凱迪克: 永不停筆的插畫家

by Leonard S. Marcus, 柯倩華 (Translator)

◎ 深入介紹「現代圖畫書之父——凱迪克」的第一本中文專書
◎ 深入了解國際權威性繪本獎——凱迪克圖畫書獎的起源與意義
◎ 圖畫書愛好者不可不讀的好書
◎ 亞馬遜網路書店選書
◎ 本書作者為國際重量級兒童文學史學家及評論家，備受學界推崇

我非常忠於這個行業，以令人敬佩和專注的態度投入其中。
——現代圖畫書之父凱迪克 (Randolph Caldecott, 1846-1886)
一八六一年，完成學業的少年凱迪克在父親安排下進入銀行工作，可以預見未來平順的人生。但凱迪克的畫筆和熱情並未停歇，他毅然辭去工作，決心以繪畫為志業。

那是個風起雲湧的時代——工業革命方興未艾，蒸汽火車改變了人們對時間和空間的體驗，以及對世界的想像。凱迪克到大城市進修技藝、結識藝文界人士，為未來的發展鋪路。更重要的是，他勤畫不輟，大英博物館就是他取之不竭的學堂。

凱迪克為報紙雜誌供稿，簡約幽默的畫風替他打開知名度，吸引相當重視插畫品質的印刷商伊凡斯登門，兩人的合作開啟了現代圖畫書的全新發展。
凱迪克捕捉了新時代的活力、速度和動態；許多畫家都能畫出栩栩如生的馬，但只有凱迪克能讓馬在紙上奔馳。他認為，文字講了一個故事，圖畫則是講第二個故事。

凱迪克創作的圖畫書豐富了數百萬個孩子的童年，而無數的插畫家從凱迪克的畫作中獲得啟發。
因父親買下凱迪克原稿而得以深入觀察其技巧的「彼得兔」創作者波特小姐說：「凱迪克是圖畫書藝術的先驅，是最偉大的插畫家之一。我希望自己能畫得像他一樣好。」

「童書界的畢卡索」莫里斯．桑達克說：「『靈活』一詞最適合形容凱迪克圖畫的精髓，這是童書插畫最必要的特質。」
一九三八年，美國圖書館協會創立「凱迪克圖畫書獎」，至今仍是國際權威性獎項，紀念這位現代圖畫書之父、永不停筆的插畫家——藍道夫．凱迪克。

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Art, Picture Books, History, Biography Memoir, Childrens

72 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2013

About the author

Leonard S. Marcus is one of the world's leading writers about children's books and their illustrations. His many books include The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy; Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy; Dear Genius; and others. His essays, interviews, and reviews appear in the New York Times Book Review, among other publications. Leonard S. Marcus lives in Brooklyn.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was listed as a picture book in the children's section of the library. It is not. Yes, it has pictures in it and it's about a children's artist. This is a non-fictional historical account of Caldecott's life. It is dry at the beginning and it does get interesting. It is mostly words It would take about an hour to read and the kids would possibly be bored. It wasn't what I thought it was and it was good.

He was English and he inspired a young Beatrix Potter. What I found funny, is that an American award for children's literature is name after this British famous children's author. It is a wonderful nod.

He perfected making a drawing feel like it is in action. He also pretty much made the art of children's books. He came up with all kinds of wonderful ways to tell a story.

[Rachel Hankinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

a nice biography on Randolph Caldecott, for whom the Caldecott medal was named. I had no idea he died in St. Augustine, Florida. and I’ve now gone down a rabbit hole researching his wife, who apparently joined an occult after his death. as one does.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best biographies of Randolph Caldecott I've read so far. For the first time I understand how different his style of illustrating was from that of his contemporaries, and why it made his children's books so popular ; to think he was mostly self-taught, though he took art courses later in his life. I learned that he knew many of the illustrators and artists of his day, including Kate Greenaway, and that Beatrix Potter, creator of Peter Rabbit, grew up with two of Caldecott's illustrations hanging on the walls of the Potter family home, inspiring her to be an illustrator herself. It's so ironic that Caldecott, who was a pioneer of English children's book illustration, died and was buried in Florida. Yet it justifies in a way the use of his name by the American Library Association for the American award for best children's illustrations. I can't help thinking how much more he would have contributed had he not died so young, at age 39.

