Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Adam Rex

Ice Boy by David Ezra Stein

The Hawk of the Castle: A Story of Medieval Falconry written by Danna Smith and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Jerry Pinkney

These are some marvelous selections, but are they distinguished?

The Three Billy Goats Gruff
This is one of the best illustrated versions of this tale that I have seen, executed in pencil and watercolor. The three goats look like a Swiss breed called Oberhasli, with their reddish-brown coats and the black stripe down the back. The bridge is an old-fashioned stone and wood plank bridge. There is a distinct difference between the rocky, barren area the goats want to leave and the lush green hills they want to travel to. The green-skinned troll has pointed ears and tusks. And PInkney adds a large toothy fish to scare the troll into better behavior. And a bonus--the illustrations are large enough to share with a group.

The Hawk of the Castle
I love Ibatoulline's realistic acrylic gouache paintings. All of the pages are double-page spreads, with lots of detail, surrounded by a border. In addition to the story text, there is a box of explanatory notes on each spread. There is a really nice painting of the falcon in the air, and a falcon's eye view of the landscape below. All-in-all, an excellent non-fiction/fiction picture book.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff is distinguished and beautiful. One wouldn't expect less from the picture book master. Pinkney also finds a way to make the story fresh and original. Not an easy feat with a much retold story. I only wish the book's size was the same as most of his folk tale books. The book should be as large and grand as his illustrations.

Ice Boy
This is a cute story and a fun way to depict the water cycle. And as much as I like the cartoon-like illustrations, it doesn't seem like a Caldecott book to me.

I loved the Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors. I cannot wait to share it with my students! The illustrations were a little overwhelming at times, but I think I mainly fell in love with the story and not the pictures.
Ice Boy, had such lovely pictures that brought the story to life. I am adding this title to my weather unit I do with my Kindergarten students
The Hawk and the Castle also was beautifully illustrated, but I think illustrations are moving in a modern and media based direction I cannot imagine this book being a contender.

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors
I finally received a copy of this book. I loved the comic illustrations and the absurd story. I would love to see this book honored, but silly, wacky stories like this seldom see the light of award day. I think it's a book that kids will really love as well.

I LOVED the Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, and so does my 5-year-old. (we have been reading it quite frequently!) I also really enjoyed Pinkney's Billy Goats, I am a huge fan of his artwork and I enjoyed the twist at the end about the troll getting eaten. Ice Boy was a neat concept, but didn't wow me and was hard to read because there are so many little bubbles of text (i'm not a fan of these in picture books). I don't have a copy of The Hawk of the Castle, so I haven't read it yet.