West Bend Community Memorial Library

West Bend Community Memorial Library

Children's Booklist

Make reading a part of your child's life!

Caldecott Medal Winners and Honor Books
[2000-Present] [1990-1999] [1980-1989] [1970-1979] [1960-1969] [1950-1959] [1940-1949] [1938-1939]
[printable list]

1969 Winner:	The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Arthur Ransome and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz - Hearing that the Tsar will give his daughter's hand to anyone able to bring him a flying ship, the Fool of the World sets out to do just that. His kindness to an Old One he meets along the way is unexpectedly rewarded by the gift of a magical flying ship, and in the end, after successfully performing the supposedly impossible tasks the Tsar sets before him, he marries the princess.

Honor Books:	Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky by Elphinstone Dayrell and illustrated by Blair Lent - Sun and his wife, the moon, lived on Earth and built a large house so that the water people could visit. But so many poured in that they were forced to move to the sky.

1968 Winner:	Drummer Hoff by Barbara Emberley and illustrated by Ed Emberley - Through lively folk verse and glorious woodcut illustrations, Barbara Emberley and Ed Emberley describe how an elaborate cannon is put together piece by piece and finally fired off. Corporal Farrell brings the barrel, Sergeant Chowder supplies the powder, and General Border gives the order -- but it's Drummer Hoff who finally fires off the cannon and explodes the story into a blast of brilliant colors.

Honor Books:	Frederick by Leo Lionni - While other mice are gathering food for the winter, Frederick seems to daydream the summer away. When dreary winter comes, it is Frederick the poet-mouse who warms his friends and cheers them with his words.

	Seashore Story by Taro Yashima - Yashima's Seashore Story tells of a group of modern children who visit an island off the tip of southern Japan; the locale reminds them of an ancient tale. In the story within the story, a fisherman saves the life of a sea turtle, which takes him on an underwater journey to live blissfully in a palace in the sea. After missing his family, he asks to return and finds that so much time has passed that no one recognizes him and his family is all gone. The story concludes as the children discuss the story, debating the moral. Lost in thought, the ocean breeze and setting sun engross the children.

	The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Ed Young - Princess Ojeow Seow, youngest and smallest daughter of the Emperor, is not thought of very much by her family--when thought of at all. So she spends her days playing with a kite made from paper and sticks. When the Emperor is captured and imprisoned in a high tower, though, it is Djeow Seow who patiently weaves a long, strong rope of her own hair, attaches it to the tail of her kite, and cleverly flies up to her father in hopes of rescuing him.

1967 Winner:	Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness - Samantha (known as Sam) is a fisherman's daughter who dreams rich and lovely dreams--moonshine, her father says. But when her tall stories bring disaster to her friend Thomas and her cat Bangs, Sam learns to distinguish between moonshine and reality.

Honor Books:	One Wide River to Cross by Barbara Emberley and illustrated by Ed Emberley- Woodcut illustrations and brief text from an American folk song relate the story of the animals on Noah's ark.


1966 Winner:	Always Room for One More by Sorche Nic Leodhas and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian - Lachie MacLachlan, the generous hero of this enchanting tale, is the exception to the rule that the Scots are a thrifty lot. In his "wee house in the heather," Lachie lives with his family of twelve, and he welcomes to his hearth every weary traveler who passes by on a stormy night. "There's always room for one more," says Lachie, and how his grateful guests say a wonderful "thank you" provides a delightfully warm and tender ending to this hilarious tale of kindness. The story, derived from an old Scottish folk song, is reflected superbly in the charming illustrations of Nonny Hogrogian.

Honor Books:	Hide and Seek Fog by Alvin Tresselt and illustrated by Roger Duvoisin - In a Cape Cod seaside village, the children romp and play throughout a heavy fog with strange and mysterious effects.

	Just Me by Marie Hall Ets - A little boy trys to mimic the walking of all the animals he sees--turtles, rabbits, horses, but finds that he really walks best just like himself.

	Tom Tit Tot by Evaline Ness - Like his distant cousin Rumplestiltskin, Tom Tit Tot is a small, magical creature who offers to help a young woman with her impossible sewing requirements. In the kind of comedy of errors that can only occur in English folk tales, the heroine eats too many pies, marries a king who has eyes only for her spinning wheel, and makes a deal to save her life. The only question is, can she guess her benefactor's name and prevent trading one form of servitude for another?