What added to my enjoyment of this book was the way it's constructed. It's oversized, and the texture of the paper and the font, combined with the reproductions of many of his black-and-white sketches and color illustrations, gave the feel of reading a book from the 19th century. I need to take a whole new look at his children's books. I can't recommend this biography more enthusiastically. Well done!

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about the beloved Randolph Caldecott, inspiration behind the prestigious Caldecott award. Author Marcus details Randolf's life from sick child, who has heart damage from Rhumatic fever to wildly know and popular illustrator. Randolph always loved to draw and doodle, but after his father procured him a very highly regarded job in a bank, he tried to do a traditional job. He quickly realized he could make a wage from his art and set off to the city to sell his drawing to local newspapers which were growing exponentially in the 1860's. The story chronicles his travels around the world, drawing and illustration many books. Randolph eventually married and traveled with his wife all around the U.S before his untimely death at the young age of 4o due to heart complications. This is a picture book for older readers as it is a higher difficulty level and is quite long. There is also a ton of Caldecott's artwork to enjoy throughout.

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been curious who Randolph Caldecott was and why an award was named after him. This picture book was a bit too long for my liking but it did answer my questions. I loved that we were able to see some of his sketches and finished products. Even without going through the history of picture books, it was clear how he changed the game. Includes extensive backmatter material.

I would love if there was a picture book about Kate Greenaway who was mentioned here and also has an award named after her!

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Randolph Caldecott (1846 - 1886) was a naturally skilled artist, taking on drawing, painting, and sculpting.  Tired of working a tedious job at a bank, he pursued a career in illustrating, first for newspapers then later for books and children's books.  His artwotk emphasized gesture.  " ... any number of others could produce a drawing of a horse that looked precisely like a horse.  But Caldecott alone knew how to make the horse gallop." 

His work was a major influence on other children's book illustrators like Beatrix Potter.  And an award for excellence in children's books was named in his honor 50 years after his death. 

I'm a little confused as to who the target audience is for Randolph Caldecott: The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing.  It's formatted like a picture book, tall and wide and about 60 pages long.  But the contents are more like a text book, with heavy prose balanced by illustrations from Caldecott or other contemporaries. 

The text was a bit dry, as biographies sometimes can be.  But I was interested enough in Caldecott that I worked through it.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautifully rendered glimpse of the life of the man who still today inspires and challenges the best in illustration for children's books due to the award that is named for him.

I wondered why this award, which is specifically for American illustrators, was named for a British illustrator. After viewing samples of his work in this book and samples of those before him, I can see that he redefined the tone and scope of illustration. His drawings breathed life into the words or honored the life that was already in the story.

I was happy to learn that he was liked by all who knew him. What a great role model he is, as well -- always doing his best work even when it was not of his choice or interesting, daring to "follow his bliss", ever learning and stretching, and doing all this with good humor.

I was sad to learn that he died at a very young age, not quite reaching forty years. He died on a much anticipated tour of the United States and hence is buried in Florida.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is presented as a children's biography with its picture book size format and copious illustrations, I'm sure that a LOT of librarians are reading this too. I am embarrassed to admit that I knew very little about the life of Randolph Caldecottalthough I've worked in libraries since 1999, most of those in children's services! In fact earlier in January I attended a wonderful Mock Caldecott meeting at the Cranston Public Library presented by the RI Office of Library and Information Services. When I went into work the following day, I finally took the time to borrow this book which has been out since late summer. Reading this book I learned that Caldecott was a big influence on Beatrix Potter! Very cool, indeed!

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure this is a book for children. I'm guessing most children would have liked to see what Caldecott's drawings looked like when he was a child. The book mentions that he "freely doodled in the margins" of his schoolbooks, but those doodles are not shown! On the first page of text, there is a story that takes place when Caldecott was 28 years old, in which he writes to a 6-year-old, who has sent his own drawings to the artist; He tells the boy to "...go on trying and learning to draw." Perhaps this is meant to show that he was an encouraging sort, with no bad judgements of time spent drawing -- but to many children, it will sound like he is saying that the 6-year-old has a lot to learn; that his drawings are unaccomplished and childish. It put me on edge, wondering if he was similarly condescending to everyone in his life. (Who knows?)

