Over the past four months, we have had the wonderful opportunity to host our monthly Caldecott Club program, which takes place from September-December. The Caldecott award is given out every year 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.
Everyone gets a special notebook in which to doodle, imagine, craft, and draw while we look at gorgeous picture books. We provide all the art supplies! Young people explored the power of picture books while expressing themselves. Each session, the children voted on their favorite to go to our Voting Party in December.
During Caldecott Club, we explored these picture books:
Touch the Sky by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic, illustrated by Chris Park
Being Home by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Michaela Goade
I’m Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Julie Kwon
Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo
Animal Albums: From A to Z by Cece Bell
Let's Go! / haw êkwa! by Julie Flett
Three books went to our Voting Party: Touch the Sky by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic, illustrated by Chris Park, I'm Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff, Illustrated by Julie Kwon, and Animal Albums from A-Z by Cece Bell.
And the winner of our 2024 Caldecott Club is.... I'm Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff, Illustrated by Julie Kwon.
Our kids loved how this epistolary picture book examined the process of learning how to sincerely apologize and process their feelings, from the crumpled paper drafts to the pristine final version - and the ways Jack and Zoe's friendship grows. (They especially loved the "Paint your Feelings!" spread - we do that a lot in Art for Big Feelings!)
Congratulations to Kyle Lukoff and Julie Kwon!
You can find out the winners of the Caldecott award - and the other children's book awards - at the Youth Media Awards livestream on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, 9am CST!