A Caldecott Celebration by Leonard Marcus

Bibliography
Marcus, Leonard. 1998. A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal. New York: Walker and Company. ISBN 0802786588.

Plot Summary
In A Caldecott Celebration, Leonard Marcus showcases six different Caldecott winners dating back to the 1942 winner, Robert McCloskey. Marcus selected a Caldecott Medal Book from each decade in an effort to show the rich history of picture books. Each chapter provides a glimpse into the artist's life and their process for creating a winner.

Critical Analysis
A Caldecott Celebration is an excellent representation of the distinguished Caldecott Award for picture books. Leonard Marcus selected some of the finest authors and their work for this book. Each chapter contains biographical information about his or her life, inspiration for the book, and incomplete sketches to the finished art work. The book closes by providing a list of Caldecott Medal Winners (1938-1998) and a glossary of terms. This is a great resource for every librarian, teacher, parent, and lover of picture books.

Reviews
Horn Book Magazine: "The text is remarkable...A fresh, inviting examination of an established process and ritual."

Publishers Weekly: "Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers."

Connections
*Study a decade of winners and discuss what each book has that made it a winner. Great for older children.
*Have children illustrate their own book.