1965 Winner:	May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers and illustrated by Beni Montresor - What could be more natural, when invited by the King and Queen to tea, than to ask to bring a friend? And that, of course, is what the hero of May I Bring a Friend? does. Not only to tea, but to breakfast, lunch, dinner, apple pie and Halloween -- one invitation for each of six days of the week. The King is most gracious. "Any friend of our friend is most welcome here," says he. And his graciousness extends to giraffes, lions, hippos, monkeys, all kinds of friends. Not all of whom are on their very best behavior. It must be assumed however, that everyone (including the reader) enjoyed the friends, for why else would the king and queen step off to the zoo for tea on the seventh day.

Honor Books:	Rain Makes Applesauce by Julian Scheer and illustrated by Marvin Bileck- A classic volume of nonsense verse with a real story cleverly hidden inside the illustrations, still in print after more than 30 years.

	The Wave by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Blair Lent - There seems no way to save four hundred villagers from imminent and unsuspecting death; then the wise old man high on the mountain knows what he must do.

	A Pocketful of Cricket by Rebecca Caudill and illustrated by Evaline Ness - Forty years after its original publication, this Caldecott Honor classic continues to capture the imaginative world of a child. In late August, just before the start of a new school year, Jay finds Cricket. Cricket makes the most exciting sounds. But what happens when it's time to go back to school?

1964 Winner:	Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak - After Max was sent to bed for misbehaving, he escapes by imagining that he sails away to a wild land full of monsters.

Honor Books:	Swimmy by Leo Lionni - Swimmy, the only black fish of the entire school, devises for himself and his adopted brothers and sisters a safer way to live in the sea.

	All in the Morning Early by Sorche Nic Leodhas and illustrated by Evaline Ness -

	Mother Goose and Nursery Rhymes illustrated by Philip Reed - An illustrated collection of over 70 traditional verses

1963 Winner:	The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats - A story of a young boy explores the magic world of snow -- snowball fight, snowman making, sliding down the snow way, etc. He loves the snow fall.

Honor Books:	The Sun is a Golden Earring by Natalia M. Belting and illustrated by Bernarda Bruson

	Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present by Charlotte Zolotow and illustrated by Maurice Sendak - Unsure of what to give her mother for a birthday present, a young girl seeks advice from a friendly rabbit who translate the mother's love of color into an imaginative yet practical gift.

1962 Winner:	Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown - "No one shall tell me that I was once a mouse!" roars the tiger. But an old hermit, mighty at magic, does tell him; for it was he who first changed the tiger from a wretched little mouse to a stout cat, to a big dog, and finally, to his proud and royal self. Youngest readers will take special delight in seeing these changes take place in Marcia Brown's dramatic picturing of the tiger's fall from grace. Older boys and girls will read more meaning into the text. A rajah of ancient India is said to have had such popular animal fables collected as a "mirror for princes" to instruct his errant sons. Marcia Brown retells this fable from the Hitopadesa in vigorous style and illustrates it in woodcuts of exceptional quality. With a fluidity rare in the medium, they achieve the difficult feat of retaining their strong appeal for children while captivating art lovers of all ages.

Honor Books:	Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night by Peter Spier - The countryside of New England is depicted in the pictures accompanying this folk song in which a fox travels many miles to get dinner for his wife and ten cubs.

	Little Bear's Visit by Else H. Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak - Little Bear has a grand old time at Grandmother and Grandfather Bear's house.

	The Day We Saw the Sun Come Up by Alice E. Goudey and illustrated by Adrienne Adams - A young girl is upset and doesn't know how to manage her anger but takes the time to cool off and regain her composure.

1961 Winner:	Baboushka and the Three Kings by Ruth Robbins and illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov - Joseph had a little overcoat, but it was full of holes-just like this book! When Joseph's coat got too old and shabby, he made it into a jacket. But what did he make it into after that? And after that? As children turn the pages of this book, they can use the die-cut holes to guess what Joseph will be making next from his amazing overcoat, while they laugh at the bold, cheerful artwork and learn that you can always make something, even out of nothing.

Honor Books:	Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni - Twelve poems follow a family and their friends through the seasons.

1960 Winner:	Nine Days to Christmas by Marie Hall Ets and Aurora Labastida - Joseph had a little overcoat, but it was full of holes-just like this book! When Joseph's coat got too old and shabby, he made it into a jacket. But what did he make it into after that? And after that? As children turn the pages of this book, they can use the die-cut holes to guess what Joseph will be making next from his amazing overcoat, while they laugh at the bold, cheerful artwork and learn that you can always make something, even out of nothing.

Honor Books:	Houses from the Sea by Alice E Goudey and illustrated by Adrienne Adams- Twelve poems follow a family and their friends through the seasons.

	The Moon Jumpers by Janice May Udry and illustrated by Maurice Sendak - The class bully makes fun of Billy Jones for drawing cows, but Billy gets the last laugh when no one believes the bully's story about talking cows, and a fiddle-playing cat with a talking spoon.