Caldecott Medal Winners and Honor Books

The Spider and the Fly by Tony DiTerlizzi

This book, which is based on the cautionary poem by Mary Howitt, tells the story of a lady fly who is reluctant to follow a spider into his den.  The spider finally lures the fly with words of flattery and she is forever in his den and she “never came out again!” This book is a Caldecott Honor book.

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

This Caldecott Honor book teaches the reader what animals do with their noses and tails. For example, “if you’re an elephant, you use your nose to give yourself a bath”. This book is a wonderful way to teach children about different animals and facts about the way they function. The book comes with beautiful illustrations and facts in the back of the book about each animal featured.

Blackout by John Rocco

Another Caldecott Honor book about a summer night when the power goes out in the city. This incident forces the family to find their own fun without phones or computers. When the family goes on their roof to escape the heat in the house, they see a star-filled sky, leading them to a block party where all their neighbors are there. Though the power finally gets restored, the family learns that board games by candle light and interacting with neighbors is still more fun than electricity. The comic-strip illustrations add to the engagement of this book!

The Stray Dog by Marc Simont

This Caldecott Honor book tells the story of a stray dog whom a family picnicking in the park finds. The children want to keep the dog but their parents tell them the dog may belong to someone who would miss him if the family took him home. After returning for another picnic, the dog shows up again, and the kids name him Willy. They save him from a dog ward that is trying to collect him and Willy lives comfortably with his new family.

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka

Winner of the 2012 Caldecott Medal, this book tells of a dog named Daisy who loses her favorite ball to a bigger dog who eventually destroys it. Heartbroken, Daisy eventually finds another ball that she can claim as her own. Though this story is told without words and only pictures, it nonetheless evokes a powerful feeling among the reader.

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman

This Caldecott Medal book is about Officer Buckle, a policeman who instills safety tips to his students. When his dog pal Gloria steals the spotlight during school assemblies, Officer Buckle believes the students are not cheering for his safety tips, but rather, for Gloria’s tricks. When Gloria is up on stage alone, she is lonely and realizes she is better with Officer Buckle up there with her. This leads Officer Buckle to discover his 101^st safety tip: “always stick with your buddy!”

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

This Caldecott winner tells the story of a little girl named Sal who is helping her mother pick blueberries on the hill. Her mother encourages her to go off and pick her own blueberries, just as a momma bear encourages her baby bear to go find as many blueberries as he can to stock up for the winter. Each child gets separated from his/her mother until their mothers eventually come and find them, taking them back to their own homes.

Mirette on the Highwire by Emily Arnold McCully

Caldecott Medal winner. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of a young girl named Mirette who helps her mother at the hotel they run in Paris. When a shy and mysterious guest named Bellini starts to walk across a highwire, Mirette is intrigued and begs him to teach her his talent. Once she teaches herself how to walk the highwire, she shows Bellini her talents, only to learn he is a famous highwire walker. In the end, Bellini comes to see Mirette’s talents and decides to take her on tour with him.

5/30/12: Easy Readers

How Big Is Big? by Harriet Ziefert. This book explores the concept of comparing animals of different sizes, therefore defining the what makes something small, smaller, big, bigger, etc. This book is Level 1 in the Puffin Easy-to-Read Program levels.

Patty Cat by Barbara deRubertis. This book focuses on practicing repetition, short vowel sounds, and rhyming while telling of Patty’s plan to get his baseball bat back after Max the Rat has stolen it! This is one of the “Lets Read Together” books for ages 3-7.

The Ear Book by Al Perkins. A boy and his dog listen to the sounds around them including the clock ticking and his father snoring. The rhyme scheme engages the reader and makes it a fun read!

Pancakes, Crackers, and Pizza by Marjorie Eberts and Margaret Gisler. Eddy likes to eat foods of all shapes from circular pancakes to triangular pizza! This book is fun for young readers because they can find shapes in their food just like Eddy! 

Harold and the Purple Crayon: The Giant Garden adapted by Valerie Garfield. A ladybug captures Harold’s attention one night as he follows it into a giant garden he’s created with his purple crayon. In this adventure, Harold comes across a giant ant and a giant frog, eventually leading Harold to draw his way back to his comfy bed.

Practice Makes Perfect for Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos and Nicole Rubel. Rotten Ralph finally learns that practice does make perfect after he tried to cheat his way to winning prizes at the carnival. This book offers a valuable lesson to always try your best and try again if you don’t succeed on the first try.

My Birthday Cake by Olivia George. A little girl makes her own birthday cake, filling it with all her favorite sweets until she realizes it’s too sweet to eat and prefers the way her mother makes it. This is a fun read that all kids can relate to!

 The Very Bad Day by Mary Packard. A girl is having a very bad day, putting her clothes on backward, stubbing her toe, and having no friends to play with. She realizes her day is not so bad once she sees that her friends are waiting for her at home. This book teaches a valuable lesson of knowing that a bad day can always be turned around.