGONS with more analysis and observations from Julie Hedlund, and Katie Davis. Get your library card out, you’re going to want to read these picture books again and again!

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PBS Roundtable Caldecotts 2024 Part 1
March 6, 2024 In Caldecott, Roundtable

PBSummit Roundtable – Caldecott Honor Books 2024 – Part 1

It’s time for another episode of the Picture Book Summit Roundtable. This is the time of year where we get to discuss the Caldecotts!

We are a chatty bunch—especially when we’re talking about picture books—so today we bring you our chat about two of this year’s Caldecott Honor Books: THERE WAS A PARTY FOR LANGSTON illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey and written by Jason Reynolds and IN EVERY LIFE written and illustrated by Marla Frazee

PBSummit Roundtable Caldecott Honor Books - Langston and In Every Life

In the first part of our video, Emma Walton Hamilton shares the judging guidelines for the Caldecott Medal, which is primarily an award for illustration. Then, Julie Hedlund, Katie Davis, and Kelli Panique jump into the discussion about these two marvelous books. Get ready to add them to your TBR list.

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blog_featured_image_We-are-Water-Protectors
April 1, 2021 In Caldecott

We Are Water Protectors

Today is the day we celebrate this year’s Caldecott Medal Winner WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS. This is the fifth and final video in our 2021 Caldecott Medal and Honor breakdown series. If you missed the first four installments in the series, catch up here:

Pull up a chair for today’s analysis of 2021 Caldecott Medal Winner WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS illustrated by Michaela Goade and written Carole Lindstrom.

We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela GoadeHere’s a brief description of this poignant book:

Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption―a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade.

“Water is the first medicine.
It affects and connects us all . . .”

When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth
And poison her people’s water, one young water protector
Takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.

As well as receiving the Caldecott Medal, WE ARE WATER PROTETORS was also awarded the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text. Talk about the perfect marriage of text and illustration! In this video, Julie Hedlund reveals what makes this book so stunning and why it deserves all the award praise it’s received this year.

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blog Me and Mama by Cozbi Cabrera
March 25, 2021 In Caldecott

Me and Mama

It’s time for the fourth video in our 2021 Caldecott Medal and Honor breakdown series with ME AND MAMA. If you missed the first three videos in the series, catch up here:

Now, it’s time to cozy up with today’s analysis of 2021 Caldecott Honor Book ME AND MAMA written and illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera.

Here’s a brief description of this sweet, heartwarming book:

Mama’s love is brighter than the sun, even on the rainiest of days. This celebration of a mother-daughter relationship is perfect for sharing with little ones.

“On a rainy day when the house smells like cinnamon and Papa and Luca are still asleep, when the clouds are wearing shadows and the wind paints the window with beads of water, I want to be everywhere Mama is.”

With lyrical prose and a tender touch, the Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honor Book Mama and Me is an ode to the strength of the bond between a mother and a daughter as they spend a rainy day together.

In today’s video, Katie Davis shares how these delightful illustrations add even more joy to this sweet girl’s adventures with her mom. If you’ve ever found the extraordinary in an ordinary day with a little one in your life, get ready to treasure this picture book.

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blog A Place Inside of Me by Zetta Elliot and Noa Denmon
March 18, 2021 In Caldecott

A Place Inside of Me

It’s time for the third video breakdown of the 2021 Caldecott Medal and Honor books with A PLACE INSIDE OF ME. If you missed our first two videos, catch up here:

Now, on to today’s analysis of 2021 Caldecott Honor Book A PLACE INSIDE OF ME: A POEM TO HEAL THE HEART illustrated by Noa Denmon and written by Zetta Elliot.

A Place Inside of Me by Zetta Elliot and Noa DenmonHere’s a brief description of this one-of-a-kind book:

In this powerful, affirming poem by award-winning author Zetta Elliott, a Black child explores his shifting emotions throughout the year.

There is a place inside of me
a space deep down inside of me
where all my feelings hide.

Summertime is filled with joy–skateboarding and playing basketball—until his community is deeply wounded by a police shooting. As fall turns to winter and then spring, fear grows into anger, then pride and peace. In her stunning debut, illustrator Noa Denmon articulates the depth and nuances of a child’s experiences following a police shooting–through grief and protests, healing and community–with washes of color as vibrant as his words. Here is a groundbreaking narrative that can help all readers–children and adults alike–talk about the feelings hiding deep inside each of us.

In today’s video, Laura Backes shares the many layers at play in this book that explores and processes all the emotions of the heart. You’ll see the perfect marriage of text and illustration in this award-winning book.

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Outside In by Deboarh Underwood and Cindy Derby
March 11, 2021 In Caldecott

Outside In

Welcome to our second video breakdown of the 2021 Caldecott Medal and Honor books. Lucky for us, the committee honored five books this year, so we’ll get to have five videos! If you missed last week’s talk on THE CAT MAN OF ALEPPO with Emma Walton Hamilton, you can check it out here.

