I’ve been running mock Caldecott elections at my schools this month, with a list of 22 to choose from.  It’s always interesting to see what the kids like versus what the Caldecott committee likes.

I seem to be (very) marginally better at predicting the Caldecott.  I actually had the winners on my list in 2016 (Radiant Child) and last year (Hello, Lighthouse), and have guessed a few that got Caldecott honors (Du Iz Tak? and Last Stop on Market Street).  So with that amazing record–four out of the 20 books I’ve predicted have won something–I will gaze into my crystal ball for 2020.

 

The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry, illustrated by The Fan Brothers

Published by HarperCollins

It wouldn’t be a Caldecott prediction list without a book illustrated by the Fan Brothers, whose U.S. citizenship always calls their eligibility into question.  As near as I can tell, they live in Canada, but have duel citizenship, which should make them eligible (and should begin the process of changing that particular Caldecott rule).  This has been a favorite in my mock Caldecott elections.

 

Saturday by Oge Mora

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

I liked this even better than last year’s Caldecott honor Thank You, Omu!  It’s a great lesson in resilience, and has been another popular choice with kids.

 

Another by Christian Robinson

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

I have to say, I found this wordless book pretty confusing.  But I’ve seen it on so many best books of 2019 lists and I left it off my mock Caldecott list, which is pretty much a guarantee it will win something.

 

Small In the City by Sydney Smith

Published by Neal Porter Books

This is probably my favorite book on the list.  I loved how what the girl is looking for is gradually revealed through both text and illustrations.  It’s a great mentor text for inferencing, should you be looking for such a thing.

 

A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel

Published by Chronicle Books

I haven’t found this one to have a lot of kid appeal, but I loved the thought-provoking nature of the text, as well as all the animal illustrations.

As with all these lists, I’d love to hear your choices in the comments!