Very little time is spent (1.5 pages) on Caldecott's childhood, and thereafter, his work situations seem to be the focus of the book, starting with a full-time job as a bank-clerk at age 15. In fact, the way Leonard Marcus describes it, Caldecott saw his talent for art as a "ticket out of the bank." We are told he had "plenty of off-time for hunting, fishing, riding, hiking -- and drawing." Put that way, even if we are told that he always took along his sketchbook, it's simply hard to imagine - he'd also be carrying hunting gear (and dead animals, on the way home), fishing gear (and buckets on the way home), etc. How old must readers be to know that a person can't hunt, fish, ride, hike, and have a full-time job, that includes long hours, apparently 6 days a week, and have time enough to develop sufficient drawing skills that one image sent to a newspaper gets you started in an art career. There is something missing to this story.

I am guessing he was a freaking genius, or a maniac who worked night and day. But really - how did he manage such wonderful accomplishments?!?! We can see that his artwork is special - accurate sketches of horses, plants, buildings, and such funny caricatures!

I don't find enough in the text that describes or guesses how or why this individual managed to have such a clear, humorous, lively, ground-breaking, and impressively accurate view in his artwork. Not only is the human-ness of the artist shallow - his motivations, his relationships, his aspirations, and his deepening skills are given such brief mention that readers can't get a sense of him - but undue attention is paid to other topics that are only tangentially relevant. For example, a lecture by Mark Twain is described in detail, and the only connection is that Caldecott wrote to a friend that he found it "very hearable."

I wish this book were better.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could have sworn this book won an award this January but if so, I sure can't seem to find it. It is quite possible that since I only knew of the subject of this bio by the award named after him that I got confused. Caldecott started his adult life as a bank clerk. He very carefully kept the job even while doodling during work hours. A coworker loved his doodles so much that he kept them and they eventually became an album now owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum. Eventually he was able to transition into doing artwork exclusively and was able to leave his bank job. He got lucky in that a lot of magazines were just beginning publication and artwork was in demand. Eventually after he was successful as an artist he was approached by an American and asked to illustrate his picture books. After his death, American Librarians who admired his work for children eventually started the Caldecott medal honoring the best illustrated book of the past year. It was first given out in 1938. Two other well known admirers of Caldecott's work were Beatrice Potter and Maurice Sendak. I took off a star because the biography focused pretty exclusively on Caldecott's artwork. It barely mentions he got married eventually but did mention they were rarely separated after the wedding. They had no children. While one can see from the humor in his artwork that Caldecott loved humor, not much else was said about him personally. It is not clear whether it isn't known or whether Marcus simply wasn't interested in Caldecott except as the artist that the Caldecott Medal is based on. In any case, that is why I took off a star. I felt that this was an incomplete biography. I almost added the last star back in for the extensive number of Caldecott illustrations. Honestly, if only for those illustrations, this book pretty much deserved the Caldecott Medal this year. I suppose though, it doesn't meet the qualification since the artwork is supposed to have been done in the prior year which clearly these illustrations were not! I hope Marcus does a bio of Newbery next. I really should look up some of Marcus's works on authors and books I loved, such as the annotated Phantom Tollbooth. I'm also not so sure how many kids will ever read this book. Maybe some future artists might pick up this book if a librarian book talks it to them.

[BookSweetie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps you are already aware that the Caldecott and the Newbery Medals are the two most prestigious U.S. awards for children's literature and that the Caldecott Medals (and runner-up Honor Books) aim to recognize the year's best American picture book illustrator.

Maybe you even know that the Caldecott, first awarded in 1938, is named after an English illustrator Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886) and that the design on the Medal is an adaptation of Caldecott's own artwork.

What else do you know? Maybe you know some titles of Caldecott winners MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS (Robert McCloskey), SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE (William Steig), ARROW TO THE SUN (Gerald McDermott), WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (Maurice Sendak), or POLAR EXPRESS (Chris Van Allsburg).

But, if you are like most of us, your knowledge about Randolph Caldecott the man quickly thins.

For instance, apart from the Caldecott award itself, do you know any other way this nineteenth century Englishman might be connected to the United States? (Clue: St. Augustine, Florida.)

