Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe

A beautiful book, deserving a permanent place in library collections. Kirkus Star review

"A man named Muraro lived in his village with his two daughters, who were called Manyaya and Nyasha. Everyone agreed Manyaya and Nyasha were very beautiful."

The twin girls might look beautiful but only one has a kind heart. Manyara boasts to her sister that when she becomes the queen Nyasha will be her servant. She even says these terrible words: "I'm certain that father loves you best. But when I am a queen, everyone will know that your silly kindness is only weakness."

Nyasha does not let these harsh words affect her. She tends her garden, sings over her work and even befriends a small garden snake. 

One morning a messenger arrives - the time has come for the King to select a wife. Manyaya is sure she will be picked so she sets off before everyone else is awake. On the way several things happen. She meets a boy who asks for food - she yells at him and moves on. She meets an old woman who tries to give her advice. As with the young boy, she scolds the woman and rushes away. The old woman has told Manyaya not to laugh at the trees and to be polite to the man who has his head under his arm. Of course she disregards this advice. 

Nyasha makes the same journey but her actions are the opposite. She shares food with the young boy; she listens to the old woman and shares some sunflower seeds with her. On arrival at the city her sister rushes out to warn her about a great monster with five heads, but when Nyasha enters the chamber she finds her garden snake - and then watches as he transforms into the King.

If this story feels familiar you might be thinking of Cinderella. My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything has a fantastic Pinterest collection of Cinderella stories. 

Your school or public library are such important places. Yes they will have many of the newest books and the popular books but they should also have older books - treasures like this one from 1988. I picked up my copy at a recent charity book sale for just AUS$2. I did have this book in my former school library so I might gift this one to a different school. This book is still available but it costs between AUS$35 and AUS$50.

Awards for Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters:

• Caldecott Honor Book
• Parents' Choice Silver Honor
• Horn Book Fanfare
• Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
• Coretta Scott King Award (Illustrator)
• Reading Rainbow Book
• ALA Notable Children’s Book

Bookseller blurb: Inspired by a traditional African folktale, this is the story of Mufaro, who is proud of his two beautiful daughters. Nyasha is kind and considerate, but everyone-except Mufaro-knows that Manyara is selfish and bad-tempered. When the Great King decides to take a wife and invites the most worthy and beautiful daughters in the land to appear before him, Mufaro brings both of his daughters-but only one can be queen. Who will the king choose

John Steptoe (1950 - 1989) was also born in Brooklyn, but unfortunately his life was short, as he died when he was only 38. He began his first book (Stevie) when he was only sixteen. All of his published work (which included 15 picture books in 20 years) deals with the African American experience, issues and concerns. Very few authors and illustrators were African Americans at that time and he helped to change the stereotypical view of his people. He used his own family as models for the characters in his best known and Caldecott Honor book Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale. This beautiful book is a retelling of the Cinderella story set in ancient Africa among the ruins of Zimbabwe. Kinderbookswitheverything

Betsy Bird and her sister talk about Mufaro's Beautiful Sisters on their podcast episode 8.

Here is the cover of the paperback edition:

Companion books:

The Talking eggs

The Girl with a brave heart

Fireworks by Matthew Burgess illustrated by Catia Chien

My dad loved the fireworks here in Sydney every New Year. He would either want to head into the city or locally there was a small hill where people gathered. When I was a young child we walked through a harborside suburb to a vantage point opposite our iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. I even remember walking in the dark with my cousins, and I remember the special clothes I was wearing!

In this story, Fireworks, it is a very hot summer day. The two kids cool off under a fire hydrant and then they head to the park where they enjoy huge watermelon slices. 

Grandma cooks their dinner and then the kids climb to the top of their city building. 

"On this summer night, we climb the ricket ladder to the silver tar rooftop still soft from the day's sun and we wait for the first pop!"

It's a fabulous fireworks display and one of the best pages comes at the end where we see the way the colourful images are still exploding in their minds and dreams.

Bookseller blurb: As a hot day sizzles into evening, everyone on stoops and sidewalks looks skyward on this special summer night—the Fourth of July! Words and art blossom into flowers of fire across the sky, making this a perfect read for firework enthusiasts in cities and suburbs everywhere.

