Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird and illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi.




Meet the Mini-Mammals: A Night at the Natural History Museum by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Brian Lies.




Island Storm by Brian Floca and illustrated by Sydney Smith.




Where Are You, Brontë? by Tomie dePaola and illustrated by Barbara McClintock.



Do you have a favorite Caldecott contender among these publications?

The illustrator for Island Storm lives in Canada. Would they still be eligible?

Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme
This book will work especially well with youmg children already thoroughly aquainted with these very well-known nursery rhymes. I expect that the interrupting weasel and the aggravated secretary bird will hit the funny bones of most children. Wonderful cartoon illustrations make the most of each of these rhymes, the secretary bird, and the weasel.

Meet the Mini Mammals
The illustrations by Brian Lies are absolutely gorgeous, rendered in acrylic paint and colored pencil. The animals depicted are very realistic looking. On each double-page spread, the host, a ferret, introduces one mini-mammal, from the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel to the Kitti's hog-nosed bat (or bumblebee bat). The author provides a paragraph of info about each animal, with more info in the back matter. A short bibliography is also included. A great piece of picturebook non-fiction for little ones.

Where Are You There Bronte?
DePaola, in his final book, tells a touching story of his life with his terrier, Bronte, for more than 12 years. McClintock's illustrations are fabulous. In spreads and panels, she lovingly depicts Tomie and Bronte in an art style that closely mimics DePaola's own art style. I sincerely hope this book wins some Caldecott love.

Island Storm
This book probably is not eligible for a Caldecott award since the illustrator lives in Nova Scotia.
However, it is a lovely story of two children who want to watch the ocean before the storm hits. The watercolor and gouache paintings, presented in spreads and panels, look like an impressionist art style.