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.
Here’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.
THE UNDEFEATED
As a reminder, here are the 2020 winners:
Thank you for joining us for this year’s Caldecott series. Be sure to catch all the videos in this series:
DOUBLE BASS BLUES written by Andrea J. Loney and illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
GOING DOWN HOME WITH DADDY by Kelly Starling Lyons and Daniel Minter
BEAR CAME ALONG by Richard T. Morris and LeUyen Pham
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Wondering how you can write picture books that shine? Check out our Picture Book Summit Revision Strategies.
Judy Ignasiak
May 15, 2020 at 11:40 amWill these book talks be available after this? I feel that they would be invaluable to other teacher/librarians like myself.
Rita Russell
May 16, 2020 at 6:17 pmEmma, your review of this book was so enlightening and thought provoking. Heartfelt thanks to you, Katie, Laura, and Julie for honoring the depth and breadth of the text and art of this work, and for showing why its so deserving of the widespread attention and numerous awards it has received.
Diane Garratt
May 16, 2020 at 6:59 pmThe four of you have done an unparalleled job with this series. Bravo!
Lauri Fortino
May 17, 2020 at 2:19 pmLove these wonderful interpretations of the award winning picture books! You’re putting into words what I was thinking, but couldn’t quite convey myself. Well done, ladies!