Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon written by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Fiona Woodcock

Let 'er Buck!: George Fletcher, the People's Champion written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Gordon C. James

Wings written by Cheryl B. Klein and illustrated by Tomie dePaola

Because written by Mo Willems with illustrations by Amber Ren

Did any of these titles stand out as a future Caldecott to you?

Kristen, I believe Fiona Woodcock won't qualify for the Caldecott. She lives and works in London.

Because may turn out to be one of the best picture books of 2019. Interesting and very well written by Mo Willems. Wonderfully illustrated by Amber Ren. A top contender.

Because
This was a beautiful book with the theme of "causation" throughout--this action caused that result, which in turn caused the next result, etc. The colored music staff flows through most of the book, tying each of the events to the next one. I also liked the illustrations of the symphony playing, with music depicted as an explosion of color.

Let 'Er Buck
This was a fascinating picture book biography of a black cowboy and rodeo star from the early 1900s. The oil paintings did a great job of capturing the excitement of watching bronco riders try to stick to their mounts.

Wings
Tomie DePaola illustrates this book with great panache, and Avery full-sheet labels, markers, and acrylics. There are a total of twelve words in this book, and all of them rhyme with "wings." And each word appears by itself on a page. Tomie brings those words to life with the antics of the baby bird who is learning to fly. Clever, interesting, and not Tomie's usual art style.

Let 'er Buck is a spectacular picture book biography! How I wish biographies were as good as this back in the 70's! One of the best researched biographies I have ever encountered. The Golden Age of Picture Book Biographies continues! Children should find Let 'er Buck engaging and fascinating. The artwork by Gordon C. James is captivating. Lush and vibrant. Definitely award worthy.

My review of Wings - Spread your wings! Fly fledgling! Splat!!!! It does, in fact, begin cautiously and end with joy. Klein and dePaola team up to create delightful art and simple language that will appeal to the youngest child, and eventually be a book emergent readers can handle on their own - if they don't memorize it first. This would make a beautiful board book.
I love the simplicity of this book and I think it has award potential. It's a bit of a departure for dePaola, I think, and he is masterful.

Let 'Er Buck - I love the history of this piece! Haul out Russell Freedman's In the Days of the Vaquero's and all the horse crazy, adventure seeking upper elementary kids will have a blast! My only quibble is that the age is portrayed inconsistently in the characters' face so it feels as though George goes from being 12 to 20 and back to 12 even though the writing is sequential. Still, a slice of history that taught me something I din't know and i will bet will be fascinating to the elementary readers.

Thank you Laura, after doing some research I did find out that she lived in London. Mathew Burgess lives in the US. Does someone know if this disqualifies for the Caldecott?

Kristen wrote: "Thank you Laura, after doing some research I did find out that she lived in London. Mathew Burgess lives in the US. Does someone know if this disqualifies for the Caldecott?"

I believe the illustrator needs to either live in the US or be a US citizen - so if she's not a US citizen, then it's not eligible.

To me, both Let 'Er Buck and Because are medal-worthy. Gordon C James' artwork is amazing--every portrait is gorgeous! He conveys the movement and excitement of a rodeo, bringing to life the text that tells the story of George Fletcher with such amazing voice. What a well-researched biography!

I love Because as well. As Beverly notes, the musical staff ties together various events throughout the book, and the music explodes with color. Beautiful depiction of the power of music to change a life, and the power of a person to impact a course of events. Inspirational, and I would be thrilled if Because won a medal.