Winners of the Caldecott Medal: 2003-2006 Media Reviews Families.com

Come read the books deemed worthy of the Caldecott Medal! I am giving a brief synopsis of each book along with a comment about the artwork here and there. I am also including lists of the Honor winners for each year. I hope you enjoy my series. Comments are welcomed!!

2003

“My Friend Rabbit” by Eric Rohmann

“My Friend Rabbit” is about a little mouse and his friend named Rabbit. It seems that no matter what rabbit does, he is always getting into some kind of mischief. In this story, he gets his toy airplane stuck in a tree and needs the help of all different animals to help him get it. What happens when all of the animals are stacked on top of one another?

Honor Books:

“The Spider and the Fly” illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi; text: Mary Howitt
“Hondo & Fabian” by Peter McCarty
“Noah’s Ark” by Jerry Pinkney

2004

“The Man Who Walked Between the Towers” by Mordicai Gerstein

This book tells the story of Philippe Petit, a young man from Paris who performed in the streets of New York City. As the construction of the World Trade Center was being completed, he decided to perform a great feat. On August 7, 1974, he walked a tightrope between the twin towers. Not only did he walk, but he jumped, knelt, and lay on the rope. Before I read this book, I was a little miffed at why someone would choose to write this book now, when the twin towers are gone. But as I read the book, I realized that it is a tribute to the memory of the World Trade Center and the man who walked the tightrope between the towers.

Honor Books:

“Ella Sarah Gets Dressed” by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
“What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?” by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
“Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” by Mo Willems

2005

“Kitten’s First Full Moon” by Kevin Henkes

This is the story of a little kitten who sees a full moon for the first time and thinks it is a bowl of milk. At first, she tried to lick it and ends up with a bug in her mouth. She keeps trying to find a way to get that big bowl of milk out of the sky. After her unsuccessful journey to get the big bowl of milk, she comes home to find a surprise on the porch. The drawings are all done in black and white, with a great deal of shading. This adds to the nighttime effect of the story.

Honor Books:

“The Red Book” by Barbara Lehman
“Coming on Home Soon” illustrated by E.B. Lewis; text: Jacqueline Woodson
“Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale” by Mo Willems

2006

“The Hello, Goodbye Window” illustrated by Chris Raschka; text: Norton Juster

A little girl tells all about the fun things that she does at her Nanna and Poppy’s house. The Hello, Goodbye Window is a window in the front of the house where the little girl is often greeted by her Nanna and Poppy. This window is the kitchen window and to the little girl it is not a regular window because Nanna and Poppy spend most of their time in the kitchen. It is the Hello, Goodbye Window because she also blows kisses at her Nanna and Poppy through this window when her mom and dad come to take her home. The illustrations are quite adorable. They look like they were drawn and painted by a child who is about six or seven. Of course, this definitely adds to the charm of the book.

Honor Books:

“Rosa” illustrated by Bryan Collier; text: Nikki Giovanni
“Zen Shorts” by Jon J. Muth
“Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride” by Marjorie Priceman
“Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems” illustrated by Beckie Prange; text: Joyce Sidman