Picture Books
Introduction
In the 18th century, Randolph Caldecott was the most prominent illustrator in England. In his book “ The Diverting Story of John Gilpin,” the illustration of the medal is taken from. The Caldecott Medal is awarded each year to an illustrator for the best children’s picture book. An illustrator must be a resident of the United States. Each year, the award is given in January.
Title
The title of the book was Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.
Author
The author of the book was William Steig.
Illustrator
William Steig was the illustrator of the book.
Year Published
The book was published in 1969, but it received the Caldecott Award in 1970.
Plot Description
A donkey, Sylvester, from the fictive community of Oatsdale, used to collect pebbles of different, unusual shapes and colours. The day came when he found a pebble that grants wishes. Suddenly a lion came and tried to frighten him, and as a defense, he wished himself into the rock because it was the only thing that came into his mind at that time. Sadly, the pebble falls off the rock, and he is unable to revert himself to the original position as the donkey. The rest of the story deals with the resulting aftermath of Sylvester’s own attempts to turn himself back to the donkey.
Illustration Description
The illustrations in the book “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble” are an excellent example of cartoon art. The pictures shown in the book are not close to real images of donkeys or pigs. The artwork shown in this book is done through paintings. There’s no actual shape of the pictures; they ended where the illustrator wanted them to.
Overall Evaluation
The writer conveys the message quite handsomely. Parents love their children no matter what they look like. That is one of the reasons for its success. There’s magic in the book, but nothing exciting happened. They should’ve been doing something more than just changing the weather by using the power of the pebbles.
Duffy and The Devil (1974)
Title
The title of the book was Duffy and The Devil.
Author
The author of the book was Harve Zemach.
Illustrator
Margot Zemach was the illustrator of the book.
Year Published
The book was published in 1973, but it received the Caldecott Award in 1974.
Plot Description
In the 19th century, Duffy and the Devil was a famous play in Cornwall. The play was performed during the Christmas season with the help of groups of young people. They went from house to house. The writer of the book interprets the folktale, which the play dramatizes and is recognizable as the version of Rumpelstiltskin’s story. The characters used in this play were Cornish, although the themes are familiar. The accent used by the Christmas players was a combination of local English and old Cornish.
Illustration Description
Zemach’s incredible skills of pen and wash illustrations combine a pure sense of comedy with the help of telling observation of character, inspired drawing with fancy richness to the extent that exceeds her previous achievements.
Overall Evaluation
Overall, the characters used by Zemach were a good stunt. She used local groups, and the accents of the characters made it so real and catchy.
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses (1979)
Title
The title of the book was The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses.
Author
The author of the book was Paul Goble.
Illustrator
Paul Goble was the illustrator of the book.
Year Published
The book was published in 1978, but it received the Caldecott Award in 1979.
Plot Description
The story revolves around the girl who used to spend all of her time feeding the horses of her tribe and taking care of them. One day, the storm hits the tribe. People of the tribe started running away; the girl also wanted to run away, so she climbed up on one of the horses. Far from the hills, she confronted the king of horses and liked him. King wanted her to join his herd, and the girl was also delighted to live with wild horses. After some time, the people of her tribe found her and brought her back. She was not happy to be back, and she convinced her people to let her live with those wild horses. People of her tribe agreed and let her go.
Illustration Description
The illustrations are bright and give out the feeling of being real when a reader reads. One will feel the same emotions as the girl thinks after being separated from the horses she loved spending time with. We usually have the same emotions or feelings when we get separated from our loved ones for some days.
Overall Evaluation
The story overall was a good story, the best story, and that is why it got the award. This book is a harmonious one, focused on the emotions and appreciation Indians had for their horses. It showed the love for animals in his book. Generally, in stories like this, the father of the girl used to declare war upon the animals, but in this story, that didn’t happen. The story showed the importance and the love for animals.
Owl Moon (1988)
Title
The title of the book was Owl Moon.
Author
The author of the book was Jane Yolen.
