Ms. Escamilla’s Annotated Bibliographies: Randolph Caldecott Medal

Aardema, Verna. (1975). WHY MOSQUITOES BUZZ IN PEOPLE’S EARS. Ill. by Leo and Diane Dillob. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0803760892

1976 Caldecott Medal Winner

Based off of a West African tale, this children’s book tells a story about how one little mosquito accidentally created a negative disaster in a jungle. When it tried to have a conversation with an iguana, the buzzing of the its voice annoyed the iguana. A chain of animal assumptions began to form, and even though the mosquito knows what she did was wrong, she never owned up to it. Now, still guilty, mosquitos still buzz around people, making them appear as nuisances and eventually get smacked, which is a form of their punishment. The illustrations are very colorful and memorable, and they also reflect the intended cultural influence. This book will also be very fun to act out during a read aloud, for there are many examples of onomatopoeia and dialogue students will enjoy participating in.

Henkes, Kevin. (2004). KITTEN’S FIRST FULL MOON. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 9780062417107

2005 Caldecott Medal Winner

It is night time, and Kitten sees her first full moon, but she mistakes it as a bowl of milk up in the sky. Determined to get it, Kitten goes through multiple obstacles, but she unfortunately fails each time. Frustrated at her lack of success, Kitten returns home, where she finds something waiting for her, causing her luck to change. The black and white illustrations perfectly portray the setting of the story and helps the readers understand how Kitten assumed the moon was milk. The readers get to witness her determination and share her emotions through the repetition of some words that occur on every few pages (i.e. “Poor Kitten!”). It is definitely an easy read and an excellent bedtime story for children!

Juster, Norton. (2005). THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW. Ill. by Chris Raschka. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9780786809141

2006 Caldecott Medal Winner

In The Hello, Goodbye Window, the narrator’s grandparents have a kitchen window in which they create many memories at. From watching the nature outside, playing with reflections, waving to each other, etc., the girl’s relationship with her grandparents seems to grow more and more when time spent there increases. It is something that she cherishes very much, and her grandparents make sure she gets the best time out of her stay with them. Raschka’s lively and bold child-like illustrations help represent the joy the narrator is feeling during her childhood. In addition to the this, the artwork shows diversity within the characters. The narrator is a part of a biracial family, which is beautifully displayed and something a lot of children can relate to.

Pinkney, Jerry. (2009). THE LION & THE MOUSE. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316013567

2010 Caldecott Medal Winner

The Lion & the Mouse, an adaption to one of Aesop’s most popular fables, is a beautifully illustrated and wordless picture book representing the encounter between two completely different animals. In the African Serengeti of Tanzania and Kenya, a mouse accidentally disturbs a resting lion. The king of the jungle is obviously upset but decides to go ahead and set the mouse free. The plot thickens when hunters come along and attempt to capture the lion. The mouse, feeling the need to pay back his debt, saves the lion from the danger. The courage, egoism, and determination displayed within both of these animals’ actions help the readers understand that the two worlds collided and were able to look past each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The vivid drawings and usage of onomatopoeia allow the reader to feel engaged within this well-known tale. 

Rathmann, Peggy. (1995). OFFICER BUCKLE AND GLORIA. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 9780399226168

1996 Caldecott Medal Winner

Officer Buckle makes creating safety tips his priority, and he loves sharing them with students. However, his presentations are boring to the students and never grab their attention, that is until Gloria, the new police dog, becomes Officer Buckle’s new partner and buddy. She begins to liven up Officer Buckle’s presentations by doing tricks and acting out his safety tips. Officer Buckle believes his tips are truly a hit, until he realizes what his partner was doing for him to maintain an engaged audience. It doesn’t matter though, for the two of them are a team, and team work makes the dream work! The book is written with humor and contains colorful cartoon-like illustrations for the audiences, but at the same time, it successfully delivers the message that even though some safety tips may sound extreme, they are important to follow just in case. The text also implies that friendship is strong and is a team effort. 

