Special Collections
Caldecott Award Winners
- Table View
- List View
Saint George and the Dragon
by Margaret HodgesWinner of the 1985 Caldecott Medal. Set "in the days when monsters and giants and fairy-folk lived in England," this retelling of a classic and well-loved tale recounts the battle between Saint George and the Dragon a creature so huge and fearsome that his tail "swept the land behind him for almost half a mile," and whose "deep jaws gaped wide, showing three rows of iron teeth ready to devour his prey." In graceful and evocative prose, Margaret Hodges retells the dramatic story from Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene. Trina Schart Hyman portrays the monstrous dragon; the long, horrible battle; and the final victory celebration in exquisite detail, bringing her full artistic genius to bear in this work. Both storyteller and artist have re-created this timeless legend in a book for children of generations to come. MARGARET HODGES first thought of retelling the story of Saint George and the Dragon when a professor of hers mentioned that he had read Spenser's Faerie Queen, to his four year old granddaughter. After Mrs. Hodges saw a reading of the story enacted by puppets, she "became devoted to Saint George" and says that she finds him "everywhere in paintings, sculpture, stained glass, in poetry, and, above all, in legends of many lands. Saint George, it seems, is loved everywhere for his courage and virtue. In Spenser's version the character of Una is equally brave and adventurous." Margaret Hodges is Professor Emeritus in the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh. She has written over twenty books for children and has a special interest in folklore and legends passed down through the oral tradition. TRINA SCHART HYMAN describes herself as "an old-fashioned, traditional kind of illustrator," who welcomed the chance to try out all her romantic ideas on this retelling of Saint George and the Dragon. In the process, she "gained a lot of respect for all her old heroes and their warlike ways," and admits that she was very relieved when the Dragon was finally killed. In the borders of the book, she has painted flowers that are indigenous to the British Isles. Trina Schart Hyman lives in Lyme, New Hampshire, and has illustrated many classic fairy tales for children, including Snow White and The Sleeping Beauty.
Sam, Bangs & Moonshine
by Evaline Nessfrom the book Jacket: Sam, a fisherman's daughter who dreams rich and lovely dreamsmoonshine, her father sayssits in her dragon-drawn chariot and says wise things to Bangs, her cat. One day Sam sends little Thomas, her devoted friend, to Blue Rock, far out in the harbor, and a sudden storm brings near disaster to Thomas and Bangs. It is then that Sam repentantly draws a line between moonshine and reality. Young readers whose mothers are mermaids, who own fierce lions and baby kangaroos, and who can talk to their cats will find a fast friend in the heroine of this imaginative, humorous book. "Never has the artist made more striking pictures." The Horn Book "The narrative is delightfully expressed and the charming drawings beautifully portray the island scene." Booklist "An unusually creative story . . . presented in a realistic and sympathetic context. . . . This is an outstanding book." School Library Journal
Seven Blind Mice
by Ed YoungA Caldecott Honor Book. "It's a pillar," says Red Mouse. "It's a fan!" cries Orange Mouse. "No, it's a spear," says Yellow Mouse. But as the seven blind mice go out one by one to investigate the strange Something by the pond, each comes back with a different idea of what it is. Argue as they might, they cannot agree. Only when the last mouse ventures out and investigates do they finally learn for certain what the strange Something is, and what the whole truth is as well! Caldecott medalist Ed Young's paper-collage illustrations joyously capture the wit and humor of this tale based on the ancient fable of the Blind Men and the Elephant. The very youngest readers will delight in Young's brightly colored mice who will lead them to discoveries of color, the days of the week, and one of the truest paths to wisdom.
A Sick Day for Amos McGee
by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. SteadTHE BEST SICK DAY EVER and the animals in the zoo feature in this striking picture book debut. Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee's case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it's time they returned the favor A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year and the winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal. Images and image descriptions available.
Smoky Night
by Eve Bunting and David DiazWhen the Los Angeles riots break out in the streets of their neighborhood, a young boy and his mother learn the value of getting along with others no matter what their background or nationality. Caldecott Medal winner.
Snow
by Uri ShulevitzThis Caldecott Honor Book and "Publishers Weekly" Best Book of the Year is now in paperback. As snowflakes slowly come down, one by one, people in the city ignore them and only a boy and his dog think that the snowfall will amount to anything. Full color.
Snowflake Bentley
by Jacqueline Briggs MartinSnow in Vermont is as common as dirt. Why would anyone want to photograph it?
But from the time he was a small boy, Wilson Bentley thinks of the icy crystals as small miracles, and he determines that one day his camera will capture for others their extraordinary beauty.
Often misunderstood in his time, Wilson Bentley took pictures that even today reveal two important truths about snowflakes: first, that no two are alike, and second, that each one is startlingly beautiful.
His story, gracefully told by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and brought to life in Mary Azarian's lovely woodcuts, gives children insight into a soul who had not only a scientist's vision and perseverance, but a clear passion for the wonders of nature.
Snow-white and the Seven Dwarfs
by Randall JarrellThe story of the most gorgeous girl named Snow-White and her cruel stepmother.
The Snowy Day
by Ezra Jack KeatsNo book has captured the magic and sense of possibility of the first snowfall better than The Snowy Day. Universal in its appeal, the story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. Images and image descriptions available.
Song and Dance Man
by Karen Ackerman and Stephen GammellWhen his grandchildren follow Grandpa up the attic stairs, a dazzling show, better than any on TV, is about to begin! Grandpa opens a dusty trunk, pulls out bowler hat and gold-tipped cane, and suddenly we are back in the good old days, the song and dance days. The lights are twinkling, and a vaudeville man is doing the first slippery steps of the old soft shoe. So sit right back and enjoy the show as Karen Ackerman and Stephen Gammell's warm, wondrous Grandpa brings new life to days gone by.
