Other reviews of Caldecott books: 2008 Caldecotts, 2009 Caldecotts, 2010 Caldecotts.

I had only read Interrupting Chicken when this year’s Caldecotts were announced, partly because the other 2 books were very difficult to find. They were on lists of contenders I was trying to read, but bookstores and public libraries didn’t seem to stock them. So after the awards were announced I finally broke down and bought my own copies.

Caldecott Medalist:

A Sick Day for Amos McGee, written by Philip C. Stead. Illustrated by Erin E. Stead.

I’ve already blogged about how much I positively adore this year’s winner, but I can keep going. This is the kind of book you can imagine reading to your kids one day, and then your grandkids, from the first page. At least it was for me. From the second I saw those bunny slippers next to quiet Amos McGee’s bed, I knew this was a keeper. The details that Erin Stead has included here are so personal, so above and beyond for such a simple story, that you can look at them repeatedly and always discover new things. I think Amos McGee is a sad-eyed widower. My mom thinks he might be developmentally challenged, warm-hearted and full of routines. But we were both thinking about who this gentle man is. And the other characters are equally fascinating and charming. The shy penguin is a particular favorite of mine. And I even love the bus driver. When you see that rabbit reading the paper on the bus, and the driver doesn’t even bat an eyelash, you know this is a good bus driver. Such a perfect, whimsical book for children. Read more on 2011 Caldecotts…