Horn Book Award
Fiction
1968 The Spring Rider by John Lawson1969 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
This classic YA fantasy launched the Earthsea series, one of writer Ursula K. Le Guin's most famous sets of books. A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA is a coming-of-age tale set in a magical landscape populated by witches, wizards, and dragons. Despite these familiar fantasy trappings, Le Guin's powerful, lyrical prose allows her to avoid cliché and lend her world its own distinctive mythic quality. Ged, or Sparrowhawk as he's also known, is a precocious, reckless young wizard. When he inadvertently summons up a dark spirit during a spellcasting gone awry, the creature pursues Ged all over Earthsea until he finally learns how to confront it.
1971 Room Made of Windows by Eleanor Cameron
A young girl with ambitions to be a writer tries to adjust to her widowed mother's remarriage.
1972 Tristan & Iseult by Rosemary Sutcliff
Tristan defeats Ireland's greatest warrior and gains the friendship of his uncle, the King of Cornwall, who entrusts him with a very special mission: to sail the seas in search of a queen.
1973 The Dark Is Rising Sequence/Silver on the Tree/the Grey King/Greenwitch/the Dark Is Rising/over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
The second book in the five-book "Dark is Rising" series that also includes OVER SEA, UNDER STONE, GREENWITCH, THE GREY KING, and SILVER ON THE TREE. Will Stanton discovers that he is one of the Old Ones--a group of immortals dedicated to saving the world from the evil forces known as the Dark. Soon afterwards, Will embarks on a quest for the six magical signs needed to help the Old Ones defeat the Dark.
1974 M.C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton
Mayo Cornelius (M.C.) Higgins dreams of the day he and his family will be able to move away from the strip-mined mountains that surround their home. With the help of two mysterious strangers, M.C. begins to realize that he and his family need to do a lot more than just leave the mountains to become truly safe and happy. Winner of the 1975 Newbery Medal.
1975 Transport 7-41-R by T. Degens
A thirteen-year-old German girl who is traveling to Cologne with returning evacuees helps an old man fulfill a promise to his dead wife.
1976 Unleaving by Jill Paton Walsh
Having inherited her grandmother's seaside home, Madge Fielding opens it for the summer to the families and students of two Oxford philosophy professors and experiences for the first time the delights and dangers of intellectual excitement.
1977 Child of the Owl by Laurence Yep
The story of 12-year-old Casey who is growing up in San Francisco's Chinatown in the early 1960s.
1978 The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Sam Westing is dead...killed by one of his 16 heirs, all of whom are residents of the Sunset Towers apartment building. Following the instructions laid out in Westing's will, the 16 heirs are split into eight teams of two. Each team is then given four mysterious clues that they must use to discover who among them is Westing's killer. The winning team will inherit Westing's entire fortune--$200 million. Tensions rise as the heirs compete against each other, especially when it seems that in addition to a killer, the apartment building is also home to a thief and a mad bomber. Clever readers can also play the Westing Game--and they might win, as only they will have access to the clues held by all 16 of the Westing heirs. Winner of the 1979 Newbery Medal.
1979 Humbug Mountain by Sid Fleischman
Welcome to Humbug Mountain. Little did Wiley, the son of a traveling newspaperman, imagine that the search for his grandfather would lead him into the hands of those nasty villains of the West--Shagnasty John and the Fool Killer. Using their newspaper, "The Humbug Mountain Hoorah", Wiley and his sister and mother go about outwitting the outlaws in their scheme to ambush Grandfather's new boat and its cargo of gold.
1980 Conrad's War by Andrew Davies
Chronically misunderstood because of his fascination with wars and guns, Conrad finds himself at the controls of a real tank during World War II after he accidentally enters into a time change.
1981 The Leaving by Lynn Hall
After high-school graduation, Roxanne's plans to find a job and a life of her own in Des Moines contrast poignantly with her farmbound parents' fears and dismay at her leaving home.
1982 Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park
Disturbed that her mother could welcome back her unfaithful father, Abigail Kirk undergoes a mysterious voyage to nineteenth-century Australia, where her experiences help her to understand the power of love and to accept her father.
1983 Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush by Virginia Hamilton
Fourteen-year-old Theresa, left to take care of her retarded older brother Dab, meets the mysterious ghost of her uncle, Brother Rush. By revealing to her the family secrets, Brother Rush helps Theresa achieve a deeper understanding of both herself and her mother. A 1983 Newbery Honor Book.
1985 The Moves Make the Man by Bruce Brooks
When he starts seventh grade basketball pro Jerome Foxworthy is the first African-American in his school. Secure with his own talents as a player, Jerome goes to a deserted court at night to practice on his own when he is shunned by the school's bigoted basketball coach. There, he encounters Bix, a white boy with an innate talent for sports, but a troubled home where he lives with a mentally disturbed mother and angry step-father. Jerome teaches Bix basketball, only to discover that Bix's troubles in life invade both his time on court and their friendship. A 1985 Newbery Honor Book.
1986 In Summer Light by Zibby Oneal
Kate feels overshadowed by her famous artist father, Marcus Brewer, but one summer is coaxed out of her shell by graduate student Ian Jackson, who discovers her own artistic talent.
1987 Rabble Starkey by Lois Lowry
Twelve-year-old Rabble Starkey and her mother move in with Rabble's best friend, Veronica, when Veronica's mother becomes mentally incapacitated. As this unusual group of people come together over the course of a year, they learn the true meaning of family and friendship.
1988 The Friendship by Mildred D. Taylor
Cassie Logan and her brothers, from such books as ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY and THE ROAD TO MEMPHIS, witness a horrible racist confrontation in this novella set in 1933. Mr. Tom Bee, an elderly black man, is the victim of racial violence when he calls a white shopkeeper by his first name, despite the fact that the shopkeeper had given him permission to do so.
1989 Village by the Sea by Paula Fox
When Emmas father goes to the hospital for surgery, she is sent to stay with Aunt Bea the "terror" and kindly Uncle Crispin. Emma wonders how she will survive two weeks with the always hostile Aunt Bea.Luckily, Emma makes a friend, Bertie, and the two girls begin a project on the beach. Together they build tiny houses out of stones, shells, and all sorts of sea treasures. Here at the beach with Bertie, Emma finds comfort and friendship and takes pride in her carefully planned village.Then one day Emma and Bertie's village is destroyed...
1990 Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
After his parents are killed in an accident, Jeffrey Lionel Magee is forced to live with his aunt and uncle--a situation he eventually finds so unbearable that he runs away. Initially, Jeffrey leads an itinerant life, finding food and shelter where he can, but his circumstances change forever when he makes his way to Two Mills--a small, racially divided Pennsylvania town. Jeffrey's amazing abilities in all sorts of sports, his bravery, his intelligence, and his kindness win him a reputation (and the nickname "Maniac"), but his achievements also make him a threat to some of the other kids in Two Mills. Through his experiences in the East End (where the black people live) and the West End (where the white people live), Maniac becomes aware of not only the racism and ignorance that permeate both ends of town, but also the kindness and love found in both sets of residents. As he searches for a place to call home, Manic learns that the residents of the East and West ends have more in common than they ever imagined--and he sets out to find a way to bring them together. Told in the style of a tall tale or a legend, MANIAC MAGEE is the winner of the 1991 Newbery Medal.
1992 Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
Summer, orphaned at the age of six, finally ends up living with her Uncle Ob and Aunt May, and at last finds a family. When May dies six years later, Summer must help both herself and her uncle overcome their grief. Winner of the 1993 Newbery Medal.
1993 Ajeemah and His Son by James Berry
Set in 1807, this is the story of Ajeemah and his son, Atu, who are kidnapped from their home in Africa and taken to Jamaica where they are sold, to separate owners, as slaves. Both men try, in their own ways, to comprehend what has happened to them and struggle to regain their freedom.
1994 Scooter by Vera B. Williams
After her parents divorce, Elana Rose Rosen and her mother move to a housing project in a big city. Elana spends her summer days traveling through her new community on her trusty scooter, getting to know her neighbors and the rhythms of life in the city.
