Watercress

Watercress

It’s the culmination of our 2022 Caldecott Breakdown series as we dive into this year’s Caldecott Medal Winner, WATERCRESS!

If you missed our previous discussions, you can still catch them at the links below.

• WONDER WALKERS
• HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A FLOWER
• UNSPEAKABLE: THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE
• MEL FELL

In today’s video, we are honored to share with you the stunning picture book WATERCRESS, written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin.

Here’s a brief description:

“Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl’s parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. Grabbing an old paper bag and some rusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the muddy, snail covered watercress as they can.

At first, she’s embarrassed. Why can’t her family get food from the grocery store? But when her mother shares a story of her family’s time in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Together, they make a new memory of watercress.

Andrea Wang tells a moving autobiographical story of a child of immigrants discovering and connecting with her heritage, illustrated by award-winning author and artist Jason Chin, working in an entirely new style, inspired by Chinese painting techniques. An author’s note in the back shares Andrea’s childhood experience with her parents.”

Click the video below and listen in as Julie Hedlund shares some behind-the-scenes insight from Jason Chin about this remarkable story.

WATERCRESS

 

This book is not just the Caldecott Medal Winner, it’s won ALL the awards, including:

• Newbery Honor Book
• APALA Award Winner
• New England Book Award Winner
• A New York Times Best Children’s Book of the Year
• A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
• Winner of the Cybils Award
• A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book of the Year
• A Boston Globe Best Children’s Book of the Year
• A Washington Post Best Children’s Book of the Year
• A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
• A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
• An ALSC Notable Children’s Book
• Named a best book of the year by Publishers Weekly, BookPage, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Lunch, Shelf Awareness, and more!
• A CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
• An NPR ‘Book We Love!’
• A Horn Book Fanfare Title
  
• A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year
• A Floyd’s Pick Honor Book
• A CSMCL Best Multicultural Children’s Book of the Year
• A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!
• A CCBC Choice

Congratulations to Andrea Wang and Jason Chin on creating magic with WATERCRESS!

 

Limited Time Offer!

Just a few days left to grab our Caldecott Breakdown Bundle! You get 3 previous Picture Book Summit presentations from the creators of 3 Caldecott-winning books for a fraction of their regular price!

Regularly $97 each, for a limited time, you can grab presentations from Carole Boston Weatherford, Sophie Blackall, and Matthew Cordell in one big bundle for just $47! That’s 84% off!

This bundle includes:

• Decisions, Decisions: Picturing a Book with Carole Boston Weatherford
• Our Writing Voice is Also Our Singing Happy Birthday Voice, Our Berating Teenagers Voice, Our Hollering at Ducks Voice, and That’s Not a Bad Thing with Sophie Blackall
• How to Build a Bridge Between Pictures and Story with Matthew Cordell

Get lifetime access to the videos and transcripts for these insightful and inspiring presentations. You’ll look at your manuscripts in a whole new light! This bundle is only available for a limited time. Jump on it today!

Click here for 84% off!

 

This offer expires this Friday, May 6, 2022. Don’t miss it!