Whew! First Decade Down

Caldecott Challenge Total so far: 56 Caldecotts Read (not counting those I read before starting the challenge).

At this point I have read all the Award Winners and Honor books through the first decade of the award to the end of the 1940s.

I have to say, I am a little tired of picture book pages that look like this:

and this:

and this:

At times it is hard to believe that these picture books won the same award that these did on January 23.

I sorted through my goodreads shelf of Caldecott Challenge titles by rating to see what floated to the top from these early winners, and there were three clear favorites for me:

The Little House

by Virginia Lee Burton

Caldecott Medal (1943)

I remember my elementary school librarian reading this one.
I love the facial expressions on the house, and how the text is not in plain blocks, but more free form on the pages. I also love that it is a circle story with big circles on the front and back cover.

Make Way for Ducklings

by Robert McCloskey 

Caldecott Medal (1942)

I love the sweet realistic ducks, and the list of rhyming baby duck names always makes me smile.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

by Wanda Gág

Caldecott Honor (1939)

Ok, this one does have a lot of text, but I am a huge fan of Wanda Gág and fairy tales.

I love her quirky sense of humor. 

Her pen and ink drawings always pull me in. 

AND she is from Minnesota!

I was really excited to find out that the University of Minnesota Press has reprinted this book and a few other collected tales from Grimm.

My small Wanda Gag Print

What are your favorite Caldecott winner and honor books?

Have you posted about the Caldecott Challenge, link up below.

Interested in joining us on the Caldecott Medal and Honor Book Reading Challenge? Find out more here.