Song of the Swallows
by Leo PolitiThe story of the friendship between Juan, a little boy in the California town of Capistrano and Julian, the old gardener and bell-ringer at the Mission of San Juan Capistrano.
So You Want to be President
by Judith St. George
That's a big job, and getting bigger But why not? Presidents have come in just about every variety They've been generals like George Washington and actors like Ronald Reagan; big like William Howard Taft, and small like James Madison; handsome like Franklin Pierce and homely like Abraham Lincoln; They've been born in log cabins like Andrew Jackson and mansions like William Harrison.
[This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts in grades 2-3 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
Winner of the 2000 Caldecott Medal
The Spider and the Fly
by Tony Diterlizzi and Mary HowittA New Version of an Old Story first appeared in The New Years in 1829 and five years later in Mary Howitts Sketches of Natural History. Teaches a moral - Not everyone who talks sweetly offers sweets.
Starry Messenger
by Peter SisPeter Sís gives a view of the life of Galileo Galilei.
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
by Lane Smith and Jon ScieszkaA revisionist storyteller provides his mad, hilarious versions of children's favorite tales in this collection that includes Little Red Running Shorts, The Princess and the Bowling Ball, Cinderumpelstilskin, and others.
The Storm Book
by Charlotte ZolotowIt is a day in the country, and everything is hot and still. Then the hazy sky begins to shift. Something is astir, something soundless.
A Story, A Story
by Gail E. HaleyMany African stories, whether or not they are about Kwaku Ananse the "spider man," are called, "Spider Stories." This book is about how that came to be. The African storyteller begins: "We do not really mean, we do not really mean that what we are about to say is true. A Story, a story; let it come, let it go." And it tells that long, long ago there were no stories on earth for children to hear. All stories belonged to Nyame, the Sky God.
Ananse, the Spider man, wanted to buy some of these stories, so he spun a web up to the sky and went up to bargain with the Sky God. The price the Sky God asked was Osebo, the leopard of-the- terrible-teeth, Mmboro the hornet who-stings-like-fire, and Mmoatia the fairy whom-men-never-see. How Ananse paid the price is told in a graceful and clever text, with forceful, lovely woodcut illustrations, which have been described.
Winner of the 1971 Caldecott Award.
[This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards for K-1 in English language arts at http://www.corestandards.org.]
The Stray Dog
by Marc SimontWhen a little dog appears at a family picnic, the girl and boy play with him all afternoon, and they name him Willy. At day's end they say good-bye. But the dog has won their hearts and stays on their minds. The following Saturday the family returns to the picnic grounds to look for Willy, but they are not alone -- the dogcatcher is looking for him, too . . . Caldecott Medalist Marc Simont's heartwarming tale of a stray dog who finds a home is told with appealing simplicity and grace.
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
Strega Nona
by Tomie DePaolaWhen Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works in this classic Caldecott Honor book from Tomie dePaola.
Strega Nona—"Grandma Witch"—is the source for potions, cures, magic, and comfort in her Calabrian town. Her magical everfull pasta pot is especially intriguing to hungry Big Anthony. He is supposed to look after her house and tend her garden but one day, when she goes over the mountain to visit Strega Amelia, Big Anthony recites the magic verse over the pasta pot, with disastrous results.
In this retelling of an old tale, author-illustrator Tomie dePaola combines humor in the writing and warmth in the paintings as he builds the story to its hilarious climax.
Swamp Angel
by Anne Isaacs and Paul O. ZelinskySwamp Angel can lasso a tornado, and drink an entire lake dry. She single-handedly defeats the fearsome bear known as Thundering Tarnation, wrestling him from the top of the Great Smoky Mountains to the bottom of a deep lake.
Caldecott Medal-winning artist Paul O. Zelinsky's stunning folk-art paintings are the perfect match for the irony, exaggeration, and sheer good humor of this original tall tale set on the American frontier.
A Caldecott Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A Time magazine Best Book of the Year
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Swimmy
by Leo LionniA Caldecott Honor Book. When a hungry tuna fish comes to call, Swimmy is the only little fish to survive. All alone, he explores the wonders of sea. At last he finds a new school of fish, and discovers a way that they can safely explore together.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
by William SteigOne rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish that brings unexpected results. How Sylvester is eventually reunited with his loving family and restored to his own donkey self makes a story that is beautifully tender and perfectly joyful.
Illustrated with William Steig's glowing pictures, this winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal is a modern classic beloved by children everywhere. It also features his moving Caldecott Medal acceptance speech.
The Talking Eggs
by Robert D. San SouciA Southern folktale in which kind Blanche, following the instructions of an old witch, gains riches, while her greedy sister makes fun of the old woman and is duly rewarded.
Tar Beach
by Faith Ringgold"Ringgold recounts the dream adventure of eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot, who flies above her apartment-building rooftop, the 'tar beach' of the title, looking down on 1939 Harlem. Part autobiographical, part fictional, this allegorical tale sparkles with symbolic and historical references central to African-American culture. The spectacular artwork resonates with color and texture. Children will delight in the universal dream of mastering one's world by flying over it. A practical and stunningly beautiful book. "--(starred) Horn
Winner of the Caldecott Honor
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal
Ten, Nine, Eight
by Molly BangNine stuffed animals, one sleepy toddler. Numbers from ten to one are part of this lullaby which observes the room of a little girl going to bed.
Winner of the Caldecott Honor