“I shake my head. Free is bad. Free is hand-me0down clothes and roadside trash-heap furniture and now, dinner from a ditch.”
“I shake my head. Free is bad. Free is hand-me0down clothes and roadside trash-heap furniture and now, dinner from a ditch.”
pickCaldecott Medal and Newberry Honor Winner
Published 2021
This is a touching story about Chinese heritage. I enjoyed that this story is told from the point of view of a young girl. Details like hiding from people she knows when practicing traditions are relatable to young minority children. It is important for children to see their cultures represented, as well as appreciate other cultures from their own.
I would use this book in a social studies class to teach about culture and individuality. You could also use this book at the beginning of the year to discuss accepting others‘ differences.
pickCaldecott Honor Winner
Published 2018
This is a great story about a girl with a really long name who learns the history of where it comes from. At first, Alma is embarrassed and confused about her long, complicated name. But after she learns about all of the awesome people who are honored in it, she becomes proud of her name. The message of appreciating and being knowledgeable about your own identity is told in a child friendly way.
“Despite what everyone else thought, he had the courage to try anyway.”
This book could be used to introduce the topic of 9/11 in a social studies unit. It also can be used in a lesson about dreams and aspirations, or courage.
pickCaldecott Medal Winner
Published 2003
This wordless picture book depicts a man whose dream was to walk on tightrope between the twin towers. People had tried to stop him before, but he did it anyway. After completing this feat, he was arrested. This story delivers a strong message about being courageous and following your dreams, no matter what other people think.
“Every letter had a drawing of Gloria on it. Officer Buckle thought the drawings showed a lot of imagination.”
I would use this book in the classroom to teach about rules in a way that students can relate to.
pickCaldecott Medal Winner
Published 1995
This book does a good job of illustrating how important it is to follow the rules, as well as the importance of teamwork in a fun way that children are able to grasp. Officer Buckle has trouble getting anyone to listen to his safety rules, until Gloria comes around and makes them fun for the kids to learn. Suddenly, everyone is being safe and Officer Buckle and Gloria are a great team.
pickCaldecott Medal Winner
Published 2006
Flotsam is a wordless picture book about a boy who is at the beach when an old underwater camera washes ashore. When he gets the film developed, he is given a peek inside what life is like in the ocean. The illustrations capture the magical, whimsical mood of the story with the details in underwater photos. As the story develops, the boy finds out the camera has quite some history.
I would use this book in a classroom to lead into a discussion about emotions and how they can change. This is also a good story for identifying emotions based on expressions or gestures.
pickCaldecott Medal Winner
Published 2022
This is a wordless book about a dog, Daisy, who has a red ball she loves, then loses it. She ends up getting a new blue ball. Daisy‘s changes in emotions throughout the story are depicted clearly in the illustrations. In the beginning, Daisy is happy and loves her red ball. When Daisy loses the ball, you can see that she feels mad, then sad. When she gets the blue ball, she‘s happy again.
I would recommend this story to any student who is interested in dogs. Many of my students would love this book! It also uses many alliterations throughout the text.
pickCaldecott Medal Winner
Published 2022
This is a fun, feel-good story about a dog in the city who is hot, tired, and overstimulated by everything going on around him. He goes on an adventure to the beach and plays in the sand to cool off. When he returns to the city he is joyful and comfortable again. The theme of this story is taking a break to calm down when you are overwhelmed or need some fresh air.
“Things began to change in that little town. news spread of this remarkable girl who never ran out of yarn.”
pickCaldecott Honor Award
Published 2012
This story has an important theme about sharing happiness with others around you, and feeling good about doing good in your community. The girl in the story, Annabelle, finds a box of yarn that never runs out and she knits things to make her community more beautiful. When her yarn is taken away, she is left to enjoy the work she has done and see everyone else enjoy it too.
I would use this story in the classroom when discussing family history. It could also be used in an art class to discuss memories or feelings associated with art pieces.
pickCaldecott Honor Winner
Published 2012
This is a detailed, loving story about a little boy‘s life on a farm surrounded with memories. The story highlights creativity and the importance of remembering special times and people in our lives. The theme is developed through showing the little boy in the beginning, then revealing towards the end that he is actually the narrator‘s grandfather, and the narrator keeps his memories alive on the farm.
“He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den. Within his little parlor - but she ne‘er came out again!”
This would be a great story to read in the classroom at Halloween time. I would follow up the read-aloud with a craft or activity involving spider webs.
pickCaldecott Award Winner 2003
Published 2003
In this story, a spider is trying to trick a fly to come into his web so that he can trap and eat her. The plot is well-constructed and builds upon actions and visions of the characters. The spider is sneaky and wants to make his web sound appealing to the fly, but the fly is hesitant because of what she has heard about spider webs.
