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2013 Caldecott Medal Winner
The 2013 Caldecott Medal winner is This Is Not My Hat illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press). This Is Not My Hat is Raschka's second Caldecott Medal, having won the 2006 award for The Hello, Goodbye Window. This Is Not My Hat is a wordless picturebook.
From the American Library Association's website:
"In this darkly humorous tale, a tiny fish knows it’s wrong to steal a hat. It fits him just right. But the big fish wants his hat back. Klassen’s controlled palette, opposing narratives and subtle cues compel readers to follow the fish and imagine the consequence.
“With minute changes in eyes and the slightest displacement of seagrass, Klassen’s masterful illustrations tell the story the narrator doesn’t know,” Caldecott Chair Sandra Imdieke said.
Klassen also won a Caldecott Honor award this year for his illustrations in Extra Yarn (see below).
2012 Caldecott Honor Books
Creepy Carrots!, illustrated by Peter Brown, written by Aaron Reynolds and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
“A summer’s power outage draws an urban family up to their building’s roof and then down to the street for an impromptu block party. Rocco illuminates details and characters with a playful use of light and shadow in his cartoon-style illustrations. He delivers a terrific camaraderie-filled adventure that continues even when the electricity returns.”
I found a couple of first edition copies, however the dust jackets were rather tatty, so did not purchase them.
Extra Yarn, illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett and published by Balzer + Bray,
“A selfish archduke threatens to halt a little girl's transformation of a colorless town and steal her box of magical yarn. Klassen's innovative digital technique results in shifts of color that signal character change and critical turns of plot -all done with just the right stitches of humor..“
Klassen is the first illustrator to earn two Caldecott awards in a single award year.
Green, illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and published by Neal Porter Books, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press
“In this original concept book, Seeger engages all the senses with her fresh approach to the multiple meanings of “green.” Using thickly-layered acrylics, word pairings and cleverly placed die cuts, she invites readers to pause, pay attention and wonder..“
Seeger won a Caldecott Honor award in 2008 for First The Egg.
I acquired a copy of Green earlier in the year at Barnes & Noble.
One Cool Friend, illustrated by David Small, written by Toni Buzzeo and published by Dial Books for Young Readers,
"Energetic line and dizzying perspective combine for a rollicking tale of Father, Elliot and a highly improbable pet (or two). Buzzeo’s text, brimming with sly wordplay, earns its perfect counterpoint in Small’s ink, watercolor and pencil illustrations with chilly details and visual jokes that invite many repeated readings. “
I'm a big fan of David Small. He won a Caldecott Medal in 2001 for So You Want To Be A President? and a Caldecott Honor in 1998 for The Gardener.
Sleep Like a Tiger, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Mary Logue and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
"Surrounded with dreamlike images of crowns, ornate patterns and repeated visual motifs, her parents coax her into bed. Using mixed media artwork on wood enhanced with computer illustrations, this is a whimsical story with universal appeal.”
Zagarenski won a Caldecott Honor in 2010 for Red Sings From The Treetops.
I acquired a copy of Sleep Like A Tiger yesterday at a local Barnes & Noble.
The Newbery and Caldecott Medals and Honor Book seals are property of the American Library Association and cannot be used in any form or reproduced without permission of the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.