2015 Mock Caldecott Winners

Here are the winners of our 2015 Mock Caldecott Award.

Medal Winner-
Beyond the Pond by Joseph Kuefler

Honor Winners-
My Pen by Christopher Myers
Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova, by Laurel Snyder, ill. by Julie Morstad
Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, by Sally Walker, ill. by Jonathan Voss

Time to Unpack Some New Books

It is always a pleasure to get new books.  These packages mostly contain picturebooks that we considered for our Mock Caldecott Award in December.  Once I unpack them, I'll share them with you.

Summer Class: Response to Literature

EDU 570 Response to Literature
Taylor University

I have just finished teaching a three hour graduate class titled Response to Literature. The class ran from 8:30AM to 4:30PM for five days. Our culminating activity was a Mock Caldecott. This year we used 2009 and 2010 books. The winner of our EDU570 Mock Caldecott was Testing the Ice written by Sharon Robinson and Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. The class also choose four honor books: Finn Throughs a Fit (09), I Need My Monster (09), 14 Cows for America (09)and Chester's Masterpiece (10).

I am wearing an Ohio State jersey because too many of the class members were anti-Buckeyes. GO BUCKS!

The following photos are from our Reader's Theater activity:

Creak! Said the Bed by Phyllis Root

Barnyard Slam by Dian Curtis Regan

Happy Reading,

Dr. Quinn

Mock Caldecott (9:00)

Here are the winners of this year's Mock Caldecott
(my 9:00 class):

Medal Winner

14 Cows for America
by Carmen Agra Deedy & Ill.by Thomas Gonzalez Honor Books

Testing the Ice
by Sharon Robinson & Ill. by Kadir Nelson

The Lion & the Mouse
by Jerry Pinkney

I Need My Monster
By Amanda Noll & Ill. by Howard McWilliam

Keep Reading,
Dr. Quinn

Mock Caldecott (8:00 Class)

Here are the winners of this year's Mock Caldecott
(my 8:00 class):


Medal Winner

14 Cows for America
by Carmen Agra Deedy & Ill.by Thomas Gonzalez



Honor Books

The Lion & the Mouse
by Jerry Pinkney

Mama Says
by Rob D. Walker & Ill.by Leo & Diane Dillon

Finn Throws a Fit
by David Elliott & Ill.by Timothy Basil Ering

I Need My Monster
By Amanda Noll & Ill. by Howard McWilliam

Keep Reading,
Dr. Quinn

Mock Caldecott Winners (Senior Capstone)

Here is the medal winner and honor books for our Mock Caldecott
(Senior Capstone Class)

Medal Winner

Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation
By Andrea Davis Pinkney & Ill by Brian Pinkney

A sample of posted statements from some of my students prior to the event:

"This was my favorite book not only for the illustrations but also for the plot and the way it was written in verse. I know we are supposed to focus on illustrations but I have to say that the book is amazing and I definitely want to incorporate it into the classroom. It tells the story of Rosa Parks in a powerful way. Most of the power lies within the illustrations. I liked how the endpages were wispy and overlapped the color. I also enjoyed the way the illustrations were abstract and really focused on the use of color to convey meaning. Like Lindsey said, my favorite part of the colors was the dark, deep black that loomed over the capital building or the rest of the picture to display the suppression of the Jim Crow laws. During times of hope when the people were gathered together the scene lightened up and become hues of yellow and orange. Most of the book is shades of blue. I just LOVED the symbolism in the colors. This book was so powerful."

"I loved the way that the story was actually written to the child. I could almost hear a grandparent telling this story to their grandchild. The use of color in this book was incredible. I love how Jim Crow was sumbolized as the black scribbles... you could almost see his wings and talons sticking out. I also really enjoyed the accent colors in the book. The bright colors accented the background and really drew your attention to the object which was usually a beacon of hope in some way. I really liked the scene of all the empty dark buses and all the colorful people walking on the sidewalks."