Now, let’s explore today’s analysis of 2021 Caldecott Honor Book OUTSIDE IN illustrated by Cindy Derby, written by Deborah Underwood.

Outside In by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Cindy DerbyHere’s a brief description of this beautiful book:

From the New York Times best-selling author behind THE QUIET BOOK comes a mindful contemplation on the many ways nature affects our everyday lives, even when we’re stuck inside. OUTSIDE IN reminds emerging readers of the ways nature creates and touches our lives in homes, apartments, and cars, and is the perfect homeschooling tool to reflect on the world’s connectedness.

This book is one of four honorees this year that feature separate author and illustrators. (Yes! There is hope if you’re a picture book writer and not an illustrator. Remember, you don’t need to find an illustrator. Your publisher will look for the perfect illustrator to match your text.)

In today’s video, Julie Hedlund reveals how striving for imperfection embraces the creative process and makes OUTSIDE IN a book like no other!

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Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham Karim Shamsi-Basha Yuko Shimizu
March 4, 2021 In Caldecott

The Cat Man of Aleppo

It’s time to kick off our favorite series of the year: It’s our Caldecott breakdowns! Each year, our founders give an in-depth analysis of the winning books. We analyze the text, the illustrations, and how they combine to create an award-winning picture book. Over the next five weeks, we’ll breakdown each of this year’s amazing books and share insights into the illustrators and their processes. Most importantly, we hope our talks will inspire you to elevate your own picture book manuscripts in a new way.

First off, our hearty congratulations to the 2021 Caldecott Medal Winner: WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade! This book is stunning and we can’t wait to share it with you in the coming weeks.

This year the Caldecott Committee recognized four books as 2021 Caldecott Honor Books:

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Tomie DePaola - Picture Book Summit Podcast
May 26, 2020 In Caldecott, Podcast

Podcast – Tomie DePaola

Picture Book Summit Podcast - Tomie DePaola

Earlier this year we lost the legendary author-illustrator Tomie DePaola.

Beloved author/illustrator Tomie dePaola wrote and illustrated books for children for over 50 years. In that time, Tomie always drew from life experience. His books were inspired by everything from his Irish-Italian roots to his adventures in musical theater. Other influences included his time as a Benedictine monk and his work as a fine artist and teacher. Tomie’s 260+ books have sold 25 million copies worldwide, including Strega Nona, 26 Fairmount Avenue, The Art Lesson, and Christmas Remembered. The American Library Association has honored him with a Caldecott Honor Book, a Newbery Honor Book, and the 2011 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now known as the Children’s Literature Legacy Award) for his “substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.”

Today, we celebrate his life by remembering the light and joy he brought us in this Picture Book Summit interview.

Listen here:

 

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May 26, 2020 In Caldecott, Podcast

Podcast – Peter Brown

Welcome to the Picture Book Summit Podcast where we share insight on the craft of writing, illustrating, and publishing picture books from the industry’s best and brightest. In each episode, we feature an excerpt from a keynote or presentation given at Picture Book Summit, the annual world-class online conference for picture book writers and illustrators around the globe that takes place every October.

Peter Brown - Picture Book Summit PodcastIn our inaugural episode, we share a portion of our Picture Book Summit interview with Caldecott Medal-winning author-illustrator Peter Brown.

Peter Brown has written and illustrated many books for children and earned numerous honors. His awards include a Caldecott Honor, a Horn Book Award, two E.B. White Awards, two E.B. White Honors, a Children’s Choice Award for Illustrator of the Year, two Irma Black Honors, a Golden Kite Award, and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award. Peter has six New York Times bestselling books for children. His bestselling titles include The Curious Garden, Children Make Terrible Pets, and Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. Peter’s illustrations for Creepy Carrots!, written by Aaron Reynolds, earned him a Caldecott Honor.

Listen in as Peter discusses how he creates character development by digging into his own personal experiences.

 

Listen here:

 

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May 14, 2020 In Caldecott

The Undefeated

Drum roll please!

Our final installment of our 2020 Caldecott series celebrates the 2020 Caldecott Medal Winner: THE UNDEFEATED by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson! We hope this year’s analysis prompts to you look deeper at other picture books as well as your own manuscripts.

The culmination of our 2020 series celebrates THE UNDEFEATED written by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, and published by Versify. This book brings to life the words of the poetic text by showcasing portraiture illustrations of prominent figures in history.

One interesting note: This year’s winner and honorees are all author and illustrator teams—which is fairly unusual for this award that primarily focuses on illustration.

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir NelsonHere’s a quick description of THE UNDEFEATED:

Originally performed for ESPN’s The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world’s greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.

Emma Walton Hamilton spearheads our discussion of this soul-stirring book with a bit of background on this text’s journey from poem to award-winning picture book.

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