If your curiosity is aroused (whether you do or don't know the connection between R. Caldecott and Florida), I recommend you take a look at the sixty-four page illustrated biography by Leonard S. Marcus called RANDOLPH CALDECOTT: THE MAN WHO COULD NOT STOP DRAWING (2013 publication). The book contains many sketches and illustrations by Caldecott himself, including an appealing self-portrait, to augment the story of his life. Additionally, the book contains a timeline, bibiography, source notes, and a list of Caldecott's own books.

My local library shelved it in the teen/young adult section, but it could easily find a home in the juvenile section of a library, too.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the life of Randolph Caldecott, 1846-1886, the namesake of the ALA's picture book award. He drew from an early age, but became a banker's clerk and worked on his art on the side. After a few years he took his portfolio to London publishers and then got steady work illustrating for magazines and newspapers. Asked by another publisher to illustrate a children's book in a series, he became famous for that popular series. His style was new for the time, putting small sketches on some pages, loosening up the traditional picture book style, telling a separate story within the pictures with characters or information that wasn't given in the text. Lots of movement and humor, too. This book about him is heavily illustrated using only his artwork, reproduced from his books and early work, with a few historical illustrations to show the places he lived, the factory city of Manchester England, for example. Has source notes, a bibliography and a nice timeline that extends beyond Caldecott's lifetime to include the establishment of Randolph Caldecott Societies in the US and UK and the creation of the Caldecott Award. A fascinating look at this early art pioneer; even having studied him a little in children's literature classes I had never seen such an in depth look at his life before. The audience for this book would have to be older than the typical picture book audience, because it has so much information in it, but it certainly could be looked at by preschoolers who will be curious about the old-fashioned-looking art that still amuses today.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This week I finished reading Randolph Caldecott: The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing, but I also attended the Charlotte Zolotow Lecture in Madison which was delivered by Leonard Marcus. His topic was Why Picture Books Matter. During his speech he said that "a book could have more than one story to tell." He explained that one of those stories could be how the book came to exist. His book about Randolph Caldecott does just that. He gives us the history of not only Caldecott's life and the many things that influenced him.

It was fascinating to learn that the advent of the steam engine and other mechanical types of advances actually affected illustrations. Marcus links speed of the trains to the fact that illustrators were creating pictures that conveyed motion. Caldecott excelled at this. They were pictures that invite readers to be a part of imagining the scene.

The book includes samples of Caldecott's early sketches and illustrations from his books. I loved the combination of text and artifacts. The old-fashioned cream colored paper on the end pages made me feel like I was stepping back through time. Marcus included a timeline, a list of Caldecott's books, source notes and a thorough bibliography.

This review was originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2013/10...

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Randolph Caldecott is best known for the picture book award that bears his name, but what was his life like? How did his work come to merit naming an award after him? Marcus tells his story well, following him from rural Whitchurch to Manchester and London, where he began making his name as an illustrator in many fields. He earned the most fame for his children's books, which brought innovation to picture books in the amount of motion he conveyed in his drawings, in his original use of uncluttered page space, and in how he pulled a story from one page to the next with innovative text use and minimal drawings. The book is filled with his artwork, and although he grew up during the Industrial Revolution, much of his work harks back to gentler times in the rural Georgian England of an earlier generation--rather like the art of Kate Greenaway, whom he knew, or Beatrix Potter, whom he inspired. Sadly, he died young and away from home, so who knows how much further he would have gone?

I enjoyed this biography, especially all the full-color illustrations. The illustrations were well-placed generally, and were vital to the story. You can really see the difference between 19th century picture books and ours, though, in the cover of one of Caldecott's books entitled "The Mad Dog"--two men are carrying an obviously dead dog on a stretcher. Not something you would see today!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just about any student in a university children's literature class today has heard about the Caldecott Medal, first awarded in 1938. But many of them have no idea about Randolph Caldecott, the man whose name would be used for that prestigious award for excellent illustrations in a children's book. This short biography describes the life, times, and inspiration of Caldecott, born in 1846. He worked as a bank clerk in his hometown and later in Manchester, England, but he passed the time drawing, sketching, and observing those around him. After moving to London, he was lucky enough to make all the right contacts, and before long, his illustrations graced newspapers, magazines, the books of others, and finally, his own. Often in poor health, the talented artist died before reaching his fortieth birthday while on a trip to the United States with his wife. The book is filled with anecdotes about Caldecott's artistic talent and ability to capture movement as well as illustrations from his sketchbook and heretofore unpublished drawings. To read this book is to come away amazed once more--or for the first time--at an incredibly gifted and influential illustrator. I longed to know more about his growing up years as well, but the information that is provided here hints of his specialness.

[Penny Peck · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a brief but memorable text paired with many illustrations, Marcus describes Caldecott's relatively short but influencial life as the creator of many distinctive picture books for children. The text contains language that invokes the late-Victorian era; for example, Caldecott is described as lanky, he "secures" work, and many other phrases that help to set the location and time period. There is also abundant use of quotations from Caldecott and contemporaries, from letters and other primary source material (with source notes in the back). There are color reprints and ink sketches from Caldecott and others who influenced him, or artwork from newspapers that depict Caldecott's residences, work places, or other surroundings. Teachers and librarians interested in the history of children's literature will find this a quick and thoughtful read, and it will inspire readers to look at Caldecott's picture books and other illustrative materials, which inspired the award for picture book artwork in the U.S. to be named for him.

[Wendy Greenley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a picture book writer and enthusiast, I knew that Randolph Caldecott was an illustrator. I knew that we honor the best illustrators in the field each year with a medal given in his name. But I didn't know a whole lot more. This book is an "old school" comprehensive biography. A birth to death look at a man that accomplished volumes of work in the 39 years he lived. I connected with the fact that Caldecott started in one career--deemed to be a safe way to earn money--and found himself drawn to the second career that he loved.
Reading the book I learned WHY Caldecott is viewed as the father of the modern picture book. He wasn't the first to illustrate books for children, but his focus on active rather than static illustrations, and the idea that illustrations could, and should, add to the text were revolutionary for the 1800's. The book is text dense, as you would expect a book for grades 5-9 to be.

[Holly Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fascinated by this book about Randolph Caldecott. Since we're celebrating the 75th anniversary of the medal and November is Picture Book Month, it's the perfect time to read about him. I love the many illustrations included by Caldecott, his story of fulfilling his life's dream, and the design of this book. I was also interested in the people he rubbed shoulders with and inspired: John Tenniel (illustrator of Lewis Carroll's Alice), George du Maurier, George Eliot, and Beatrix Potter. We also learn about the evolution of the picture book and inner workings of this famous man. I'd love to share this book with my class as an introduction to Picture Book Month and our Mock Caldecott Club which will celebrate 2013's picture books. I can't wait to see which book my class will favor as the winner of the 2014 Caldecott Award.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew nothing regarding Randolph Caldecott prior to reading this wonderful book by Leonard Marcus. Needless to say, I have learned a lot about this famous artist and namesake of the famous picture book award. I especially enjoyed how the author included many of Caldecott's illustrations throughout the book and how he drew the connection between Caldecott and children book authors/illustrators who were greatly influenced by him, such as Beatrice Potter and Maurice Sendak.

This book would definitely be a great addition to a class study of the Caldecott Award. It would also be interesting to compare Randolph Caldecott's story to Allen Say's Drawing From Memory. The journey of an artist is one that takes courage and reading Caldecott's story could certainly help provide one with a little extra courage for the long trip.

[Jason Beyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are aspects of this book that I really enjoyed. The illustrations are great although most are rather small and very few are full page or even half page. Of course most children's biographies don't have full page illustrations but given the subject it would have been nice to see. The text, while interesting at points, is on a whole rather dry and in my opinion way too detailed with details that most children would not find interesting or relevant. I think it would have helped if the text were broken up into different sections based on the point in Caldecott's life that you are reading about. This would have helped a child use the book for a school project. The free flowing nature of the text makes this difficult.