Honor Books

Friday My Radio Flyer Flew
by Zachary Pullen

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
by Kadir Nelson

Silent Music: The Story of Bagdad
By James Rumford

Abe"s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln
By Doreen Rapaport, & Ill. by Kadir Nelson

Happy Reading,
Dr. Quinn

Mock Caldecott Winners (9:00 Class)

Here is the medal winner and honor books for our Mock Caldecott

(9:00 Class)

Medal Winner

My Friend, the Starfinder
by George Ela Lyon & Ill.by Stephen Gammell

A sample of posted statements from some of my students prior to the event:

I really liked this book when I read it! The illustrations are vibrant and colorful in a way that sets the whimsical feeling of the book. I also love how the illustrator separtated the past and future stories so that the reader can understand what's going on in the story if he or she isn't looking at the text. He made the past stories black and white at first and then added color as the stories went on. This is definitely Caldecott material in my opinion.

I absolutely loved this book! It is my favorite one that I have read. The illustrations are so unique and create a magical feeling, which definitely coincides with the story being told. I thought it was very creative how there was the shape of a star on every page and that it was located somewhere other than the sky. I also loved how when the Starfinder was telling stories from his past, there was a lack of color. It makes the story seem old. I just think this book is excellent and definitely deserves a Caldecott!

Honor Books

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
by Kadir Nelson

Silent Music: The Story of Bagdad
By James Rumford

Happy Reading,
Dr. Quinn

Mock Caldecott Winners (8:00 Class)

Here is the medal winner and honor books for our Mock Caldecott
(8:00 Class)

Medal Winner

Friday My Radio Flyer Flew
by Zachary Pullen

A sample of posted statements from some of my students prior to the event:

"Wow! I loved this book! I love the medium in which it was done and the way it brings texture to these incredible pages. The different views and perspectives were also interesting and made this book fun to read. I think this a great book overall and I would highly recommend it for the award!"

"So far, this is probably my top choice for illustrations. The pictures in this book are amazing and they are often the main emphasis on the page. The pictures seem larger than life, which goes along with the whole theme of the book. The details throughout the book are fantastic--from the cracks in the ground to the reflections in his father's glasses. I definitely recommend this one for the Caldecott."

Honor Books

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
by Kadir Nelson

Too Many Toys
By David Shannon

Scoot
By Cathryn Falwell

Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation
By Andrea Davis Pinkney & Ill by Brian Pinkney

Happy Reading,
Dr. Quinn

Mock Caldecott: Allotment #5

Lincoln Shot
By Barry Dennenberg & Ill. by Christopher Bing

Rating:

· Wow!
· Oversized book with an aged look to it
· The story is told through various newspaper articles
· An abundance of information…may seem overwhelming to some
· Each section (topic/chapter) has a new heading
· Authentic photographs, letters, and wanted signs are integrated into the newspaper
· Time Line, Index and credits are provided at the end of the book




Madam President
by Lane Smith
Rating:
· A young girl shares here fantasy of being Madam President
· Typical Lane Smith illustrations filled with humor
· Mixed media and computer usage to create the illustrations
· Fun, engaging, and educational

The Day Leo Said I Hate You
By Robie Harris & Ill. By Molly Bang

Rating:

· A young boy is tired of being told “no” and out of frustration he tell his mother he hates her
· A lesson for all young children
· A nice mix of media
· Bang does a wonderful job with the fonts
· Text and illustrations blend well

Hogwash
By Arthur Geisert

Rating:

· Complicated machine is used to wash hogs
· Wordless picture book
· Imaginative
· Lots of detail, yet the illustrations are not overwhelming
· Take your time with this one

Cool Daddy Rat
By Kristyn Crow & Ill. by Mike Lester

Rating:

· Cool Daddy Rat travels around town to scat & play his jazz while Ace, his son, tags along by hiding in his father’s bass case
· Watercolor, pencil, and a Mac
· Creative use of language...scat
· The scat could get old to some, but others will enjoy the language throughout the whole book




