1. Bibliography
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal. New York: Walker & Co. ISBN 0802786588
2. Plot Summary
Marcus profiles six Caldecott illustrators, one from each decade. Each chapter begins with a photograph of the illustrator, information about the award-winning book including the medium used in the illustrations, and a quote from the Caldecott acceptance speech. Marcus provides background information about the artists’ lives in addition to the creation of the Caldecott-winning book. Many illustrations and sketches from these books are included with photographs of related artwork.
3. Critical Analysis
The short 5 to 7 page chapters provide readers with a wealth of information gleaned from Marcus’s interview with each illustrator. Marcus presents the inspiration of these award-winning books, the process of creating the book, and how it affected their careers. Marcus states in the Introduction, “You are about to meet the people who made them. And you are about to see six works of art as ideas in the making: sketches and scribbles on the way to becoming books that readers prize.” He does this successfully as the reader is introduced to each artist and the story behind the book as well as photos and drawings pertaining to each.
4. Review Excerpts
ALA Notable/Best Books
Starred review in Booklist: “A beautifully made book, this will serve as a fine resource for children interested in illustration and for teachers researching author/illustrator studies.”
Starred review in Publishers Weekly: “Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations” “With Marcus’s sure hand guiding this tour, readers will find cause for celebration.”
Starred review in School Library Journal
5. Connections
· Read the Caldecott titles presented in this book to learn the history behind each award-winning book and artist.
· Read the Marcus’s updated version of this text, A Caldecott Celebration: Seven Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal (ISBN 9780802797049) to learn the background for Mordicai Gerstein’s 2004 Caldecott winner The Man Who Walked Between the Towers.
· Other books about Randolph Caldecott:
Caldecott, Randolph. Randolph Caldecott's Picture Books. ISBN 9780873282239
Bankston, John. Randolph J. Caldecott and the Story of the Caldecott Medal. ISBN 9781584152002
Hegel, Claudette. Randolph Caldecott : an Illustrated Life. ISBN 9781888105605