Santat, Dan. (2014). THE ADVENTURE OF BEEKLE: THE UNIMAGINARY FRIEND. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316199988

2015 Caldecott Medal Winner

A picture book perfect for both adults and children, The Adventure of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friendrepresents the power of friendship. The story begins with Beekle being born on an island for imaginary friends. He waits patiently for his real friend to come along, but after time goes by and still no sign of them, he decides to leave his island and search for them himself. He eventually becomes united with his meant-to-be friend, and together, their friendship becomes so strong that they begin to go on “unimaginable” adventures. Even though the protagonist is detailed as imaginary, his world and the human’s world intertwined well together, as seen in the exciting illustrations. The characters the author developed help show that isolation can be tiring and lonely; therefore, the journey of making special friendships/relationships should be cherished. 

Steptoe, Javaka. (2016). RADIANT CHILD: THE STORY OF YOUNG ARTIST JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780316213882

2017 Caldecott Medal Winner

This biography picture book describes the artistic life of Jean-Michel Basquiat through visually appealing images and awestruck wording. Yes, the text shares how the young artist use to incorporate art with everything he did, but it also shares much more than that. It’s about many other powerful situations such as how his love for art grew because of his adventures with his mother, how her mental illness affected her and her family, and how he struggled a few times to make things go smoothly in life. Because of this, this book is not just for children, but rather for people of all ages. These modern conflicts need to be spoken about much more in today’s society, which is exactly why something such as this innocent and lively book is the excellent tool to do the trick. The illustrations drawn and creatively combined were not duplicated from Jean-Michel, but rather were inspired in an effort to get the readers’ to be curious and go out and explore some of his actual work and even others’.

Swanson, Susan Marie. (2008). THE HOUSE IN THE NIGHT. Ill. by Beth Krommes. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618862447

2009 Caldecott Medal Winner

Inspired by the “This is the key of the kingdom” cumulative nursery rhyme, The House in the Night, is an extraordinary easy-to-read text that provides comfort to its readers. The two ideas that are definitely being compared are light and dark. Though they are opposite, together, they play a big role within the character’s life. The illustrations in black and white represent the ordinary things people encounter every day, but the hints of gold depict the brightness one’s life can create. In addition to this, the author conveys that even though night time rolls around every day, the house the character lives in will forever be welcoming and safe. 

Taback, Simms. (1999). JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. New York, NY: Viking Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780670878550

2000 Caldecott Medal Winner

You can always make something out of nothing, right? In Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, the author definitely showed that this saying is true! Joseph started out with a little overcoat that was old and worn out; therefore, he cut it down and made it into a jacket. He continued to make new articles of clothing out of this original overcoat whenever it got too unkempt. To also show he was making something out of his overcoat, there are actual die-cut holes within the illustrations! Readers are able to see the difference he made firsthand, and they are also given the chance to predict what each new thing he makes will be. The bright, colorful, and Yiddish-inspired illustrations also represent how Joseph treasures every little thing he owns. There are even little messages displayed within the artwork to help with the theme, such as the quote, “What one has, one doesn’t want, and what one wants, one doesn’t have”. 

Van Allsburg, Chris. (1981). JUMANJI. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780547608389

1982 Caldecott Medal Winner

Many people are familiar with Jumanji, especially since there are two wonderful films that were made and inspired by it! Peter and Judy find a board game that was randomly left in the park. They wanted to get rid of their boredom, so they decided to go ahead and take it home to play. However, they soon realize that this game was so much more than a regular game, for it opened up a real-life jungle adventure right in their own home! They have two options: stop playing the game and live in fear or continue playing until the end in order to get their world back. This children’s book exposes the difference of reality and a fantasy world. The illustrations are black and white and 3-D like, making Peter and Judy’s new obstacle adventurous yet nerve wrecking!