ReadMeThisBook

Tag: Caldecott Medal Winner

  • Read Me This Book: “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus”

    David loves saying “No!”

    “NO” to a vegetable.
    “NO” to bedtime.
    “NO” to sharing.

    But I do encourage him to say “NO” everytime I turn a page in the book “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus”.

    BOOK SUMMARY

    A bus driver introduces himself, and then asks the reader for help.
    “Remember,” he says, “Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus, OK?”

    As soon as the bus driver is off the page, a Pigeon pops up and begins to ask repeatedly if he can drive the bus.
    What follows are hilarious stages in a primary school, Kubler-Ross-like meltdown:
    -the Pigeon tries to bargain,
    -the Pigeon tries guilt,
    -the Pigeon begs for fairness,
    -and in an epic two-page tantrum, the Pigeon shows ANGER!

    (NOTE: This is my David’s favorite page)

    AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR


    Mo Willems is a legend in the Picture Book Universe….a Pied Piper, a myth-maker, an American Hans Christian Andersen (without being grim).

    He is a children’s book   author/illustrator (over 70 books), an animator, and a voice actor with his origins beginning in Sesame Street (winning six Emmy’s for his writing).

    Several of his books have received Caldecott Honors: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!   (2004), Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale   (2005) and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity    (2008)

    His website (Hidden Pigeon Company) includes links to the Pigeon and Knuffle-Bunny series animations and read aloud recordings as well as links to his other book series (Elephant and Piggie, Unlimited Squirrel, Cat the Cat).

    During Covid (2020), Willems was the Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence. He kept students engaged with his Lunch Doodles.

    He recently gave the Commencement Address at Colby College where he read aloud his book “Me”. (Listen carefully to hear a child echo the lines of the story as Willems reads!)

    IDEAL AUDIENCE

    The suggested ages are 2-5 years, but this and the other Pigeon books can be enjoyed by all ages.
    The interactive nature of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” makes it great fun as a read-aloud with toddlers. After all, book is designed as a conversation:
    -the bus driver asking for help,
    -the Pigeon asking the reader (with his one very expressive eye) for permission,
    -and the reader saying “No!”

    ADDITIONAL READ -ALOUD INFORMATION

    Pigeons are persistent. City dwellers can attest to their ability to avoid any deterrent.
    Toddlers are persistent, too. Perhaps that character trait is part of the appeal for my David.
    The Pigeon book has been a gateway to even more Pigeon books. There are 17 books to date; we now own six. David will study the back cover of each to see which ones he needs to add to his collection…and he knows where they are in the local bookstore!

  • Read Me This One- “Blueberries for Sal”

    “Who is this girl?” asks Sloane pointing to the face of a little girl drawn in blue ink against a yellow sky.
    “That’s Sal,” I reply, “she is eating blueberries.”

    Sal’s face is the Mona Lisa of picture books.
    She has been smiling sweetly at readers for over 75 years inviting them to read the beloved Blueberries for Sal.

    BOOK SUMMARY

    It’s summer in Maine, and Sal’s mother wants to can blueberries to have during the cold winter. She and Sal go out to pick blueberries on one side of Blueberry Hill.
    Mother Bear wants to Little Bear to fatten up for the cold Maine winter. So she and her cub hunt for blueberries on the other side of Blueberry Hill.
    The mothers gather blueberries.
    Little Sal and Little Bear eat the blueberries.
    Their paths cross, and soon Little Sal is following Mother Bear, while Little Bear is following Sal’s mother.

    “See? They’re all mixed up,” giggles Sloane before I can even read those exact words from the text.

    IDEAL AUDIENCE

    This is a good read aloud for children starting at age 2 through age 6. The names of the characters (“Little Sal” and “Little Bear”) are easily understood, and the illustrations are simple and realistic.
    Plus, there is the pleasure of making the sounds of berries hitting the bottom of a metal pail:

    Little Sal picked three berries and dropped them in her little tin pail. . .
    kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk!


    As for those critics who express concerns about inattentive parenting, consider this book an opportunity to explain how important it is to stay close to a parent. And Sloan particularly enjoyed the expression on Mother Bear’s face when she realizes she has lost Little Bear.

    AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR

    Blueberries for Sal was written and illustrated by the iconic picture book artist, Robert McCloskey  (1914-2003). Here, his illustrations are dark blue(berry) block prints with mustard yellow background and highlights. McCloskey used his daughter Sally and his wife as models. (The bears are uncredited)
    Blueberries for Sal received a Caldecott Honor for illustrations, as did his books One Morning in Maine and Journey Cake (by Ruth Sawyer). He received full Caldecott Awards for his other classic picture books Make Way for Ducklings and Time of Wonder.

    Because of his contributions to children’s books, McCloskey was declared a Living Legend by the Library of Congress in 2000.

    ADDITIONAL READ -ALOUD INFORMATION


    This story is a Maine story. As a tribute, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree of Maine recently posted on Facebook:

    “In honor of America’s 250th birthday, each Congressional Delegation was invited to place a few items in a time capsule, to be sealed inside the US Capitol until 2276.
    In the end, my team and I felt strongly about including a copy of Blueberries for Sal, Robert McCloskey’s timeless children’s book about a little girl who goes blueberry picking with her mother—only to cross paths with a bear cub and its mother.
    I can’t foresee the challenges the next 250 years, for Maine or our country. We may wander off the trail at times. But my hope is that we can always find our way back home—with a deeper appreciation for the beauty of the world, a better understanding of all who inhabit it, and, of course, buckets full of blueberries.
    Here’s hoping whoever opens it in 2276 still knows the sound: kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk. 🫐🇺🇸

  • Read Me This Book: “Strega Nona”

    “Grandma” asks Sloane, “why does this book get a medal?”

