Caldecott Challenge - Winners of 2008

The year of 2008 was a big year for the Caldecott. There were four honor books chosen as well as the one of the first fiction book chosen for the Caldecott medal. While I know the 2012 Caldecott has not yet been named, two weeks to go, my choice this year with be Brian Selznick's next amazing picture/fiction book, Wonderstruck. I'm convinced it will win an honor this year for the absolutely stunning black and white penciled pictured 

Caldecott Medal 2008:

The Inventions of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
This story sheds a whole new light on picture books. Hugo is rather a fiction story, 500 pages, but with half of the book full page black and white pencil illustrations. Hugo is a young orphan secretly living in the walls of a train station where he labors to complete a mysterious invention left by his father. The story is narrated in both words and pictures. But the story is not just about Hugo the young orphan, but about the history of film and the story of George Melies, who was one of the first filmmakers. *****

2008 Honor Books:
Henry's Freedom Box: A true story from the Underground Railroad illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Ellen Levine
A wonderful biographical story of Henry Brown, the first runaway slave to pack himself into a box to escape slavery and arrive in the land of freedom. He traveled from Philadelphia to Richmond Virginia and made headlines throughout the country. The illustrations were done in pencil, watercolor and oil and truly depict Henry's journey in a box. ****

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
This is a book about transformations from the egg to a chicken, or a seed to a flower, or a caterpillar ot a butterfly. A creative story with die cut and painted pictures with simple text for preschool children. This book also won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award in 2008 as well. ***

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis
This is an autobiographical picture book in a very clever format about the author's life during the Cold War in Czechoslovakia. The story is told in pictures and memories, with drawings and diaries showing his extraordinary journey behind the Iron Curtain. ***

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems
This adorable picture book is filled with stunning photographs and hilarious drawings and the sequel to another Caldecott honor book, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (2005 honor winner). Trixie, a young preschooler, hurries to school not only to find that another student has her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny. The images are a melding of photography and hand-drawn sketches. *****