1995 Some of the Kinder Planets by Tim Wynne-Jones
A collection of nine short stories about ordinary boys and girls placed in unusual situations. In one story a boy believes that he has been abducted by aliens, in another a girl thinks of a unique way to complete her science project.
1997 The Friends by Cathy Hirano, Kazumi Yumoto
Friends Kiyama, Kawabe, and Yamashita become fascinated with death after Yamashita's grandmother dies. They wonder what a dead body looks like and what distinguishes the moment before death from the moment afterward. Hoping to observe a death firsthand, the trio make an older man the object of their constant surveillance. However, as they watch the man, he also watches them and he eventually wins the boys' friendship. Will this relationship teach the boys a lesson about life rather than one about death?
1999 Holes by Louis Sachar
Following a miscarriage of justice, the ever-unlucky Stanley Yelnats is sentenced to imprisonment at a boys' juvenile detention center known as Camp Green Lake. There's just one thing about Camp Green Lake--there's no lake, just a dried-up lake bed in which, every day, each boy must dig a hole five feet deep and five feet across. The sadistic warden claims that digging the holes helps the boys build character, but that's nothing more than a lie--and it's up to Stanley and his fellow prisoners to dig up the truth about why the warden really wants them to perform this task. Recipient of the 1999 Newbery Medal.
2009 Nation by Terry Pratchett
A tsunami brings devastation--and the opportunity for new growth--into the lives of Mau (a native of a small South Pacific Island) and an aristocratic English girl named Daphne. Having been away from home for his rite of passage when the tsunami hit, Mau is the only member of his village to survive the deadly wave. He meets Daphne, the sole survivor of a ship that was crashed by the same wave, and the duo help each other cope with their twin tragedies. As time passes, Mau and Daphne welcome other survivors, who all band together to from a new kind of family. Set in the 19th century, this novel explores such themes as religious beliefs, human values, free will, and the meaning of family. A 2009 Printz Honor Book, as well as a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2008.
Illustration
1967 London Bridge Is Falling Down!
A picture-book version of the Mother Goose rhyme. Colorful pen-and-ink illustrations set this version of the rhyme in 18th-century London. A note following the rhyme explains the history of the real London Bridge.
1968 Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
Many years ago, Chinese parents gave their firstborn sons long and honorable first names--this folktale explains why that practice was stopped. In a small mountain town, there lived a mother who had two young sons, her younger son was named "Chang" which mean "little or nothing," while her firstborn was named Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo which means "the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world." One day, when the two brothers were playing by the well, Chang falls in. Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo runs to his mother, who tells him to fetch the old man with the ladder so that Chang can be rescued. All is well, until many months later when the brothers decide to play by the well again--but this time Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo falls in, and it is up to Chang to do the rescuing. However, because his older brother's name takes so long to say aloud, Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo almost drowns before Chang can get the old man with the ladder can rescue him. After this terrible event, all Chinese parents realized that it is better to give all their children short names. Watercolor and ink-and wash drawings accompany the text.
1970 Hi, Cat! by Ezra Jack Keats
A stray cat tags after Archie and manages to make shambles of the boys' street show. Torn paper collage illustrates the text.
1972 Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham
On a lovely sunny day, a man named Mr. Gumpy sets off on a boat outing. Soon, he meets two children who ask if they can join him, and Mr. Gumpy agrees--as long as the children don't squabble. As the ride continues, Mr. Gumpy picks up a variety of other creatures, giving each an appropriate plea for proper behavior: the rabbit is told not to hop, the cat not to chase the rabbit, the dog not to tease the cat, the pig not to muck about, the sheep not to bleat, the chickens not to flap, the cow not to trample things, and the goat not to kick. All goes well, until the goat kicks...and sets off a rather wet chain of events. Illustrated with B&W and color drawings, MR. GUMPY'S OUTING was named one the Best Illustrated Books of 1971 by the New York Times Book Review.
1974 Jambo Means Hello by Muriel L. Feelings
An A to Z presentation of the life and culture of Swahili-speaking Africa, presented with a brief text and dramatic illustrations.