[Jean-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this advanced picture book biography of Randolph Caldecott. It is full of detailed information about the life and times of Caldecott as well as some of his famed artwork, including the full-color illustration adapted for the image depicted on the Caldecott Medal. I learned so much about the man who inspired Beatrix Potter, Maurice Sendak, the first American children's rooms in public libraries and the award honoring distinguished achievement by American children's book illustrators. I was most surprised to learn that Caldecott met his untimely demise in America while traveling for the first time to the states with his wife. He died a month short of his fortieth birthday and is buried in Evergreen Cemetary in St. Augustine, Florida.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smoothly written biography of a pioneering illustrator of children's books, the man for whom the Caldecott Medal is named, graced with many of Caldecott's own illustrations and sketches. Marcus makes clear the many ways in which Caldecott changed the world of children's literature illustration, from varying the size and mode of illustration (full-color and sketches) on a page or in a volume, to using the layout to indicate the passage of time, to telling a separate story in his picture, to clothing animals. He pioneered the idea of royalties. This is presented in picture-book dimensions. The audience is probably supposed to be older children and teens, but I was fascinated.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Handsomely packaged profile of a man who was evidently as engaging personally as his art is visually. I'm not sure about audience for this--it seems to me a bit long for younger or middle grade children, yet devotes somewhat less attention (and definitely less pictorial space) to his magazine work than to his children's book illustrations. Still, as usual the author is thorough in his research, lucid in his explication, savvy in his critical commentary and always looking for connections. Also, I did like seeing all the vignettes from unpublished sketchbooks. A fine introduction to the man and his art.

[Laura (booksnob) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you heard of the Caldecott medal awarded to children's book artists? This award is named after Randolph Caldecott and so when I saw this children's book biography of Caldecott at the library, I immediately grabbed it. What an interesting fellow who died really young. Born in England, suffered from Rheumatic fever as a child, educated until 14 and then went to work as a banker. He really loved to draw and his dream was to never work and draw all day. He accomplished his dream. Many of his drawings from various sketchbooks are located in this book as well as artwork from his children's book.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't remember a time when I didn't know what the Caldecott Medal was. Most of my favorite childhood picture books were Caldecott winners. However I did not know anything about the man. A few years ago I learned his first name and then I saw this book. It is a wonderful tribute to the man who changed children's picture books forever. It explains his life, his passion for drawing, and how his innovations were so influenced by the time he lived in. Absolutely fabulous. I was surprised that this book was not a children's book. While it is a simple read most children would loose interest. But preteens and young teens as well as adults would enjoy it immensely.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography of the man for whom the Caldecott award for distinguished children's picture books is named. The author excels at introducing readers to the time period in which Caldecott lived and worked. I really appreciated the numerous examples of his artwork and I especially liked how they were worked into the text chronologically so readers could really get a sense for his evolution as an artist.

I'm excited to recommend this title when biography report season rolls around again! Grades 5-8.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew a little about the man who inspired the Caldecott Medal award, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning his life story and his impact on children's books. Caldecott's art shown throughout the book and his talent and whimsy are evident in each illustration. It was fun to learn that Beatrix Potter was inspired by one of Caldecott's paintings that her father purchased.

Randolph Caldecott followed his dream of becoming an artist and set the stage for creative, innovative books for children. I look forward to reading more by Leonard Marcus, a champion of children's books and their authors.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an adult and children's book enthusiast, I loved it: incredibly informative, lots of great pages from Caldecott's sketch books, etc.

That said, I don't think this is a book a child would really enjoy or pick up on their own: most kids probably wouldn't know who Caldecott is, and the book isn't written in an engaging enough way to make a child care: unlike Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, or The Princess and the Peacocks Or, the Story of the Room, this one has a ton of words, and for a book about an illustrator, not as much art as I think the subject craves.

[Janet Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very thorough biography of Caldecott. The illustrations were predominately all his actual sketches and originals. That being said, it made it more like a trip to a special exhibit at the art museum and less like a child's entertainment. I plan to use it as a resource to prepare a Mock Caldecott unit with the primary grades. It will take a very unique (maybe one of my GT) child to wade through this otherwise.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Randolph Caldecott is a biography about the man the Caldecott Medal is named after. In the biography the author describes Caldecott's love for creating pictures for children's picture books. His drawings were advanced for the era he lived in and featured objects in motion. This paved away for a new age of picture books. This book can be used with any unit on children's picture books, The Industrial Revolution, art, or biography.