Caldecott Medal and Honor books the year 2019

 

Caldecott Book Reviews 2019

Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall and illustrated also by Blackall.

From the Amazon description: ”Transports readers to the seaside in timeless, nautical splendor!
Watch the days and seasons pass as the wind blows, the fog rolls in, and icebergs drift by. Outside, there is water all around. Inside, the daily life of a lighthouse keeper and his family unfolds as the keeper boils water for tea, lights the lamp's wick, and writes every detail in his logbook.
Step back in time and through the door of this iconic lighthouse into a cozy dollhouse-like interior with the extraordinary award-winning artist Sophie Blackall.” 

You can watch the book being read aloud here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jos3gkJ9Jg4 

And listen to questions and answers about the book done by the author here in these four videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWrQpW8ROiI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Cj8gXwu_0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWmCN8EmxsI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-oN0_R5ce0 

If you would like, you can purchase a pack of 100 bookmarks featuring this book here from the American Library Association store: https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/hello-lighthouse-bookmark 

Sophie Blackall is an Australian illustrator based in Brooklyn. She is the illustrator of another Caldecott Medal, Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear. She has worked together with authors such as Jacqueline Woodson, Aldous Huxley, Jane Yolen, and Polly Horvath. She also has written and illustrated books such as The Baby Tree and Are You Awake. Blackall has received many awards including the New York Times Best Children’s Book of the Year, Ezra Jack Keats Award for Best New Illustrator, and Horn Book Honor. Before writing this book, she visited several lighthouses, “climbing spiral staircases, poring over keepers’ logbooks, and gazing happily out lantern room windows.” 

My opinion: This book is full of historically-accurate details of the lighthouse. The illustrations are done in Chinese ink and watercolor and beautifully portray the steadiness and stability of the lighthouse in the midst of all the changes in weather and over time. The lighthouse is always in the same location on the two-page spreads to portray that constancy. There are cutaway illustrations that show the interior of the lighthouse with lots of detail. When you think about a lighthouse, you think about the usual circular shape as you are inside looking up. To highlight that, Blackall adds some circle vignette illustrations on various pages. So clever! The front and back inside covers give lots more information in picture and text about lighthouses. At the end, there is a nice surprise of a foldout page which shows the lighthouse from two perspectives on the front and back of the page. The repetition of the first few lines from the beginning to the end bring the book to a satisfying finish. The beams of the lighthouse calling out “hello, hello” beg for an answer. As some reviewers of this book have stated, the lighthouse is a symbol of dependability in a world full of changes, something every child needs.

Alma and How She Got Her Name, written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

From the Amazon description: "What’s in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be. If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names." 

You can listen to the book being read here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBmNmwsEz_g

The story is read by a US Senator who was a Spanish immigrant, so you’ll get the correct pronunciation of the Spanish names. And the book has been published in both English and Spanish. 

The author/illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal is an American immigrant who grew up in Lima, Peru. She follows the footsteps of her father and grandfather as an illustrator. Her debut book as both author and illustrator, Alma and How She Got Her Name, is a Caldecott Honor book. Most of her books reflect her Peruvian heritage. She has won several honors in addition to the Caldecott: Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration and Robert F. Sibert Medal. 

My opinion:  The illustrations are delightfully done in graphite, colored pencils and print transfers, and are monochromatic on a cream-colored handmade textured paper. How wonderful! The pink stripes on Alma’s clothing are repeated on the front and back inside covers and are also the bright spot on every page, highlighting her and her importance. What child doesn’t question their name at some point? I was named after my mother’s best friend. Two of my grandsons have as middle names their grandfather’s name. My niece has my grandmother’s name. These names give identity and should be shared with children. Again, as many other Caldecott Medal book portray, the theme of this book is belonging, heritage, and family lineage. One noted drawback for me in this book is the reference to the great-aunt Pura who “believed that the spirits of our ancestors are always with us. When you were born, she tied a red string around your wrist: a charm to keep you safe.” I’m sure this is probably a belief of the author’s Peruvian background.

A Big Mooncake for Little Star, written and illustrated by Grace Lin

From the Amazon description: “Tells a whimsical origin story of the phases of the moon, from award-winning, bestselling author-illustrator Grace Lin. Pat, pat, pat...Little Star's soft feet tiptoed to the Big Mooncake. Little Star loves the delicious Mooncake that she bakes with her mama. But she's not supposed to eat any yet! What happens when she can't resist a nibble? In this stunning picture book that shines as bright as the stars in the sky, Newbery Honor author Grace Lin creates a heartwarming original story that explains phases of the moon.”

You can watch the story being read aloud here complete with space music in the background: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNp11Ba6-CU

Grace Lin’s website gives activities to accompany her books, this one included: https://gracelin.com/A-Big-Mooncake-For-Little-Star/#activities

Lin even includes a recipe to make mooncakes to accompany the reading of the book: http://www.gracelinblog.com/2018/09/mooncake-recipe.html

Grace Lin is the daughter of Tawainese-American immigrants. She also wrote the 2010 Newbery Honor book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, which is an Asian version of the Wizard of Oz. Many of her books both authored and illustrated seem to reflect her heritage. Including the Caldecott Honor Book award and the Newbery Honor Book award, she has also received the Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature Honorable Mention and the Texas Bluebonnet Award. Lin has also written and illustrated the Ling & Ting series, the Pacy series, and the Children’s Fairytales series, none of which I have read.