1975 Anno's Alphabet by Mitsumasa Anno
This deceptively simple alphabet book offers much in its beautiful illustrations. Each letter of the alphabet is drawn as a wooden sculpture standing boldly in the middle of a white page, while opposite is an object beginning with that letter. Both pages have a detailed decorative border, which, when scrutinized, is discovered to be filled with flowers and animals, all beginning with the same letter. Selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1975.
1976 Thirteen by Remy Charlip, Jerry Joyner
Thirteen wordless stories unfold simultaneously over 13 double-page spreads in this unique book. Selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1975.
1977 Granfa' Grig Had a Pig and Other Rhymes Without Reason by Mother Goose
A selection of Mother Goose rhymes including "Old King Cole," "Jack Be Nimble," and many other well- and lesser-known verses.
1979 The Snowman/Book and Doll by Raymond Briggs
A little boy's snowman comes alive in his dreams. They become fast friends, and the snowman shows the boy wonderful worlds he's never seen before.
1980 The Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris Van Allsburg
Young Alan accidentally allows the dog he's walking to enter a magician's garden. When he runs after the dog he soon realizes that the garden is anything but ordinary. Illustrated with b&w drawings. Selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1979.
1981 Outside over There by Maurice Sendak, Jeanyee Wong
An unusual childlike fantasy, stunningly illustrated.
1982 A Visit to William Blake's Inn by Nancy Willard
Inspired by the work of poet William Blake, this book of poetry creates a world in which Blake runs an inn inhabited by very unusual guests. Staffed by dragons, angels, and a rabbit, the inn welcomes such visitors as the Man in the Marmalade Hat, the King of the Cats, a wise cow, a bouquet of tired sunflowers, and a tiger requesting a bedtime story. Winner of the 1982 Newbery Medal.
1985 Mama Don't Allow by Thacher Hurd
The alligators love to listen to Miles and his Swamp Band's raucous music, but they have ulterior motives. Miles and his friends use their wits to escape becoming not only the entertainment but also the main course at the alligators' jubilee.
1986 The Paper Crane by Molly Bang
A customer at a once-popular restaurant pays for his meal with a magic paper crane which comes alive and dances--and once again, the restaurant prospers.
Nonfiction
1967 The Little Fishes by Erik C. Haugaard
A tale of the tragedy of war: the story of a twelve-year-old orphaned beggar in occupied Italy, his daily search for food and for meaning in the life he witnesses, and the development of compassion and understanding that will help him survive.
1978 Mischling, 2nd Degree by Ilse Koehn
The memoirs of a German girl who became a leader among the Hitler Youth while her Social Democratic family kept from her the secret of her partial Jewish heritage.
1979 The Road from Home by David Kherdian
A biography of the author's mother, concentrating on her childhood in Turkey before the Turkish govennment deported its Armenian population.
1982 Upon the Head of the Goat by Aranka Siegal
The author, who is called Piri in the narrative, describes her experiences as a Jewish girl in Hungary during World War II. Although Piri's mother attempts to hold the family together and preserve their religious traditions, Piri experiences the slow but ever increasing persecution of the Jewish people in her town of Beregszasz. Unable to escape Hungary, the family witnesses the Nazi invasion of Beregszasz after which they are stripped of all rights and forced to live in a Jewish ghetto. The book concludes in 1944 when Piri and her family are transported to Auschwitz. A 1982 Newbery Honor Book.
1984 The Double Life of Pocahontas by Jean Fritz
"Jean Fritz removes the romantic varnish from (the Pocahontas) legend and turns history into engrossing reality".--The New Yorker. Boston Globe/Horn Book Award; ALA Notable Children's Book.
1985 Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun by Rhoda BlumbergIn 1853, few Japanese people
knew that a country
called America even existed.
knew that a country
called America even existed.
For centuries, Japan had isolated itself from the outside world by refusing to trade with other countries and even refusing to help shipwrecked sailors, foreign or Japanese. The country's people still lived under a feudal system like that of Europe in the Middle Ages. But everything began to change when American Commodore Perry and his troops sailed to the Land of the Rising Sun, bringing with them new science and technology, and a new way of life.
A behind the scenes look at the Smithsonian's Natural History collection. Readers will learn such things as how the exhibits are researched, set up for display, and maintained. Illustrated with photographs.
1988 Anthony Burns by Virginia Hamilton
A docudrama/biography of Anthony Burns, who in 1854 was put on trial in Boston under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The author explores the political, social, and racial tensions that surrounded this case about an escaped slave who made a life for himself in the free state of Massachusetts, but whose owner demanded that he be returned to slavery.
1990 The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz
The life of James Madison, fourth President of the United States. Black-and-white illustrations accompany the text.
1991 Appalachia by Cynthia Rylant
This book offers a gentle picture of the people of Appalachia.
1993 Sojourner Truth by Pat McKissack, Fred McKlissach
A biography of the abolitionist, activist, feminist, and preacher who was born a slave in 1797. Along with the story of Sojourner Truth's life, the authors also explore the general history of slavery, and profile leading figures in the abolitionist movement. Quotes from Truth's speeches are used to enliven the text.
1994 Eleanor Roosevelt by Russell Freedman
Written for children, this introduction to the amazing life of Eleanor Roosevelt takes readers from her childhood, through her years as First Lady of the United States, to her work as a human rights activist and her role as an Ambassador to the United Nations. The first wife of an American president to hold her own news conferences, Eleanor Roosevelt was integral to her husband Franklin's success as president. Because Franklin Roosevelt was paralyzed by polio, Eleanor became his "eyes and ears," representing him, and his policies, not only in the United States, but also throughout the world. This biography explores Eleanor's many achievements and triumphs, but does not ignore the challenges of her life--including the complexity of her relationship with her husband. Illustrated with B&W photographs.
1995 Abigail Adams by Natalie S. Bober
A biography of an extraordinary woman who was the wife of one president and the mother of another. Abigail Adams kept firsthand accounts of America's history through letters she wrote to her husband while he was away serving in the Continental Congress. This biography uses those letters as well as other resources to paint a full picture of an articulate woman with a strong sense of humor who raised her children and ran a working farm on her own.
1996 Orphan Train Rider by Andrea Warren
In the 1850s thousands of American lived in orphanages or on city streets. Social workers believed that these children would be better off in the country being raised by families that needed helpers for their farms, so between 1859 and 1929 more than 200,000 children were sent west on trains to be placed in new homes with new families. This account of what came to be known as the orphan trains is told via the true story of Lee Nailling who rode one of the trains to Texas in 1926.
1997 A Drop of Water by Walter Wick
The most spectacular photographs ever created on the subject of water appear in this unparalleled science book by Walter Wick. The camera stops the action so young readers can observer what they could not otherwise see: a drop of water as it falls from a faucet or as it lands on a hard surface; water as a single snowflake; water captured as a rainbow, steam, frost, and dew. Evaporation, condensation, capillary attraction, and surface tension are explained through simple text and photographs that are as clear as they are amazing. The last pages of the book feature experiments that invite the reader into the world of scientific investigation.
1999 Top of the World by Steve Jenkins
Exploring its history, geography, climate, and culture, this unique book takes readers on the ultimate adventure of climbing Mount Everest. With informative text and exquisitely detailed cut paper illustrations Jenkins brings this extreme journey alive for young adventurers. Full color.
2009 The Lincolns by Candace Fleming
In this unusual biography, the personal histories of both a president and a first lady are explored. THE LINCOLNS describes both Abraham's and Mary's childhood, their first meeting, and the challenges of life in the White House. The book covers Mary Todd Lincoln's recipe for cake, the books both of them loved growing up, and much more. With original documents, photographs, and resources.
Picture Book
1987 Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
A picture book retelling of an African folktale (which is reminiscent of the fairy tale CINDERELLA), MUFARO'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS is the story of two beautiful sisters: the kind and good Nyasha and the selfish and evil-tempered Manyara. When an African king decides to marry, he requests that "the most worthy and beautiful daughters in the land" appear before him so that he can select an appropriate bride. Believing that only a king could choose between his two lovely daughters, Mufaro declares that both Nyasha and Manyara must travel to the city to meet the King. That decision doesn't suit Manyara, who, in her desire to reach the King first, slips out of the house and makes the perilous journey to the city by herself. However, in her haste and her greed, Manyara ignores a number of important signs and tests, a situation that, ultimately, results in her heartbreak. Will Nyasha's loving heart and generous spirit help her win the hand of the King? John Steptoe has said that the ruins of an ancient city near Zimbabwe, Africa, inspired his 1988 Caldecott honor-winning watercolor-and-ink illustrations.
1988 The Boy of the Three-Year Nap by Dianne Snyder
In this story, Lazy Taro gets what he wants, but so does his hard-working mother.
1989 Shy Charles by Rosemary Wells
Charles is a very shy young mouse. He doesn't like talking on the phone, and playing with other children scares him. When his babysitter injures herself, will Charles be able to summon help? Watercolor and ink illustrations accompany the rhyming text.
1990 Lon Po Po by Ed Young
A Chinese folk tale similar to the story of "Little Red Riding Hood". Here a mother leaves her three daughters, Shang, Tao, and Paotze, at home while she visits their grandmother. She warns the girls not to let anyone in the house, but a clever wolf convinces them that he is their grandmother, and they let him in. Soon Shang realizes the danger, and must use all her wits to save her sisters and herself from the wolf. Watercolor and pastel illustrations accompany the text. Winner of the 1990 Caldecott Medal.
1991 The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks by Katherine Paterson
Captured and caged by a wealthy lord, a Mandarin duck is separated from his beloved mate. When a servant girl takes mercy on the languishing duck and sets him free, she and another kitchen servant are sentenced to death. However, before their sentence can be carried out, two mysterious strangers who arrive at the palace. Will the strangers be able to save the servants? Watercolor and pastel illustrations this retelling of a Japanese folktale. Selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1990.
1992 Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
This picture-book version of the Indian fable tells of seven blind mice and their individual encounters with a mysterious "Something." For example, Red Mouse thinks he's encountered a pillar, while Green Mouse insists that he's had a run-in with a snake, and Purple Mouse is sure it's a cliff. Finally, when the seventh mouse goes to inspect the "Something," he puts together all the clues provided by the other mice and realizes that the "Something" is an elephant--whose leg is like a pillar, whose trunk is like a snake, and whose head is like a great cliff. A celebration of teamwork, this story can also be used to introduce young readers to colors, the days of the week, and the numbers one through seven. Illustrated with colorful cut-paper collages (turn the image of the cliff sideways to see a profile of the author/illustrator's father), SEVEN BLIND MICE is a 1993 Caldecott Honor Book.
1993 The Fortune-tellers by Lloyd Alexander
A carpenter consults a fortune-teller who tells him that he will be rich if he earns a lot of money, he will be famous if he becomes well known, he will marry his true love if he finds her and she agrees to marry him, he will be happy if he can avoid being miserable, and he will live a long life if he doesn't have an early death. In this original folktale, the fortune-teller's prophecies come true in a way that he himself could have never predicted. The color illustrations, created with ink, acrylic, and crayon, set the story in the country of Cameroon.
1994 Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
Inspired by memories of his grandfather, author/illustrator Allen Say presents the true story of his family's ties to two very different countries. Beginning with his grandfather's first journey from Japan to the United States, Say describes how his grandfather adapted to life in America while still remembering and missing his native country. Later, Say's grandfather returned to Japan to marry his childhood sweetheart, with whom he returned to the United States. While there, the couple welcomed and raised a daughter who later returned with them to Japan where she married, and eventually gave birth to a baby boy--the author himself. Close to his grandfather, Say enjoyed hearing about life in the United States, and after surviving the horrors of World War II, he eventually makes his own journey to America. This autobiographical picture book concludes with Say reflecting on his own life and realizing that he is following in his grandfather's footsteps, finding home and comfort in both Japan and the United States--always homesick for the country he is away from. Illustrated with watercolor paintings, GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY was selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1993 and is the winner of the 1994 Caldecott Medal.
