Caldecott Challenge 1996

1996 Caldecott Medal Winner: 
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
A sweet, sweet story about friendship. Officer Buckle takes Gloria, the police dog, wherever he goes when giving his safety speeches. Little does Officer Buckle know that Gloria is the one that really steals the show. The illustrations are done in bright colors with cartoon characters that are outlined in black ink which really make the ilustrations stand out. **** Grades K-3

1996 Caldecott Honor Winners:
Alphabet City by Stephen Johnson
This fabulous ABC book is done with pastel, watercolor, gouache, and charcoal paintings that are so completely realistic you would think that the images are actual photographs. Each page has a different letter. This is a wordless picture book that takes the reader on sights from Times Square to the Brooklyn Bridge.*** Grades K-3

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin illustrated by Marjorie Priceman and written by Lloyd Moss
This story is about ten instruments that take their parts, one by one, in a musical performance. The illustrations are done in Gouache with clever jazzy verses on each page. *** Grades K-4

The Faithful Friend illustrated by Brian Pinkney and written by Robert San Souci
This is a retelling of a folktale from the Fresh West Indies where two friends meet danger, love, and zombies on the island of Martinique. The illustrations are done in scratchboard and oil.
** Grades 2-4

Tops and Bottoms adapted and illustrated by Janet Stevens
This is a lovely story that comes from an African American folktale about a hare that turns his bad luck into good luck by striking a clever deal with the rich and lazy bear down the street. Illustrations are done in watercolor and colored pencils. A wonderful story with just gorgeous double page illustrations that very much bring the characters alive. ***Grades K-2

Caldecott Challenge 1997

1997 Caldecott Medal Winner:

Golem by David Wisniewski
This story is a dramatic retelling of an old tale with masterly cut-paper illustrations. A Rabbi brings life to a clay giant who helps him watch over the Jews during the 16th century in Prague. The illustrations in this story are truly magnificent as the reader can see the fine cuts of paper and details in every illustration. *** Grades 3 and up

1997 Caldecott Honor Winners:
Hush! A Thai Lullaby illustrated by Holly Meade and written by MinFong Ho
This is a Thai lullaby that asks animals to be quiet and not disturb the sleeping child. It is a lovely story with repeating verse on each page. The illustrations are combined cut paper, watercolor, and ink drawings. A wonderful bedtime story for any child. Pre-K- 2nd  ****

The Graphic Alphabet  will review at a later time

The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey
A story of a paperboy, in the days of paperboys, and the quiet of morning as he goes through his route. The illustrations are done in acrylics with india ink. Simple text shows the paperboy waking up and going through his route from darkness to light. Grades K-3 ***

Starry Messenger by Peter Sis

From School Library Journal. Grade 1-6. In Follow the Dream (Knopf, 1991), Sis depicted both the humanity and heroism of Christopher Columbus. In Starry Messenger, Sis turns his considerable talents to another infamous Italian?Galileo Galilei. He layers his telling so that young children or groups may focus on the short version printed in large type at the bottom of each page. Older readers will glean more from the quotes pulled from the astronomer's treatise (the work that inspired this title) and other primary sources, such as Inquisition documents. This second layer is printed in script and presented in a variety of decorative patterns (suggesting ideograms) to distinguish it. The sophisticated details of Sis's watercolor, pen, and rubber-stamp illustrations provide yet another dimension as well as ambiance. A master of symbol, the artist creates scenes that focus on the subject?"a boy born with stars in his eyes"?and shows how he shines against the darker aspects of his time. The aging scientist stands alone in a circle of yellow light, suggesting his identification with the heliocentrism for which he was being condemned, surrounded by a sea of red-clad Cardinals. The text is no less powerful: "He was tried in the Pope's court, and everyone could see that the stars had left his eyes." The pathos, the painstaking copies of Galileo's famous sketches of the heavens, and the attention to current scholarship make this book a fascinating find. Leonard Everett Fisher's Galileo (S & S, 1992) is a useful companion for a more straightforward approach.?Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA