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EARL: Early Childhood Education

This guide is intended for students in the Early Childhood Education program. It will help you locate children's picture books in the Library collection, and conduct research using our online databases.

About the Caldecott Awards

Famed English children's book illustrator Randolph Caldecott is the inspiration for the Caldecott Medal. The Caldecott Medal is awarded yearly to the most distinguished American children's picture book illustrator. There may also be one or more Honor books named.

Learn more about the Caldecott Medal.

The titles in each section below are arranged in reverse chronological order (newest to oldest).  Note that the year a book is awarded is one year after the publication date.  For example, a book that came out in 2018 would be the 2019 winner.

Recent Caldecott Medal Winners

We Are Water Protectors

Author: Carole Lindstrom; Michaela Goade (Illustrator)
Published: 2020
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all. When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people's water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource"--Publisher's description.

Hello Lighthouse

Author: Sophie Blackall
Published: 2018
Location: Bethlehem
"Explores the life of one lighthouse as it beams its message out to sea through shifting seasons, changeable weather, and the tenure of its final keeper"--Publisher's description.

Wolf in the Snow

Author: Matthew Cordell
Published: 2017
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"In this book of very few words, a wolf cub and little girl are lost in a snowstorm and must find their way home"--Publisher's description.

Radiant Child

Author: Javaka Steptoe
Published: 2016
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City."--Publisher's description

Finding Winnie

Author: Lindsay Mattick; Sophie Blackall (Illustrator)
Published: 2015
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"A woman tells her young son the true story of how his great-great-grandfather rescued and learned to love a bear cub in 1914 as he was on his way to World War I, and how the bear became the inspiration for A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh"--Publisher's description.

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend

Author: Dan Santat
Published: 2014
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"An imaginary friend waits a long time to be imagined by a child and given a special name, then sets out on a quest to find his perfect match in the real world"--Publisher's description.

Locomotive

Author: Brian Floca
Published: 2013
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Learn what it was like to travel on the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s"--Publisher's description.

This Is Not My Hat

Author: Jon Klassen
Published: 2012
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"A little fish thinks he can get away with stealing a hat"--Publisher's description.

A Ball for Daisy

Author: Chris Raschka
Published: 2011
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"A wordless picture book showing the fun a dog has with her ball, and what happens when it is lost"--Publisher's description.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Author: Philip C. Stead; Erin E. Stead (Illustrator)
Published: 2010
Location: Bethlehem
"Zookeeper Amos McGee always makes time to visit his friends who live at the zoo, until the day he stays home because he is sick"--Publisher's description.

The Lion and the Mouse

Author: Jerry Pinkney
Published: 2009
Location: Bethlehem
In this wordless retelling of an Aesop fable set in the African Serengeti, an adventuresome mouse proves that even a small creature is capable of great deeds when she rescues the King of the Jungle.

The House in the Night

Author: Susan Marie Swanson
Published: 2008
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Illustrations and easy-to-read text explore the light that makes a house in the night a home filled with light"--Publisher's description.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Author: Brian Selznick
Published: 2007
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized"--Publisher's description.

Kitten's First Full Moon

Author: Kevin Henkes (Illustrator)
Published: 2004
Location: Bethlehem
"When Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it"--Publisher's description.

Classic Caldecott Winners

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood story from China

Author: Ed Young
Published: 1989
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother"--Publisher's description.

A Story, a Story

Author: Gail E. Haley (Illustrator)
Published: 1988
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Recounts how most African folk tales came to be called 'Spider Stories'"--Publisher's description.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears

Author: Vema Aardema
Published: 1975
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Reveals the meaning of the mosquito's buzz"--Publisher's description.

Once a Mouse...

Author: Marcia Brown (Illustrator)
Published: 1972
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"As it changes from mouse to cat, to dog, to tiger, a hermit's pet also becomes increasingly vain. A folktale from India"--Publisher's description.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Author: William Steig
Published: 1969
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"In a moment of fright, Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock but then can not hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal again"--Publisher's description.

Where the Wild Things Are

Author: Maurice Sendak
Published: 1963
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Max sails to the land of the wild things, where he becomes their king."

The Snowy Day

Author: Ezra Jack Keats
Published: 1962
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day"--Publisher's description.

The Little House

Author: Virginia Lee Burton
Published: 1942
Location: Bethlehem
"A country house is unhappy when the city, with all its buildings and traffic, grows up around her"--Publisher's description.

Make Way for Ducklings

Author: Robert McCloskey
Published: 1941
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Mr. and Mrs. Mallard proudly return to their home in the Boston Public Garden with their eight offspring"--Publisher's description.

Selected Caldecott Honor Books

Thank You, Omu!

Author: Oge Mora
Published: 2018
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"When the aroma of Omu's homemade stew fills the air, her neighbors arrive, one by one, for a taste until all is gone except for her generous spirit"--Publisher's description.

Big Cat, Little Cat

Author: Elisha Cooper
Published: 2017
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"There was a cat who lived alone. Until the day a new cat came . . . And so a story of friendship begins, following two cats through their days, months, and years until one day, the older cat has to go. And he doesn't come back."--Publisher's description.

Freedom in Congo Square

Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Published: 2016
Location: Bethlehem
"Six days a week, slaves labor from sunup to sundown and beyond, but on Sunday afternoons, they gather with free blacks at Congo Square outside New Orleans, free from oppression. Includes foreword about Congo Square by Freddi Williams Evans, glossary, and historical notes"--Publisher's description.

