More Caldecott 2014 Contenders

One of the criteria that the Caldecott Committee will consider in choosing a winner is: Delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting, mood or information through the pictures.  In other words, how well do the pictures tell the story.  Since wordless picture books rely on only the pictures to tell the story, they often stand out as potential Caldecott winners.  Here are a few that we think the Caldecott committee might take notice of.



Journey by Aaron Becker
Evoking the adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon, a young girl draws a door on her bedroom wall and escapes into an a world of wonder and imagination. The illustrations are spectacular as the girl travels from one fantastic setting to the next.  Each picture is full of small details that encourage you to linger over the page and even the end papers have detailed drawings of different modes of transportation.  It wouldn't be at all surprising is this book won the medal.

 



Bluebird by Bob Staake
This wordless picture book tackles some tough issues: bullying. loneliness, and the death of a beloved friend.  Staake's use of color is exceptional with the bright blue bird of the title standing out against the gray world. Tthe ending is a bit murky though. The committee might argue that the pictures don't tell the story clearly enough. 

Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner
Not entirely wordless but pretty close so we'll include it. Wiesner is a three-time Caldecott winner. 'nuff said.