Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

Evergreen by Matthew Cordell




Woven of the World by Katey Howes




Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider by Jessica Lanan




A Crown for Corina by Laekan Zea Kemp



Thrilled to have strong reads on the list as we move into October.

Are any of these publications a strong contender for the Caldecott?

Evergreen probably has the best shot for a Geisel award. The illustrations are very similar to the classic book, Miss Suzy by Miriam Young and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. I love Matthew Cordell but the "surprise" ending didn't make a lot of sense to me. It didn't seem to follow the natural flow of the story.

Jumper is terrific! It deserves to win a Caldecott. The illustrations of the Jumping Spider are perfection. I just hope the committee isn't squeamish about spiders. It is possible.

A Crown for Corina will most likely win a Pura Belpre.

I haven't seen/read Woven of the World.

Evergreen
My brief review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this story of a young squirrel who has to face her many fears in order to deliver healing soup to a neighbor. Very appealing illustrations by the Caldecott Award-winning Cordell. I agree with Laura that the illustrations are reminiscent of Arnold Lobel's in Miss Suzy.

Jumper: A Day in the Life...
This is exceptional non-fiction for the picture book crowd, showing the world mostly from the spider's point of view. The spider and her world are expertly depicted in paintings rendered in ink, watercolor, and gouache. The back matter includes more information on spider anatomy, life cycle, courtship, etc. Also included are a glossary, a short bibliography, and tips for identifying spiders in one's backyard. In addition to a Caldecott, it should be a shoo-in for a Sibert award.

Woven of the World
My brief review:
Weaving traditions around the world: China, Egypt, Africa, colonial US, and more. Very colorful, patterned gouache paintings.
The information was interesting, and although I liked the paintings, they are not my favorite style. However, if I remember correctly (I don't have the book in front of me), the paintings were very good at depicting the different styles of weaving.

A Crown for Corina would be a positive addition to a Cultural Section of any library. This story explains the tradition of having a crown of flowers for a Mexican birthday party. It is Corina's birthday, and she gets to pick flowers from her Abuela's garden to make a crown for the party. Each flower, the grandmother says, is picked to represent an important person or event in the little girl's life. Wearing the crown, the grandmother asks Corina to think about what she wants to become in life. Though the flowers will fade, the memories will not. This book is steeped in traditional thoughts and messages. The large flowers and action shots are vivid and lively. The colors evoke warm and happy feelings and expressions! Thought provoking for us all.


Woven of the World tells how loved ones pass down their skills, stories, and family history. And so, too, cultures and generations must know that their stories matter and that we are all connected. The story is rich in color, tone, and contrast. A young girl in the story studies the skilled hands of her elder one, at the loom, and learns history and traditions of weaving. The author includes a glossary of weaving terms in the back of the book, along with backmatter that discusses history of many types of fabric, countries of origin, and cultural textile traditions. Would be worthy of Caldecott mix.

Evergreen - So sweet and scary at the same time. Young readers will be on the edge of their seats looking out for Evergreen, Mama Squirrel's little helper. Mama cooks the best soup in the forest and wants Evergreen to deliver the soup to others throughout the forest. But little Evergreen is scared of noises in the forest especially thunder. Travel along the journey with Evergreen as the little fellow works through fear, meets strangers in the forest (some who might capture the soup or him), and helps others in need! He gets braver and braver until.... The pictures are delightful, sketched in pen and ink and colored in watercolors. It is a wonderful chapter book. And what I would call worthy of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, for beginner readers, as well as Caldecott.

A Crown for Corina
The main thing I noticed when I opened the book is that it is bursting with vivid color! This is even more amazing when the illustrator states that these watercolor paintings were rendered in the dead of a Michigan winter! This book is an excellent example of illustrations that help to carry and elucidate the text to the point that the text seems secondary to the artwork. It certainly is a contender for the Caldecott and/or the Belpre illustrator award.

Curious if anyone has Chinese Menu by Grace Lin in contention for their school's Mock Caldecott! I love it so much and it has all the hallmarks of a Caldecott winner, plus it's a different and interesting format...