That is why I love this year’s Caldecott Honor books– Red sings from treetops: A year in colors by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski and All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee.

Both books are essentially poems accompanied by rich, layered illustration, yet both books elicit such pleasure, emotion, and thought.

Red sings from treetops is an exploration of the seasons done in an innovative fashion, by personifying colors.  While the book is seemingly simple in its content of colors and seasons, it does so with sophisticated language and sensory detail. Personally, I was most struck by the book’s cohesion.  There is cohesion between text and illustration, as well as cohesion within the text and illustrations themselves, which ties the whole book together.  People rarely understand the importance of cohesion in holding a piece of work together, and this book is an exemplar for repeating elements, carefully woven in a way that makes sense.  Although I love the text, which is a brilliantly crafted poem, it is really the illustrations that mesmerize me.  With a contemporary flair, Zagarenski appears to have combined collage and paint techniques to capture fine details, such as ladybugs and a sip of lemonade.  Her illustrations are fun and whimsical, and the kind you want to look at over and over again to discover little details that were missed the first time.  She personified color in a way I didn’t know was possible.  This book reminds us of what it is we all love about each of the seasons. In the end, it is the simple things that truly matter– the marriage of yellow and purple on a pansy, or the feeling of our warm hands on the cold cheek of a snowman.

All the World feels like a classic to me.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this book were on the bookshelves of many people decades from now.  The text is a relatively brief, rhyming poem, with excellent rhythm and flow.  The illustrations almost feel retro to me, as though they were done 60 years ago, reminiscent of Leonard Weisgard.  Let’s face it– children love and respond well to rhyme.  There is an inherent part of our brains that resonates with the patterns rhyme offer us.  I find it ridiculous when snooty, unaware children’s publishers and literary agents shy away from rhyming picture books for children. Have they actually met children or worked with them?!  Children grow in their literacy and linguistic skills by being exposed to rhyme!  All the World is a perfect example of a brief, rhythmic, rhyming poem that appeals to people of all ages, while simply exploring the complexities of life, such as the intricacies of nature, or age, or what makes the world go round.  The soft, detailed illustrations are timeless.  In short, this book captures and conveys what really matters in life.

Remember– in the simple resides the complex.  When life gets too complicated, as it often does, nothing make any sense, and nothing seems to matter anymore.  These two Caldecott Honor books remind us that simplicity holds beauty and fulfillment.  Money, power, and status don’t matter in the end.  Togetherness, a connection and appreciate of nature, and loving gestures are what really count at the end of the day.  Do yourself a favor and curl up with these books after a long, difficult day.  All of a sudden, you’ll have a fresh perspective you didn’t know existed.

For those of you who are newer to children’s literature, the Caldecott award has been given out by the American Library Association (ALA) since 1938.  According to the ALA’s website: “The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.”  The awards committee generally selects one Medal Winner and then sometimes a few Honor Books.

The 2010 Caldecott Medal Winner is The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney.  It is a wordless picture book version of the classic Aesop Fable.  Since I love Aesop’s Fables, and I also happen to be one of Jerry Pinkney’s biggest fans, this year’s winner is certainly no disappointment for me.  Pinkney consistently illustrates in a luscious way, always using vibrant colors and somehow conveying rich texture through illustration as though it were fabric. 

There is no denying that children simply adore picture books with animals as the main characters.  As an educator, I can also personally attest to the fact that children learn lessons in more earnest ways when the main characters happen to be animals.  Children can somehow summon more empathy and understanding for animal characters than for humans.  Since this classic fable reminds us of the importance of the underdog and the power and enchantment of unlikely friendships, the possibilities of using this book are countless.  Whether you are nestled up at home flipping through this book’s gorgeous pages, or holding it up in a classroom using it for specific teaching purposes, no one will be disappointed. 

In particular, I would recommend this book for writing lessons.  Let’s face it—we all need inspiration to write. Writing can be an extremely daunting process.  I have had continued success using wordless picture books as springboards for inspiring writing lessons.  Children of all ages love to narrate the story as they look at the illustrations.  Assist students in keeping track of their wonderful ideas, so that they can later add details and voice to their re-creations of the story.  Using wordless picture books has never failed me, and if I were you, I would be anxious to try out Pinkney’s new winner. 

Some other of my favorite wordless picture books that I recommend are:

Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola    

The Red Book by Barbara Lehman

Flotsam by David Wiesner

To all of you out there reading:

Please share with us your favorite wordless picture books.  Have you ever had success in using wordless picture books with your students, especially with writing projects?  We’d love to read about all of your ideas!  What Caldecott-winning picture books have touched your hearts over the years?