And the Winners are!

children's book cover brian floca

{2014 Caldecott winner}

It’s a big day in children’s publishing. Today the American Library Association announced the winners for the Caldecott and the Newbery medals. This year both books actually featured illustrations too. YAY! You also might recall the names of the 2 books below from my November 2013 posting about the “Best Children’s Books of 2013”.

Brian Floca’s picture book, LOCOMOTIVE, won the prestigious Caldecott medal, the award “given to the artist who had created the most distinguished picture book of the year”. This book is for young readers who love all things machine and their sounds. The book follows an 1869 trans-continental train, its crew, and a family traveling coast to coast through American’s mountains and plains.

train illustration

Mr. Floca’s illustrations bring the thrill and strength of train travel alive. Paired with beautiful animated type and you begin to hear and feel the mighty locomotive.

book cover of train illustrated by brian floca

Each year, the Newbery medal is given to “the most distinguished American children’s book”. The 2014 medal was awarded to FLORA & ULYSSES written by Kate DiCamillo, the new ambassador for young people’s literature.

book cover middle grade novel called Flora and Ulysses
{2014 Newbery Winner}

FLORA & ULYSSES begins when comic-reading, Flora, recuses a squirrel after an accident involving a vacuum cleaner using her lessons learned from the comic, TERRIBLE THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU! She is astonished when the squirrel, Ulysses, demonstrates super hero powers after being revived.

black and white book spread featuring drawings of a girl and her squirrel

The lively story is paired with equally fun black and white graphic novel style illustrations by K.G. Campbell. All in all a delightful book for a middle grade reader.

Happy reading!