1995 John Henry by Julius Lester
Part folktale, part legend, and maybe even partly true, JOHN HENRY is the classic story of the African American hero who was as big and strong as he was wise and gentle. On the day John Henry was born, all the creatures of the forest, and even the sun and the moon, took note of his birth. The next day, John Henry grew--from a large, strong baby, into a huge, extremely strong man. After building his parents a fine new house (complete with an indoor swimming pool), John Henry goes out into the world, where he impresses everyone he meets with his amazing strength and kind heart. Although he is able to break through a rock that even dynamite couldn't destroy, John Henry faces his biggest challenge when he bets that, with the help of only two sledgehammers, he can tunnel through a mountain faster than a steam drill. Inspired by the American folk ballad, this picture book is illustrated with watercolor paintings and is a 1995 Caldecott Honor Book.
1996 In the Rain with Baby Duck by Amy Hest
Mother Duck says, "I've never heard of a duck who doesn't like rain." All the same, her little duckling doesn't like to play in the rain. When Grandpa Duck brings a small umbrella and rubber boots out the attic, Mother Duck remembers that she wasn't too fond of rain when she was a duckling. Baby Duck puts on the boots, grabs the umbrella, and rushes outside to play in the rain.
1997 Adventures of Sparrowboy by Brian Pinkney
After a run-in with a sparrow, a paperboy named Henry finds that he suddenly has the ability to fly. Fashioning himself after "Falconman," his favorite comic-strip hero, Henry sets out to defend the weak and defenseless of his neighborhood. Scratchboard and gouache illustrations--some in a comic-book, storyboard style--accompany the text.
1998 And If the Moon Could Talk by Kate Banks
It is night. Inside a house, a child is getting ready for bed. A hall light turns on, toys and animals are settled for the night. Papa reads a bedtime story, Mama comes in to say good night, dreams wait to enter sleep...And if the moon could talk, it would tell of camels sleeping under a desert sky, ocean waves washing onto a beach, a lioness licking her cubs--nighttime moments that it sees from its vantage point outside the house and high, high above. Evocative text and soothing pictures illuminate interior and exterior nighttime scenes in this beautiful book, showing us what the moon might share with us--if it could talk.
1999 The Red-Eyed Tree Frog by Joy Cowley
Here is an exciting new way to see the natural world. Join the adventure as one plucky red-eyed tree frog searches for something to eat--and avoids the many dangers of the rain forest There are tempting but poisonous caterpillars and hungry boa snakes ready to swallow little tree frogs!
2009 Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy
A baby has an exciting voyage in an enormous bubble in this rhythmic, silly picture book by beloved children's book author Margaret Mahy. Mable was innocently blowing bubbles at the table when one caught her baby brother and carried him off! With lots of wonderful word-play and an exciting journey through the neighborhood, there's much to enjoy here. With lively watercolor illustrations.
Special
1977 The Changing City by Jorg Muller
Based on a study of large Swiss and German cities but applicable to the United States, eight full-color, fold-out pictures portraying the same section of a city between 1953 and 1976 graphically detail the process of urban decay.
1985 1, 2, 3 by Tana Hoban
A first book for your baby by one of America's foremost photographers of childhood
1990 Valentine and Orson by Nancy Eckholm Burkert
Valentine and Orson--the twin sons of the Emperor of Greece--were separated at birth. This is the story of their reunion and how they discover their true identities. Color illustrations accompany the text.
1999 Tibet by Peter Sis
When a boy's father, a filmmaker, goes off on an expedition, he becomes separated from his crew and gets lost for a long time. When he finally returns, he tells of his magical and enchanting experiences in Tibet, which he has recorded in a travel journal. He keeps the journal in a red box that he forbids his family from touching, and the box remains a mystery of magical proportions to the son for years until he finally reads his father's journal. As he relives the tales his father told him, the boy finds a newfound respect for these magical experiences. One of the most notable aspects of this book is its illustrations, which are enthralling, thought-provoking, and mystifying. The book will delight both children and adults. With color illustrations.
