Caldecott Creators
This winter season, we're thrilled to be publishing three new books from some amazing Caldecott creators - Lauren Castillo, Brendan Wenzel, and Chris Raschka. You'll definitely want to add these to your preorder list!
Nana in the Country
Celebrating the love of grandparents and grandchildren, this gorgeous companion to the Caldecott Honor–winning Nana in the City is an appealing intergenerational exploration of country life.
When Nana comes from the city to visit her grandson in the country, the boy is so excited to teach her about all the wonderful things he does on the farm where he lives—feeding the ducks, milking the cow, even tending to bees.
But to his disappointment, Nana already seems to know how to do just about everything. And she isn’t the least bit nervous about picking up bugs or easing a hen aside to collect an egg. But then a storm hits in the night, and the boy must take the lead and make sure the animals are safe and dry.
And it turns out there are many more unique-to-the-country adventures to surprise his beloved Nana with.
Lauren Castillo has illustrated many picture books and has also written and illustrated several, including the Caldecott Honor book Nana in the City. She lives in Harrisburg, PA, and you can also find her at www.laurencastillo.blogspot.com and follow her on Twitter @studiocastillo.
Lauren won a 2015 Caldecott Honor for her book Nana in the City. You can read her thoughts about winning on her blog.
In this magical picture book, a young boy spends an overnight visit with his nana and is frightened to find that the city where she lives is filled with noise and crowds and scary things.
But then Nana makes him a special cape to help him be brave, and soon the everyday sights, sounds, and smells of the city are not scary—but wonderful. The succinct text is paired with watercolor illustrations that capture all the vitality, energy, and beauty of the city.
Solar Bear
An empowering picture book from New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry (Stick and Stone) and Caldecott Honoree Brendan Wenzel (They All Saw a Cat) told with lyrical text and luminous illustrations.
Journey with a solar bear who shines a light on the endangered species around the world and join the cause with your own mighty roar in this hopeful love letter to planet Earth and those who inhabit it.
The Earth is ours.
Yours and mine.
So dare to care.
To glow. To shine.
'Cause if you would,
and when you did,
then you will be a solar kid.
"Ferry and Wenzel strive here to build awareness...movingly illustrating the emptiness that would be felt on the planet without creatures like pangolins, rhinos, manatees, and sea turtles. The call to action—'we'll ask you for your mighty roar, to show us we are worth fighting for'—is aided considerably by the warm, stirring artwork, which invites children to reflect on the human causes of wildlife extinction and encourages them to work together for a better future."-—ALA Booklist (starred review)
Brendan Wenzel is an illustrator with a great affection for trees and all the furry, feathered, and scaly things that you can find in them (including snakes!). He has traveled to jungles, savannas, and everything in between in search of fascinating animals and has teamed up with many groups working to preserve wild places and creatures around the world. Brendan is the illustrator of Angela DiTerlizzi's Some Bugs. Brendan lives in New York with his wife, Magdalena.
Brendan won the Caldecott Medal in 2017 for They All Saw a Cat.
The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws . . . In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many lives of one cat, and how perspective shapes what we see. When you see a cat, what do you see?
Tomorrow's Lily
This exquisite and deeply moving picture book by two-time Caldecott Medal–winning artist Chris Raschka explores concepts of friendship, growing up, generosity, empathy, love, and time. Tomorrow’s Lily is a perfect gift book for readers of all ages, as well as a terrific choice for bedtime.
A daylily blooms for just one day, opening when the sun comes up and closing when it sets. In Chris Raschka’s extraordinary garden, seven daylilies bloom for others during the course of a sun-drenched week—for example, Monday’s lily blooms for the baby, and Saturday’s lily blooms for friends. The lovely and lyrical text underscores the value of living in the moment, caring for those around you, and being mindful of nature.
Two-time Caldecott Medal winner Chris Raschka introduces young readers to the concept of time—the days of the week, the span of a life—as well as to more spiritual and emotional concepts such as friendship, empathy, generosity, caring for others, and love. With a soothing text and stunning illustrations, this gentle, innovative, and educational picture book is an excellent choice for story-time sharing as well as gift giving.
Chris Raschka is the creator of many distinguished and award-winning books for children. He has received two Caldecott Medals—one for The Hello, Goodbye Window, written by Norton Juster, and one for his own A Ball for Daisy. He also received a Caldecott Honor for Yo! Yes? Chris Raschka was the US nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2012 and 2016 and has been awarded a New York Times Best Illustrated Book citation five times. He lives in New York City with his family.
Chris received a Caldocott Honor in 1994 for his book Yo! Yes? He then won Caldecott Medals in 2006 and 2014 for Hello, Goodbye Window and A Ball for Daisy respectively.