Caldecott Award Winning Books

George, Judith. (2004). So You Want to Be President.
So You Want to Be President by Judith George and illustrated by David Small is about 42 former U.S. Presidents. It gives interesting information, well known facts, and family history of each of the 42 presidents it discusses. The book is very funny and would be perfect for a class studying the U.S. presidents. This book won the 2001 Caldecott Award for Judith George's hilarious and detailed caricatured pictures.






Levine, Ellen. (2007). Henry's Freedom Box.
Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and illustrated by Kadir Nelson is about a boy named Henry. He was born in to slavery and he has always dreamed of freedom. At a young age his owner seperated him from his family so he could work in a warehouse. He accepted his life as a slave and when he got older he got married and had two kids. Unfortunately his family was sold in the slave market and he was all alone again. When this happens he decides to make his dream of being free a reality and he ships himself to the North with the help of a white doctor. This book won the 2007 Cadelcott Award for the beautiful pencil, watercolor, and oil pictures Kadir Nelson uses to illustrate this story.


Giovanni, Nikki. (2007). Rosa.
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Bryan Collier is about Rosa Parks. In 1955 Rosa refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. She was a seamstress and she was tired from working all day. When she refused to give up her seat she was arrested. This caused African Americans to boycott the bus system until bus segregation came to a halt. This book won the 2006 Caldecott and Coretta Scott Awards. Bryan Collier used water color and collage pictures to make this book's illustrations realistic. When you read the book, you feel as if Rosa is sitting right next to you.




Sidman, Joyce. (2009). Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors.
Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski is about the seasons. Each season is represented by different colors. This book comes to life with it's vivid, detailed pictures and colorful poems. Pamela Zagarenski won the Caldecott Award in 2010 for her beautiful collage painting illustrations in this book.




Cronin, Dorren. (2000). Click, Clack, Moo Cows.
Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin is about a herd of cows that send Farmer Brown messages by typing them on the typewriter. Farmer Brown reads them and discovers that the cows want electric blankets so they aren't so cold in the barn. When Farmer Brown refuses to give the cows what they want they go on strike and so do other animals on the farm. This is a really hilarious book. Children will be rolling over with laughter when they read it. Betsy Lewin won the Caldecott Award for her detailed and colorful pictures that it make you feel like you are really in the setting of the story.