Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

It's time to start our quest for the best books of 2021!

The Old Truck by Jarrett Pumphrey & Jerome Pumphrey

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard and illustrated by Oge Mora

In a Jar by Deborah Marcero

Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E Ransome


Are they "distinguished" ?

What fabulous selections! The Oldest Student and In a Jar are my favorites. The Old Truck is just stunning.

This is my review for The Oldest Student:

What a great start to the new year! Exquisite biography of Mary Walker who was born into slavery. Interesting, unique and inspiring with magnificent illustrations by Oge Mora. The Oldest Student is a must have for a school, library or personal collection. I love it!

My review for In a Jar:

I am in love with this book. There have been many collecting "things, thoughts, etc." in jar books before. But Deborah Marcero makes this story unique and very special. The text and illustrations will give you the warm fuzzies. 100%.

Here's my reaction to THE OLD TRUCK: http://richiespicks.pbworks.com/THE-O...
I'm working on my reaction to IN A JAR, which my partner loves so much that she brought it to work to share with co-workers.

Hi! I'm currently a library science student and thought I would try my hand at keeping up with all the mock selections for the first time this year. I thought I might be in over my head, but I've already read three of these, so I'm feeling very encouraged. :) Just wanted to say hey and that I'm looking forward to participating!

I think The Old Truck, In A Jar, and The Oldest Student are going to endure as 3 noteworthy picture books throughout 2020. (I have not yet read Overground Railroad.) They each have important messages (perserverance, friendship, personal strength), 2 feature diverse characters, and the illustrations are nice to look at yet all different.

In A Jar's illustrations feel unique. I love the long shadows, the fireflies, the river waves, and the expressions on the bunnies' faces. Everything feels small and big at the same time; the celebration of small moments which captures how a child experiences the world.

Although I really like The Oldest Student, I don't think it should be a Caldecott contender because the illustrations are not distinguished enough from Thank You, Omu! (nor the recent Saturday which I also very much enjoy sharing with students).

I am most intrigued by The Old Truck because it feels the most distinguished with the simple, muted yet hopeful illustrations. The color scheme reminds me of claywork and terra-cotta which is consistent with the work ethic theme of the story. I think it's an interesting choice that the protagonist is a woman often working outside alone. I'll be interested to see how my students react to this one.

In a Jar
I loved this book, and agree with the statements made about it above. I thought the pencil, ink and watercolor illustrations did a great job of carrying and extending the story. I loved the idea of collecting not only tangible items, but also intangible ones.

Overground Railroad
Instead of the underground railroad, this sharecropping family takes the overground railroad when they sneak away at night from their home before the lease is up. The dramatic graphite, paste pencil and watercolor paintings depict close ups of people's faces and long views of the train as it travels north.

The Oldest Student
Such a heart-warming story! It brought tears to my eyes. The paint and collage illustrations faithfully follow this woman's journey from slave to sharecropper, and finally to learning to read when she was over 100 years old.

The Old Truck
The very simple text is almost completely carried along with the stunning illustrations, that have a retro, but unique look. It was nice to see that a talented woman mechanic got the truck running again.

*In a Jar is a great book that I would put into the hands of children. It is filled with wonder and will keep their attention for a long, long time. For an picture book award meant to be for children, I might rate this at the very top!!! Certainly, I cannot wait to share it with my 5 and 2 year old grandchildren! It speaks friendship, sharing, and getting outside to enjoy the wonders of the world!

*The Old Truck seems to encourage girl power. Over time, the owners age in the story and so does the truck, but the little girl grows up. Persistence pays off, and as the girl ages, she works hard to restore the family farm and its equipment. Yet, the last page spread has this grown girl, now a mom, with her little girl. This looks somewhat like a social statement – where is dad?

This could easily be a wordless story with only two words: dream, persist. The 250+ stamps that tell this story is a great use of picturebook illustrations! What a great steppingstone for children to consider following their dreams and persisting.

I have read two of this month's selections.
The Old Truck- I loved the story and the illustrations. I could certainly see it being a hit with my Early Childhood students, especially my crew who are obsessed with all things trucks. However, I am not sure it stands out as a contender. For me it is too soon to call it.
The Overground Railroad- This book definitely served as a history lesson for me. I was not aware of this specific form of migration for African Americans. I loved the story, illustrations and the progression of the geographical places. I totally see myself adding this title to my curriculum. I would certainly add it to my spring picks for Caldecott contenders.

Overground Railroad is truly a magnificent collaboration between a husband and wife team, Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome. This is such a well written and illustrated book about a time period in history from 1916 and 1970. This story would be most relevant, I believe, during the late 30s and the decade of the 40s. I was born in the 50s and that began a time of civil unrest for blacks in the country.

This story shows families leaving the South for a better life in the North, for a chance to experience freedom, get better jobs, and become educated. It is a very passionate story. It saddens me to see these families in the story leave their extended family groups behind in the Deep South. No phones...no Internet to stay in touch. It was a hard time for these families. But freedom was important.

This book will open eyes, for all ages. It is well worth the read. And well worth all awards coming its way!!! Caldecott, yes, perhaps!

I just reread each of these four books to see what I thought of them after four months (since I originally read them before the pandemic really hit, which now feels like a lifetime ago!). I found that I still like In a Jar best of the bunch. The illustrations are so intricate and colorful, vividly rendering the wonders - big and small - of childhood experiences. If only my children, all teenagers now, could have captured some of their fondest memories in jars to treasure and experience anew! I also loved the story of Mary Walker in the The Oldest Student. I wish I'd had the opportunity to meet this spunky woman, so well-presented by Oge Mora's cut-outs.

Finally able to access all 4 books. My favorites are Overground Railroad and In a Jar. I think Overground Railroad is distinguished. The tone of this book is perfect; the history rich and needed; and the illustrations engaging, drawing the reader into the story, into the character's lives and emotions. In a Jar was a wonderful celebration of small moments and friendship, and the illustrations carried the story, depicting various wonders of the seasons. I appreciated the history in Oldest Student and was inspired by her story, but I had trouble with some word choices ("slaves") and didn't find the artwork particularly distinguished. I loved the color palette in The Old Truck and the black female protagonist; but the story didn't grip me.