A Caldecott Celebration: Seven Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal by Leonard S. Marcus
(Walker Childrens, 2008, 64 pages)
I’ve always had a deep appreciation and love for picture books. This feeling has only intensified now that I have a young daughter who I’m eager to expose to new and classic titles. In my desire to gain a better understanding of what goes into making a picture book a success I’ve gone searching for titles that can speak directly to that – which introduced me to the work of Leonard S. Marcus. Marcus is essentially my go-to guy for all things related to picture books.
I read the second edition of A Caldecott Celebration which was published to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Caldecott medal. It highlights seven winners of the award (one for each decade) and looks at the process and inspiration that led them to create the books worthy of winning the medal. The illustrators highlighted in this title are: Robert McCloskey, Marcia Brown, Maurice Sendak, William Steig, Chris Van Allsburg, David Wiesner, and Mordicai Gerstein.
I came away from this book with a greater understanding and appreciation for the depth and consideration that goes into visualizing and creating the feel of a picture book. I’ll certainly be reading more of Marcus’s work… and spending a fair amount of my free time perusing picture books that catch my eye. It’s so easy to get caught up in them!
SCC Library Reads 