    She is pointing to the shiny medallion pasted on the cover of Tomie dePaola’s Strega Nona. This sticker reads “50th Magical Anniversary”.

    I show Sloane the other medallion that has been printed on the cover as well.

    “This other medal,” I tell her, “is because this book won for having the best pictures.”
    “Two medals?” Sloane considers, “then, this must be the best book of all!”

    She is not wrong.

    BOOK SUMMARY

    Strega Nona is an Italian folktale about an older woman who hires an apprentice (Big Anthony) to help her with her chores with disastrous results.
    Her name, Strega Nona, literally translates to “Grandma Witch”. She takes care of a variety of problems in her village: curing headaches, removing warts, and making potions for girls who want husbands.

    “Although all the people in town talked about her in whispers, they all went to see her if they had troubles. Even the priest and the sisters of the convent went, because Strega Nona did have a magic touch.”

    She also has a magic pasta pot.

    So when Strega Nona leaves town and puts Big Anthony in charge, that magic pasta pot becomes too tempting. Big Anthony decides to show off, and before long, pasta is flowing freely in the streets.

    Strega Nona returns to stop the pasta from flooding the village with her three magic kisses.


    IDEAL AUDIENCE

    Strega Nona is suggested for children 2-5 years old, however, it is also a favorite of teachers who are teaching folktales to 2nd or 3rd grades. Students identify the problem and understand the moral of the story (“do as you are told”), although some see the punishment as rather harsh…Big Anthony must eat the pasta flood!

    The award-winning illustrations are very detailed. The 15th century clothing and village architecture are colorful and charming, not confusing. In fact, Sloane loved all the hats and veils.

    AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR

    Tomie dePaola is one of the best known author/illustrator of children’s books. One can easily identify his distinctive style of round-faced characters in agitated positions. He was the recipient of the Newbery Honor for 26 Fairmount Avenue  (2000), the Caldecott Honor for Strega Nona (1976), and the 2011 Children’s Literature Legacy Award for “significant and lasting contribution to children’s literature” with over 270 books to his credit. He died in 2020.

    There are about 15 books that are part of the Strega Nona series. Big Anthony gets his own book as well!



    ADDITIONAL READ -ALOUD INFORMATION

    Strega Nona may be the first “banned” book that I have read aloud to my grandchildren.  Apparently the most serious objection is the positive depiction of a witch.

    In reading the story, one gets the sense that dePaola may have anticipated such concerns and deliberately placed the village’s priest and gaggle of nuns at different points in the story.

    They are seen being directly helped by Strega Nona. They eat the pasta from the magic pasta pot, and they are (eventually) saved from the pasta flood by Strega Nona when she returns. Their role in the story suggests that Strega Nona’s kind of magic is acceptable and even beneficial.

    Such religious characters also provide authenticity, after all, what Renaissance Italian village would not have a priest and a convent full of nuns?

    As for Sloane, she thinks the book should be available to everyone. She gives it a rating of three magic kisses!

  • Read Me This One-“Wolf in the Snow”

    Winter is here, and Sloane is looking forward to snow.
    She has also developed a serious interest in wolves (or “wolfs” as she calls them).
    So, what better way to capture both of her interests than in a picture book titled Wolf in the Snow ?

    SUMMARY
    Wolf in the Snow recounts the adventure of a young girl who encounters a lost wolf pup during a swirling snowstorm.
    The young girl comes upon the wolf pup on her way home from school. The drifting snow makes travel difficult, but the young girl carries the wolf pup even as the snow accumulates. The young girl is determined but the growing mounds of snow make travel difficult. Travel is also difficult for the wolfpack that is hunting for their lost pup. Eventually, the wolfpack and the young girl come face to face…and the tension is real!
    Of course, the story brings to mind the fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood (EX: the girl wears a red coat, the girl is on her way to a house).
    The ending, however, is not Grimm Brothers gruesome, but wholly satisfying to wolf lovers of all ages.

    AUDIENCE:
    Wolf in the Snow is an almost totally wordless picture book, ideal for readers of all ages (2 years and up). As the text is in the pictures, there are multiple ways readers may choose to “tell” this story.
    There are children who will want to linger over the details embedded on each page. And for toddlers who may have a short attention span, this book can be a fast read.
    Note: There is no dialogue, but be prepared to give a few “howls” or “barks”.

    AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR:
    Wolf in the Snow was released in 2017 by author/illustrator Matthew Cordell. The book was favorably received by critics and was awarded the 2017 Boston Globe-Horn Book honor award and the 2018 Caldecott Medal for illustrations.

    All of the pages have illustrations that feature the falling snow. The lightly falling flakes at the beginning soon give way to swirling whiteout conditions.
    This is very dramatic snow!

    Cordell has written and illustrated other picture books, including Trouble Gum, King Alice, Another Brother, and Hello! Hello!

    READING OPPORTUNITIES:
    A word of caution when choosing a wordless picture book for a three-year old. There will be MANY questions. most beginning with “WHY?” For example:

    • “Why does the girl go to school in the woods?”
    • “Why is she walking by herself?”
    • “Why is the wolf cub alone?”
    • “Why is she tired?”
    • “Why does the wolf pack howl?”

    All good questions.
    Wolf in the Snow answers “why” and more.