One of the great things that I rediscovered this past summer when Reina and I went to the US was the beauty of the municipal library system. With a child’s insatiable appetite for books, borrowing a stack of books that could be swapped for more every few days was a great experience for both us. While poking through the rows of books, I also discovered a brochure listing all the previous titles awarded the Caldecott Medal dating back to 1938. The Caldecott is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Reading picture books with Reina is great, but reading one with fantastic illustrations is nearly magical and makes the experience more enjoyable for us both, so we checked out as many of the winning books as we could locate on the library shelves, and even purchased several favorites to bring back with us to Beijing.
This year, the Caldecott Medal was awarded to
A Sick Day for Amos McGee, illustrated by Erin E. Stead and written by Philip C. Stead (a husband and wife team). Though we have not seen the book yet, the ALSC website explains it is about a zookeeper, Amos McGee, who gets the sniffles and receives a surprise visit from his caring animal friends. If you can judge a books illustrations by its cover, this one will not only be worthy of checking out and reading, but owning as well. For a complete list of all the Caldecott Medal Winners from 1938 to present, visit the ALSC website or click
here.
The ALSC also bestows other awards including the Newbery Medal to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Though Reina is not ready for such literary works yet, older children will no doubt enjoy this year’s Newbery winner, Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm.
ALSC’s website describes the plot as follows: Sassy eleven-year-old Turtle finds her life turned on end when she is sent to live with her aunt in Depression-era Key West. With vivid details, witty dialogue and outrageous escapades, Jennifer Holm successfully explores the meaning of family and home … and lost treasures found.
So if your favorite
Beijing bookstore doesn’t sell these titles, check out Amazon.cn:
