Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

Time to Make Art by Jeff Mack




Forest by Christie Matheson




Two Together by Brendan Wenzel




The House Before Falling into the Sea by Ann Suk Wang and illustrated by Hanna Cha



There are some beautiful publications this month.
What did you think of them?

Two Together is my favorite picture book of 2024. I have been a fan of Brendan Wenzel since his very first release in 2015. His talent and potential were evident. Brendan won a Caldecott award in no time at all. I am still thrilled about this win. Two Together is a companion book to his Caldecott award winner, They All Saw A Cat and Inside Cat. Two Together is spectacular! It is the simple journey of a dog and cat headed home. The journey is exciting and filled with wonder, empathy and companionship. The art is a knock-out! Every single spread is a glorious joy. The rich colors, details, imagination...Astonishing. Two Together is a very strong Caldecott candidate.

The House Before Falling into the Sea is another favorite 2024 picture book. It is about a child and her family taking in refugees during the Korean War. The illustrator, Hanna Cha, won a Caldecott honor for 2023's The Truth About Dragons. That book was glorious. I like this one even more. Absolutely Caldecott worth.

I haven't read the other two books yet. I am very familiar with Christie Matheson's work. She is one of my favorite illustrators. Her work is always high quality.

Time to Make Art
Mack introduces many artists from the past and present to make the point that art is what the artist wants it to be; that there are no hard and fast rules. So it is an important book for young aspiring artists. The various artists are named in the back of the book. I personally was not all that enamored by the artistic style of Mack's artwork in this book. That probably means that the Caldecott committee will love it.

The House Before Falling into the Sea
When I first saw the title of the book, I thought the house was about to fall into the sea. But no, the house is the last point of refuge for war victims before they might fall into the sea. The owners of this house by the sea took in Korean victims of the Korean war, and gave them a place to live and hide until it was safe for them to leave. This fictional story is based on true events and the author's grandparents. The forceful mixed media artwork adeptly shares the emotions of fear, uncertainty and hope in the story. I was especially impressed to read in the publication info that part of the proceeds will be donated to Samaritan's Purse, a ministry that aids victims of warfare and natural disasters. I also think this is an award-worthy book.