It's that time of year again! Tomorrow is Caldecott day and I'm very excited! This year I have three favorite books that I'd love to see win. The first is The Scarecrow written by Beth Ferry and illustrated by the Fan Brothers.
I was actually lucky enough to come across a signed copy at my local independent bookstore, Main Street Books! The story is very sweet and the illustrations are beautiful. As a girl who grew up in a rural area, I especially liked the two page spreads of the fields as they went from being covered with snow, to green, to gold as we roll through the seasons.
Another favorite for the year is Home in the Woods by Eliza Wheeler. This is another book that takes us through the seasons. We follow a widowed mother and her children as they turn an old abandoned shack into their home.
The illustrations are full of detail and expression. I'm not a gifted enough writer to fully explain all of my reasons for loving this book. All I can think to say is that there seems to be a sense of hope throughout the whole story, a hope that circumstances will be better as the seasons progress, a sense of hope that the cold little shack will become a warm home, with a pantry full of good food from the garden, and a table surrounded by a family that works and plays together. It reminded me much of the TV show The Waltons, (especially when they are "playing store" out in the yard. This book is on my wish list to own!
There is one more book I'd like to mention, and that's Spot and Dot by Henry Cole, which, I think, is a sequel to Cole's Spot the Cat book.
I kid you not, I sat down at my kitchen table to look this book and became totally immersed in the detailed drawings until twenty minutes had gone by! There is so much to see on each page, and kids like finding Spot and Dot as their adventure unfolds.
I would love to see any of these win the Caldecott. Tune in tomorrow (or Tuesday) for an update! Until then, have a happy vintage day!
UPDATE!! I can't believe it is 2022 and I forgot to update you on the winner of the Caldecott. No excuse, I just lost my desire to blog.
The winner of the Caldecott and Honors were:
Winner---The Undefeated, By Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson.
Honor--Bear Came Along, By Richard T. Morris and illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Honor--Double Bass Blues, By Andrea J. Loney and illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
Honor--Going Down Home With Daddy, By Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Daniel Minter
Congratulations to all of the winners!
