Mock Caldecott

Voting in the Mock Caldecott has started here at SPAS and the students are very excited! Mrs. Natalie and Miss Malissa have chosen 24 books to select from. This is more than we’ve had in previous years. It is just too hard to narrow it down.

This year did something a little different. We introduced past Caldecott winning books anddiscussed what make them exceptional. The students noticed how Dan Santant used bright nostalgic colors to illustrate the child’s imagination and evoke a feeling of wonder and happiness in The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend.

We looked at Jon Klassen’s This is Not My Hat and discussed how the illustrations perfectly fit with a dark tale of a fish who is a thief and doesn’t seem to have a problem stealing a hat. The students especially liked how Klassen chose to make his ocean dark and moody.

Lastly, we discussed last year’s Caldecott winner, Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean Michel-Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe. The student’s liked how Steptoe was inspired by Basquiat’s art and created gritty, urban illustrations that emulate Basquiat.

After our discussion students worked in groups to look at other Caldecott winning books to try do determine what made them exceptional and why the illustrations were deserving of the Caldecott. The classes have now moved on to reading and critiquin

g the 24 Mock Caldecott books. Voting is the same as last year. After they have read a book they go to the corresponding Google Form to vote based on the criteria followed by the Caldecott committee. We will then tally up all the votes and and give each one an average score. The highest score wins our Mock Caldecott!

We like to announce the Mock Caldecott winners right after the real Caldecott winners are announced. Look for us at Monday Assembly on February 5th to find out who won the Mock and real Caldecott. Happy voting!