Reaction Post: 2013 Caldecott, Geisel, etc

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that yesterday the ALA announced their 2013 youth media awards. What did I think? Read on.

The Caldecott announcement made me very smug, I admit it. Some years, I hardly know any of the books. This year, I not only read and loved the winner (This is Not My Hat), but I also read and loved four out of the five honor books, the only exception being Sleep Like a Tiger. And I just can't shake the thought that I've read that one and maybe just didn't record it. Entirely possible with such short books. I was a little sad that in a year of many Stead books, both Phillip and Erin, neither got a nod. Erin Stead's illustrations for And Then It's Spring charmed me thoroughly, and Phillip's A Home for Bird is one I'm inflicting on all my groups this year. But they're just starting out and they've got lots of years and lots of books ahead of them.

My track record on the Geisel award keeps me humble. I haven't read the winner, and of the three honor books, I've only read Let's Go for a Drive! But I'm not well versed in early readers overall, so the other books are going directly on my list.

The other picture books honored were all scattered amongst different awards, and there are none that prompt a strong reaction. I've seen Christopher Myers' H.O.R.S.E., which won the Coretta Scott King illustrator award, around my library, and I've enjoyed his other stuff.

I do wonder if the Batchelder award, for translated books, covers translated picture books. We've been getting some marvelous ones this side of the pond lately, and it would be nice to see some of those recognized.

What did I think of the books for older kids? Stop by Confessions of a Bibliovore to find out.