Everything is different for 2020, including our annual Mock Caldecott.
Now in its 13th year, the Mock Caldecott is a joint endeavor between the English Department and the Children’s and Adolescent Literature Community (ChALC), one of our department student organizations, with support from the Manhattan Public Library (MPL). Faculty, students, and community members usually gather at MPL on a weekend in early December to read some of the top-reviewed picture books of the year and anticipate, through a modified selection process, which ones will receive recognition by the American Library Association the following month.
Since 1937, the Caldecott Medal has honored the “most distinguished American picture book for children published in the United States” in the previous calendar year, taking its name from Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886), a noted English artist and illustrator. Since 1980, a committee appointed by the American Library Association (ALA) brings together fifteen librarians, university educators, and reviewers to select a winner and as many honor books as the committee sees fit. Their decision is a highlight of the ALA Mid-Winter Meeting each January.
This year, given COVID-19, the official Caldecott process is going virtual, and so is our Mock Caldecott.
As of December 1, we’ll be posting here the list of titles that made an initial cut, sharing links to video readings of the books:
- A Green New Day by Antoinette Portis
- All Because You Matter by Tami Charles (author) and Bryan Collier (illus)
- Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away by Meg Medina (author) and Sonia Sanchez (illus)
- Hike by Pete Oswald
- Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming (author) and Eric Rohmann (illus)
- I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes (author) and Gordon C. James (illus)
- If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall
- In the City by Chris Raschka
- In the Half Room by Carson Ellis
- Julián at the Wedding by Jessica Love
- Lift by Minh Le (author) and Dan Santat (illus)
- My Best Friend by Julia Fogliano (author) and Jillian Tamaki (illus)
- Outside In by Deborah Underwood (author) and Cindy Derby (illus)
- The Blue House by Phoebe Wahl
- The Farmer and the Monkey by Marla Frazee
- The Old Truck by Jarrett Pumphrey (author) and Jerome Pumphrey (illus)
- We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrome (author) and Michaela Goade (illus)
- You Matter by Christian Robinson
- Your Place in the Universe by Jason Chin
Between December 1 and December 4, we invite you to review the videos and vote on your favorites at tinyurl.com/chalcbookvote. (Note: the survey will ask you to rank-order the nineteen titles listed above.)
Then, on Saturday December 5, 2:00-3:00pm CST, we’ll gather synchronously via Zoom to discuss together a short list of titles and vote in real time to select our 2020 Mock Caldecott winner and honor books.
What are the criteria for a Caldecott Award-winning picture book?
Be looking for “Excellence of execution in the artistic technique employed,” “Excellence of pictorial interpretation of story, theme, or concept,” “Appropriateness of style of illustration to the story, theme or concept,” “Delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting, mood or information through the pictures,” and “Excellence of presentation in recognition of a child audience.” The focus should be on “distinguished illustrations in a picture book” and “excellence of pictorial presentation for children” (and “not for didactic intent or for popularity”), so you can make a “decision primarily on the illustration,” as the ALA web site explains.
You can register for the discussion on Saturday Dec 5 at tinyurl.com/chalc2020mockcaldecott. (Education majors: as in past years, this event can count for “Service to the Profession: Professional Growth”!)
We hope to see you back here on December 1 to explore our long-list of contenders for the 2020 Mock Caldecott and vote on your first-round favorites — and then, on December 5, join us for discussion, debate, and a final vote!
[Edited to add, following our event: Want to see our results? Visit the post on Twitter and Instagram.]
— Karin Westman, Associate Professor and Department Head / Faculty Advisor for ChALC
K-State English 