A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal

1. BIBILIOGRAPHY
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. CALDECOTT CELEBRATION. New York: Walker and Company.
ISBN 0802786588.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
The Caldecott Award has been given for the best children’s picture book since 1938. In this book, “Caldecott Celebration,” it looks at the life and careers of six Caldecott Winners that have provided us with stories that will be a part of our society for years to come. Marcus chose these six Caldecott Winners from different stages in American history. Each profile offering a glimpse in to how the individual winners began their career up to their first Caldecott Award. These winners include Robert McCloskey (Make Way for Duckling, 1942), Marcia Brown (Cinderella, 1955), Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are, 1964), William Steig (Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, 1970), Chris Van Allsberg (Jumanji, 1982), and David Wiesner (Tuesday).

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is for anyone who loves to read and wants to learn more about
authors or for anyone who has ever thought about writing a children’s picture book.
This book gives insight into what it takes to become a writer for children’s books.
Marcus lures you down a historical path which gives the reader a peek into the personal triumphs
of six Caldecott Winners. It also allows the reader to experience the process that a writer is
involved in when writing a book. This book also has tones of humor and draws on personal
experiences of the authors. An example of this is when Marcus explains how Van Allsburg
couldn’t find pictures of monkeys posing the way he wanted, so he had his wife pose and
he drew what he needed from her. This book also contains a glossary of terms that will help
readers discern the meanings of terms they might not understand.


The illustrations that are presented in “Caldecott Celebration” depict the author’s dummy
versions, sketches, clay models and photographs along with the final outcome. These
illustrations allow the reader to understand the progression and thought process of the author
as they create their final projects.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly: “Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's (Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom) approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers.”

Booklist: “A lively, informative introduction to each book and its maker. A beautifully made book, this will serve as a fine resource for children interested in illustration and for teachers researching author/ illustrator studies.”

5. CONNECTIONS
Other books written by Leonard Marcus:
Marcus, Leonard. MINDERS OF MAKE-BELIEVE: IDEALISTS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND THE SHAPING OF AMERICANCHILDREN’S LETERATURE. ISBN 9780395674079.Marcus, Leonard. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SEVEN ARTISTS AND THEIR PATHS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL. ISBN 9780802797032