Caldecott Medal Winners

Henkes, K. (2004). Kitten’s first full moon. New York: Greenwillow Books.

This is a story about a little kitten who is experiencing a full moon for the first time. She thinks the moon is a big bowl of milk, so she tries everything she can think of to try and get to the milk. She experiences everything from fireflies, to tall trees and ponds. She goes home wet and deflated when she finds a nice bowl of milk on the porch.
The illustrations for this story are different shades of grey. It portrays how the night would look when the moon is full. Illustrations are simple, yet tell the story of the little kitten.
Genre: Picture Book
Interest level: K-3
Reading Level: 2.7
Awards: Caldecott Medal Winner

Wiesner, D. (2006). Flotsam. New York. Clarion Books.

Flotsam is a story about a curious young boy who is enjoying a day at the beach with his family. As he investigates near the water’s edge, an underwater camera washes ashore. When he takes the film into be developed, he discovers a whole different world living under the sea. He also notices that when he looks at the photos with his microscope he sees pictures within the picture. This wordless picture book gives a different perspective to the story as more of the details are noticed.
Genre: Picture Book
Interest level: K-3
Awards: Caldecott Medal Winner

Willems, M. (2004). Knuffle Bunny: a cautionary tale. New York. Hyperion Books for Children.

Knufflebunny is about a little girl, Trixie, who goes to the Laundromat with her daddy. She inadvertently lost her stuffed bunny into the dirty clothes and daddy put it into the washing machine. As Trixie and her daddy started walking home Trixie realized that her bunny was missing. Since she is unable to tell her daddy what happened, she throws a temper-tantrum until finally her mommy realizes what happened. They rush back to the Laundromat to find that her bunny was in the wash. Trixie’s first words were KNUFFLEBUNNY!
This story uses both photos as the backdrops and colored drawings to depict the movement of people. This method helps readers form a better understanding of where the story is taking place.
Genre: Picture Book
Interest level: K-3
Reading level: 2.1
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book