Illustrator
Jane Yolen was the illustrator of the book.
Year Published
The book was published in 1987, but it received the Caldecott Award in 1988.
Plot Description
The story revolves around a little girl and her father, who went owling together on a winter night. As they were walking through the woods searching for the vast horned owl, his daughter found out many things about how it feels to go out on a winter night, how much is said in the silence, and how much one can learn from listening and watching. In the end, both the father and his daughter met the owl they were looking for. The daughter and her father both were staring right at the owl, and the owl was staring right at them. After a while, the owl flew away, and the father and daughter came back home. The bond between the father and child, the amazingness of winter and the growth of a little girl who experienced so many things in one night are explored in this beautiful story.
Illustration Description
The illustrations of the book are very much real, and it has a way of making the reader of the story feel that this is real. One can feel the cold of winter while reading the book. Showed so many things in this story that we usually don’t understand or we typically don’t pay attention to. Talk to your children about the things that they have done with their friends. Ask them what they like the most about spending time with their best friend. Encourage and motivate the children to look outside of the door on the moonlit night. The story depicts the bond between a father and her child.
Overall Evaluation
If we look into the book, overall, it shows so many things in this story that we normally don’t understand or we usually don’t pay attention to. Talk to your children about the things that they have done with their friends. Ask them what they like the most about spending time with their best friend. Encourage and motivate the children to look outside of the door on the moonlit night. The story depicts the bond between a father and her child.
Smokey Night (1995)
Title
The title of the book was Smokey Night.
Author
The author of the book was Eve Bunting.
Illustrator
David Diaz was the illustrator of the book.
Year Published
The book was published in 1994, but it received the Caldecott Award in 1995.
Plot Description
The book revolves around the Los Angeles riots of 1992 and its outcomes. Because of turbulence, Daniel and his mother are forced to leave their home. The book tells a story of hatred and how some people cope with it. The story is about two neighbours, Daniel and Mrs Kim, who hate each other but are forced to get along. In the centre of the riots, both of them lose their pet cats. They did not want to get along, but to begin a search for their pet cats, they started working together. At the end of the story, a fireman shows up with their cats, Daniel, Mrs Kim, and Daniel’s mother.
Illustration Description
The illustrator David Diaz made an astonishing use of mixed media. This was one of the reasons he was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1995. I love his painting style and the fact that the way he uses acrylic paint appears to be collage-like paint.
Overall Evaluation
Overall, the book was very pleasing. The content and characters used to depict the story were very good. The message given by the writer of this book is appealing. One should take care of his neighbours.
The Lion and The Mouse (2010)
Title
The title of the book was The Lion and The Mouse.
Author
The author of the book was Jerry Pinkney.
Illustrator
Jerry Pinkney was the illustrator of the book.
Year Published
The book was published in 2009, but it received the Caldecott Award in 2010.
Plot Description
The story revolves around a lion and a mouse. Accidentally, a mouse happens upon a lion. In reverse, the lion decides not to harm the mouse and lets him walk away. When the hunter set a trap for the lion, he got trapped in it, and a mouse came back to offer his assistance. Mouse chew the net and free the lion from the net. After this incident, both the lion and the mouse create a bond with each other and realize that friendships can be found in the most unlikely places. The plot of the story is a reminder that the manner in which we treat others is the same as how we get treated by others. One should always be polite and humble with others.
Illustration Description
The illustrations depict a clear image of what is happening in the jungle. A reader feels like it’s real while reading the story. Still, there are some things that are unclear, such as why the lion released the mouse in the first place, why the mouse came back and offered his assistance, and why the lion accepted. The illustrator’s classic illustration style is evident throughout the book. The edge that he has is the ability to capture the expressions on the faces of his animal character.
Overall Evaluation
In the end, one can say that the message of the story is clear to everybody who is reading that book. When kindness is dispersed upon others, it will receive in full in return. We should be kind and polite to others, and they will be polite and helpful to us.
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