Monday, 27 January 2014

Antique Album


In a few hours the winner of the 2014 Caldecott Award will be announced. I’ve followed these awards for decades, and I’ve collected almost every book that’s ever received one. I have a few favorites among the picture books that are in the running this year, but I won’t risk betting that any of them will actually win. The Caldecott isn’t a popularity contest. If it were, Ylvis’ What Does the Fox Say? would take the medal. Yes, it’s a real book, and no, it’s not one I’d choose. I like “The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers. But it probably won’t win, either. Over the years a lot of wonderful picture books have been passed over by the ALA, like Madeline, Stone Soup, McElligot’s Pool, Bartholemew and the Oobleck, Frog and Toad are Friends, Strega Nona, and The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. No matter; I have room on my shelf for those, too.

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