My opinion: This is a delightful mother/daughter story. The love shared between mother and daughter is commendable. The story tells like a modern folktale which explains the origin of the phases of the moon. The story takes place in outer space and the illustrations are painted in gouache on a black background of rag watercolor paper to portray the setting. The mother and daughter are wearing black clothing with bright yellow stars. The story reflect Lin’s love for the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, her favorite Asian holiday. It traces the waning phases of the moon from new to crescent – and then mother and daughter start all over again, just like the phases of the moon do. The daughter’s lack of self-control to resist eating the mooncake reminds me of the Frog and Toad story about the temptation of the cookies. What little child – and adults for that matter – have not struggled with that! I love the daughter’s honesty to admit that she ate the mooncake and the mother’s forgiveness and patience to make another one. On every page, the daughter has her little white stuffed bunny – a nice touch. All of my grandsons have such a treasured stuffed animal. I did enjoy this book as a modern folktale with truly beautiful illustrations!

The Rough Patch written and illustrated by Brian Lies

From the Amazon description: “Brian Lies has created a beautiful, accessible, and deeply personal story about friendship, loss, and renewal. The Rough Patch was awarded a Caldecott Honor and features stunning paintings from the award-winning creator of Bats at the Beach. Evan and his dog do everything together, from eating ice cream to caring for their prize-winning garden, which grows big and beautiful. One day the unthinkable happens: Evan’s dog dies. Heartbroken, Evan destroys the garden and everything in it. The ground becomes overgrown with prickly weeds and thorns, and Evan embraces the chaos. But beauty grows in the darkest of places, and when a twisting vine turns into an immense pumpkin, Evan is drawn out of his isolation and back to the county fair, where friendships—old and new—await. A deeply hopeful and positive book, The Rough Patch was awarded a Caldecott Honor and is a story about love, loss, and hope, and the healing power of friendship and nature.”

You can listen to the book being read aloud here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0sTq69IUiM

Brian Lies is an American-born author/illustrator. In his growing up years, he was always drawing and interested in learning art. His illustrations have been seen in many books over the years, as well as in children’s magazines such as Spider, Ladybug, and Babybug. He is known for his uncanny ability to show the faces of animals expressing emotion. Thus, this book and the emotions of loss on the face of the fox truly fulfill that reputation.

My opinion: This book is one I would highly recommend for young children on loss and grief. The illustrations are done with acrylics, oils, and colored pencils. There are full-page spreads with lots of backyard details, vignettes surrounded by white space to highlight each one, and pages that are almost empty. I love the variety of that. The book shows such a range of emotions from the happiness of friendships shared, to the quiet loss, to the anger, to the little thread of hope that winds its way into the heart, to finally love renewed. Being one who has experienced deep grief myself in the loss of my husband, I find this book very satisfying. The role of nature in the healing process is valuable as well. It reminds me of another picture book, Helen’s Victory Garden, by Helen Wilbur in which Lily gets permission to plant a Victory Garden at a house where the Bishops’ son has died in WW II, and slowly the garden helps Mrs. Bishop recover from her grief. That’s another picture book that addresses grief for children and that I highly recommend.

 Thank You, Omu! written and illustrated by Oge Mora

From the Amazon description: “In this remarkable author-illustrator debut that's perfect for fans of Last Stop on Market Street and Extra Yarn, a generous woman is rewarded by her community.
Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu's delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself? Debut author-illustrator Oge Mora brings to life a heartwarming story of sharing and community in colorful cut-paper designs as luscious as Omu's stew, with an extra serving of love. An author's note explains that "Omu" (pronounced AH-moo) means "queen" in the Igbo language of her parents, but growing up, she used it to mean "Grandma." This book was inspired by the strong female role models in Oge Mora's life.”

Oge More is an artist of colorful collage and teller of warm loving stories. This young artist was born to Nigerian immigrants to the United States. This book by More has won the following honors in addition to the Caldecott Honor:2019 Coretta Scott King award, John Steptoe New Talent Illustrators Award, 2019 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, Boston Globe Best Children’s Book of 2018, the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award finalist and many others. So you know it’s good! You can read an interview with her here: https://www.artofthepicturebook.com/-check-in-with/2018/10/15/pm2gtdumqdmzg4qb8ffnwkgu9rbcc0

My opinion: The repetition of specific words and lines are a delightful draw to this story that little ones love in picture book stories. “Knock knock,” “Mmmmmm, stew!” “Thank you, Omu!” are all repeated each time a new person comes to the door for a taste of Omu’s stew. Mora’s collage illustrations are made with layers of paint, print scraps, old book clippings are so interesting. Not my favorite kind of illustrations but fascinating at the same time. They are reminiscent of Eric Carle’s illustrations cut from various painted papers he produced. The story is sweet, displaying generosity, community, unselfishness, and ultimately the kindness returned to Omu. A wonderful story about sharing! Sweet!