Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer by Quartez Harris




Good Golden Sun by Brendan Wenzel




Papilio by Ben Clanton




Every Peach Is a Story by David Mas Masumoto



These publications are heading up the charts. Could any of them be next years Caldecott?

Good Golden Sun: Wenzel's vividly detailed illustrations beautifully depict the part the sun plays in an ecosystem that includes flowers, bees, a bear, coyote, and mouse. Like many of the other books by Wenzel, it may take several readings to fully appreciate all the connections, like a coyote catching a mouse and later pooping. There's so much to see and appreciate. This definitely should be considered for a Caldecott.

Papilio: This is a delightfully engaging picture book about a caterpillar / butterfly named Papilio told in 3 parts and each part is told by a different author / illustrator. Clanton, Tabor, and Chou know how to tell a good story with their lively, expressive illustrations. I'm not sure how the Caldecott committee would evaluate this book. By individual illustrator? Maybe this would be a better choice for the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award.

Papilio
What a fun and unique book! I thought that the illustrations of the three artists worked well together--the styles were not wildly different from each other. The story was fun and the illustrations were super. I am so glad that the illustrators decided on a black swallowtail butterfly, as there are plenty of picture books about monarchs. Mary, above makes a valid point when asking how the Committee would evaluate the book.

Good Golden Sun
Wenzel's beautiful illustrations are rendered in cut paper, watercolor, acrylic, colored pencil, crayon and computer. The lyrical text takes the reader through a day watching various animals at work and play. Many of the spreads feature bright yellows and golden yellows. I agree with Mary that this book is Caldecott worthy.

Every Peach Is a Story
Japanese-American Midori waits impatiently for the peaches to ripen so that she can eat them. While she waits, her grandfather tells her that each peach has a story, and he tells her a little bit about their ancestors. When the peaches are ripe, the whole community helps with the harvest. The illustrations feature thick black outlines with acrylic inks adding color inside the outlines. A good story with illustrations that reflect and extend the story. But Caldecott?--not in my opinion.