They All Saw a Cat

Author: Brendan Wenzel
Published: 2016
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"An ordinary housecat is seen from the different perspectives of a child and various animals"--Publisher's description.

Last Stop on Market Street

Author: Matt de la Peña; Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
Published: 2015
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Every Sunday after church, C.J. and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, C.J. wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn't he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty -- and fun -- in their routine, and the world around them"--Publisher's description.

Trombone Shorty

Author: Troy Andrews; Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
Published: 2015
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Hailing from the Tremâe neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six, and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest"--Publisher's description.

Waiting

Author: Kevin Henkes
Published: 2015
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Five friends sit happily on a windowsill, waiting for something amazing to happen. Will patience win in the end? Or will the friends stop waiting and do something unexpected?"--Publisher's description.

Nana in the City

Author: Lauren Castillo
Published: 2014
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"A young boy is frightened by how busy and noisy the city is when he goes there to visit his Nana, but she makes him a fancy red cape that keeps him from being scared as she shows him how wonderful a place it is"--Publisher's description.

Viva Frida

Author: Yuyi Morales (Illustrator); Tim O'Meara (Illustrator)
Published: 2014
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"With spare text and vibrant illustrations, this book examines Frida Kahlo's creative process"--Publisher's description. In English and Spanish.

Mr. Wuffles!

Author: David Wiesner
Published: 2013
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"In this nearly wordless story, Mr. Wuffles ignores all his cat toys but one -- which turns out to be a spaceship piloted by small green aliens. When Mr. Wuffles plays rough with the little ship, the aliens must venture into the cat's territory to make emergency repairs"--Publisher's description.

Dave the Potter

Author: Laban Carrick Hill; Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
Published: 2010
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Chronicles the life of Dave, a 19th-century slave who went on to become an influential poet, artist, and potter"--Publisher's description.

Interrupting Chicken

Author: David Ezra Stein
Published: 2010
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Little Red Chicken wants Papa to read her a bedtime story, but interrupts him almost as soon as he begins each tale"--Publisher's description.

Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems

Author: Joyce Sidman; Beckie Prange (Illustrator)
Published: 2005
Location: Bethlehem
"A collection of poems that provide a look at some of the animals, insects and plants that are found in ponds, with accompanying information about each"--Publisher's description.

Hondo and Fabian

Author: Peter McCarty
Published: 2003
Location: Monroe
"Hondo the dog gets to go to the beach and play with his friend Fred, while Fabian the cat spends the day at home"--Publisher's description.

The Red Book

Author: Barbara Lehman
Published: 2004
Location: Bethlehem
"The Red Book crosses oceans and continents to deliver one girl into a new world of possibility, where a friend she's never met is waiting. And as with the best of books, at the conclusion of the story, the journey is not over"--Dust jacket.

Click, Clack, Moo

Author: Doreen Cronin
Published: 2000
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"When Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter in the barn, they start making demands -- and go on strike when the farmer refuses to give them what they want"--Publisher's description.

When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry

Author: Molly Bang
Published: 1999
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"A young girl is upset and doesn't know how to manage her anger but takes the time to cool off and regain her composure"--Publisher's description.

Snow

Author: Uri Shulevitz
Published: 1998
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"As snowflakes slowly come down, one by one, people in the city ignore them, and only a boy and his dog think that the snowfall will amount to anything"--Publisher's description.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Author: Simms Taback
Published: 1997
Location: Bethlehem
"Presents the traditional version of a famous American folk poem first heard in the U.S. in the 1940's with illustrations on die-cut pages that reveal all that the old lady swallows"--Publisher's description.

Hush!

Author: Minfong Ho; Holly Meade (Illustrator)
Published: 1996
Location: Bethlehem
"A lullaby which asks animals such as a lizard, monkey, and water-buffalo to be quiet and not disturb the sleeping baby"--Publisher's description.

In the Small, Small Pond

Author: Denise Fleming (Illustrator)
Published: 1993
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Illustrations and rhyming text describe the activities of animals living in and near a small pond as spring progresses to autumn"--Publisher's description.

Working Cotton

Author: Sherley Anne Williams; Carole Byard (Illustrator)
Published: 1992
Location: Bethlehem
"A young black girl relates the daily events of her family's migrant life in the cotton fields of central California"--Publisher's description.

Color Zoo

Author: Lois Ehlert (Illustrator)
Published: 1989
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Introduces colors and shapes with illustrations of shapes on die-cut pages that form animal faces when placed on top of one another"--Publisher's description.

Rumpelstiltskin

Author: Paul O. Zelinsky
Published: 1986
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"A strange little man helps the miller's daughter spin straw into gold for the king, on the condition that she will give him her first-born child"--Publisher's description.

Strega Nona

Author: Tomie dePaola
Published: 1975
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works"--Publisher's description.

Umbrella

Author: Taro Yashima
Published: 1958
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
Momo can't wait to use the red boots and umbrella she received on her birthday. All she needs now is a rainy day!

Blueberries for Sal

Author: Robert McCloskey
Published: 1948
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Little Sal and Little Bear both lose their mothers while eating blueberries and almost end up with the other's mother"--Publisher's description.