Caldecott Challenge 1959

1959 Medal Winner:

Chanticleer and the Fox 

by Barbara Cooney 

text adapted from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

What it's about:
The beautiful and renowned crower, Chanticleer, is tricked by a fox and saves himself from being eaten by tricking Him back

What I like:
If you happen to be teaching about Chaucer to young ones, this book is a must.
Chanticleer is a trickster tale with two clear morals (don't blindly accept flattery, and learn to "hold your tongue").

When I read this aloud to the Bud (my 6 yr old), he loved the fox character and the foreshadowing of the dream, but asked a lot of questions like "what is 'prithee'?"

There are only 6 colors in the illustrations, but they still draw you in. Different visual weights of the same color feel like a larger variety of colors on the page.

1959 Honor Books:

Umbrella 

by Taro Yashima

What it's about:
Momo gets rubber boots and an umbrella for her 3rd birthday and can't wait for a rainy day when she will finally be able to use them.

What I like:
This is a very realistic tale about being excited about something and having to wait.
I love the way the illustrations of Momo so clearly capture the body language of a young girl.
The Umbrella is a simple family tale about how people who love you tell you things about your own childhood that you were too young to remember.

What Do You Say, Dear? 

illustrated by Maurice Sendak

written by Sesyle Joslin 

What it's about:
Simple every day manners are appropriate even in outlandish situations.

What I like:
I LOVE when funny books get acknowledged with awards. This is a goofy book. I like to imagine kids around the time of publication totally enjoying the absurd situations and wanting to read it again and again.

The House that Jack Built: La Maison Que Jacques A Batie 

by Antonio Frasconi

What it's about:
This is the classic cumulative tale of the House That Jack Built told in English and French side by side on each page.

What I like:
This is the first bilingual book with two languages appearing side-by-side for the entire story that I have encountered in the Caldecotts (please correct me if I am misremembering).
I'm a sucker for woodcuts, so I love the illustration style.
Psst... another Caldecott Cat!

Challenge total: 106