The second grade has been reading the Caldecott winners of the past. We have been talking about storytelling and the role of illustration within a story. Some of the questions that we asked during library were; “Are illustrations simply an add on, or are they integral to the story?” “Can you tell a story with only pictures?” “What kind of illustrations speak to you?”
As a group second graders read 12 Caldecott winning titles of the past and had the task of figuring out which winner they thought deserved the title of Caldecott of Caldecotts. We strayed from traditional Caldecott format and had a secret ballot, and the book that came out on top was David Wiesner’s TUESDAY. TUESDAY won the Caldecott Award in 1992.
The humor found in the illustrations was definitely a factor with our second grade audience. Frogs flying on lily pads? Frogs zooming all over town? Why don’t you come on by the library and check out a copy for yourself to see what captivated our students!
Last month, librarians from all over the country gathered in San Diego for the ALA Midwinter Meeting. This is a working meeting where librarians award grants, book awards, and work on all things related to the American Library Association.