Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel

The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles by Michelle Cuevas Illustrations by Erin E. Stead

The Storyteller by Evan Turk

The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window by Jeff Gottesfeld Illustrations by Peter McCarty

What do you think of these titles? Are they Caldecott worthy?

I just read They All Saw A Cat this morning. I was the hugest fan of Some Bugs, so sad it didn't get more attention. I don't think this one is quite as remarkable, but it's a timely book, so perhaps that will get the attention of the awards committees. Wenzel absolutely deserves more buzz.

They are all Caldecott worthy. It has been a banner year for picture books. I am in love with The Uncorker Of Ocean Bottles. It takes my breath away. Storyteller is glorious. An absolutely inspired, beautiful book. They All Saw a Cat is clever, cool and unique. Wenzel is getting some well deserved recognition these days. I like the subject matter of The Tree in the Courtyard and I have been a fan of McCarty for years. I don't think it will edge out the other incredible titles, however.Kristen wrote: " They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel

[book:The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles..."

I love the Brendan Wenzel book. So many clever examples of perspective and point of view.

I read The Tree in the Courtyard the other night. Let me start off by saying I love the story. It is a beautiful story and the tree was something I knew nothing about. I will say the illustrations aren't unique enough to be caldecott worthy. The black and white has been done before. Again I loved the story.

I'm kind of new to this group so I hope it's OK to jump into the discussion.
I just read The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window and I totally agree with Charlene. I think the text and subject is extremely powerful and moving. But the illustrations didn't seem that special. They were well done, but I agree that black and white has been done before.

I really loved the illustrations and how they were used in They All Saw a Cat. I think it is definitely Caldecott worthy.

The Storyteller also had fabulous illustrations. They really made the story come alive. I loved the richness of the color and the expressiveness of the people's faces. I'd put this one in the running for the Caldecott too.

I'm still waiting for my copy of The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles to come to the library. I'll let you know what I think when it comes in. Looking forward to it. :)

I loved the use of different media in They All Saw A Cat. The illustrations are the content of this book. I was definitely impressed.

They All Saw a Cat
Ditto Rachel. I also was impressed by how the illustrator was able to show that each person, creature, etc. saw the cat in a completely different way; including the worm who felt vibrations, and the bat's echolocation. Very interesting, very clever. It might be a winner.

The Storyteller
I enjoyed the story, but the illustrations are simply not to my taste--too scribbly and distorted looking.

I too agree about They All Saw the Cat. Though simple it could lead to discussion about why the animals saw the cat. The illustrations were stunning and catching for the young eye.

The Tree in the Courtyard
I really liked McCarty's artwork, but I am not a big fan of brown and white as the only colors. I did like the way the story centered around the tree and the illustrations certainly support and extend the text well. I also loved the fact that the tree lives on in its descendants.

I am in love with The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles. Every year I have one book I really root for to win the Caldecott and this is it!

I finally read The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles. I agree that the illustrations are lovely. Very whimsical, and a little melancholy without being too dark. But for some reason it's not resonating with me. It's not at the top of my list. There are just so many amazing books this year.

The first time through, I thought They All Saw a Cat had such an interesting concept, but I wasn't particularly taken with it as a Caldecott favorite. The more I read it (to my 3 year old, who is fascinated) the more I'm impressed with what the art accomplishes. This one's on my list.