My Friend, the Starfinder
By George Ella Lyon, Ill. by Stephen Gammell

Rating:
· Once there was a man that found a falling star and was at the end of a rainbow
· Watercolor, pastel, colored pencil, and gouache
· Gammell’s illustrations were fantastic
· The abundance and/or lack of color worked great

There is Nothing to Do on Mars
By Chris Gall

Rating:

· A boy and his dog are bored while living on Mars until they discover…
· Hand creating-clay coated board
· Fantastic pictures
· Space-age look and feel
· Would be stronger as a wordless picture book
· Fun endpages



Wild Boars Cook
By Meg Rosoff & Ill. by Sophie Blackwell

Rating:

· Four hungry pigs make a Massive Pudding
· Chinese ink and watercolor
· Illustrations mix well with the white-space on the pages
· Fun and messy
· Recipe for Massive Cookie is found at the end f the book

Big Bad Bunny
By Franny Billingsley & Ill. by G Brian Karas

Rating:

· Baby Boo-Boo transforms into Big Bad Bunny (in his mind)
· Big Bad Bunny gets lost and Mama Mouse searches for him
· Mix of Gouache, acrylic with pencil
· Two formats of pictures: Big Bad Bunny & Mama Mouse
· A variety of fonts are used

Mock Caldecott: Allotment #4

Old Bear
By Kevin Henkes

Rating:

· Old Bear dreams of the seasons during his winter hibernation
· This book could easily be a wordless picture book
· Fantastic colorful water color and ink paintings
· The color vividly sets the mode for each season in Old Bear's dream
· Loved this book



The Pigeon Wants a Puppy
By Mo Willems

Rating:

· As always Willems sets up extends the book with its endpapers
· Traditional Willems Pigeon book, but just as good as ever
· A slight twist to the climax and ending of this story






Too Many Toys
By David Shannon

Rating:

· Spencer has too many toys and his mother is making him get rid of some.
· Another great book by David Shannon
· Shannon’s paintings are consistent with many of his latest books, such as Alice the Fairy & Good Boy Fergus
· A variety of perspectives and layouts are used throughout the book
· Readers will find classic toys as well as toys of the day
· Classic ending!



Not a Stick
By Anoinette Portis

Rating:

· A follow up book to Not a Box
· Creative uses for a stick
· Every child can relate to this one
· Very simplistic in text and illustrations






The Little Yellow Leaf
By Carin Berger

Rating:

· A leaf is not ready to leave his tree until he finds support in another leaf
· A story of apprehension and friendship
· Illustrations are done in collages
· Several collages use notebook, graph, chart paper
· Love the colors




Bees, Snails, & Peacock Tales
by Betsy Franco & Ill. by Steve Jenkins

Rating:

· A creative informational book about animals and insects
· Franco uses a rhythmic meter to share the information
· Jenkins created the collages that absolutely extend the text
· The text is creatively oriented several different ways throughout the book





Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation
By Andrea Davis Pinkney & Ill by Brian Pinkney

Rating:

· “Blues infused tribute to the men and women of the Montgomery bus boycott”
· Great illustrations
· Colored inks on clay board
· Mode and tone are a strong point of this book




A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever
By Marla Frazee

Rating:

· Two boys spend a week at nature camp by day and at grandparents house by night
· Typical boys having fun together
· Illustrations were done in black prismacolor and gouache
· Illustrations definitely extend the text




Drive
By Nathan Clement

Rating:

· A young boy tells about his father’s day as a truck driver
· Simple text; usually one sentence per page
· Colorful pictures probably created with photoshop
· Unique perspective in the illustrations





The Dog Who Belonged to No One
By Amy Hest and Ill. byAmy Bates

Rating:

· A stray dog and a young girl find companionship together
· Two stories combine into one: story of the dog, story of the girl
· The text seemed a bit trite to me
· Warm watercolor pictures support the text.
· Nice detail in the paintings