Is this book about the 4th of July - probably - but that's okay. We have fabulous fireworks here in Australia on New Year's Eve and at other times so really this story does translate very easily across the world. I have put some of other picture books that include fireworks at the bottom of this post. Betsy Bird also talks about this book being a book about summer heat and my own favourite US book on that topic is Come on Rain by Karen Hesse. Fireworks is set in New York city but that's okay too - our kids know about that city and others like it with tall buildings and large parks.

Think about the wonderful words your library group or young reading companion will encounter in this book: greet; venture; steamy; bodega; sax (saxophone); onlookers; salsa; rickety; finale; charcoal sniff; extinguished; and lull.

Bodega - that's a word you may not know. It is a small Spanish speaking grocery store.

Fireworks contains a gatefold - Besty Bird explains this: Let’s say you’re a children’s book author or illustrator and you wanted to put a gatefold into your book. A gatefold is a spread of pages that physically open up outside of the confines of the book’s dimensions in some manner. Historically, librarians have not been huge fans of gatefolds because they have a tendency to rip over time. What makes the gatefold in “Fireworks” so extraordinary is that it’s vertical rather than horizontal. It also tucks so perfectly into the book that it might take an adult reader a couple seconds before they realize it’s even there. Only the thickness of the paper gives away its presence. Now here’s the kicker: Did you know that a gatefold can only appear in a book at just the right moment? Because of the physical nature of how books are made (the folding of the pages together) gatefolds can only come at certain moments. So part of what’s so amazing about this book is that its gatefold comes at precisely the right moment, both physically and from a literary perspective. It’s a marvel of simultaneous engineering and storytelling.

If you share this book with a group of older readers in grades 4-6 please take the time to talk about pace and word placement - the final page turn and final word of this book is sure to have been one of the many reasons Fireworks was selected for this enormously prestigious award.

When you read enough picture books you shouldn’t allow yourself to have favorites. Still, I state loud and clear for the record, that this is without a doubt my favorite firework-related summertime picture book ever. Beautiful, weirdly touching, and utterly original. “Swish Zing Tizzle-ting POOF!”

Take a look at the book trailer on the author web page.

Read some reviews:

Kirkus Star review

Horn Book

Waking Brain Cells

You can see more books illustrated by Catia Chien here and here is the web page for Matthew Burgess. I previously talked about The Bear and the Moon;

Betsy mentions that there should be more books about fireworks. My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything shared a few in her blog post. I remembered a book from my former library which was regularly requested by our art teacher but sadly I cannot find a cover image to share here. This book is from 1983 published by A and C Black - Firework Party by Peggy Blakeley. 

Fireworks is the winner of the 2026 Caldecott Medal and yet here in Australia it is listed at over AUS$53 as the retail price - I have seen it also listed for AUS$38 but even that will be way beyond the budget of every school library her in Australia - why oh why? My friend and I have seen this issue with other Caldecott winners and honor titles - see the bottom of this post for some covers. It is true that some Caldecott titles are not really relevant for our Australian children, but Fireworks (and Watercress) most certainly are. I previously talked about past winners here.

Here two of the 2026 honor titles (there are four in total)

Every Monday Mabel

Watercress and Hot Dog

Awards for Fireworks:

     2026 Caldecott Medal

     Charlotte Zolotow Honor for Outstanding Writing in a Picture Book 

     SCBWI Golden Kite Honor for Picture Book Illustration and Text

     Society of Illustrators Gold Medal 

     A NYT/NYPL Best Illustrated Book

     Kirkus’ Best Books of 2025

     School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2025

     Publisher’s Weekly Best Picture Books of 2025

     Blue Ribbon Award 2025

You can also find fireworks in these:

See inside this book here

Noah's New Home

A Gift for Nana

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson illustrated by Beth Krommes

Krommes’s breathtaking scratchboard illustrations, in black and white with accents of yellow and gold, embody and enhance the text’s message that light and dark, like comfort and mystery, are not mutually exclusive, but integral parts of each other. Kirkus Star review

Having talked about a couple of recent Caldecott winners I decided to hunt out some of the past winners and honour titles that I had not seen. One that caught my eye was The House in the Night - 2009 winner. I wonder why I didn't buy this for my previous school library - I love it and it would have most certainly been a book I would have put into the hands of our very skilled art teacher.

Here is the key to the house.

In the house burns a light.

In that light rests a bed.

On that bed waits a book.

In that book flies a bird.

In that bird breathes a song ...

all about the starry dark.

Through the dark glows the moon.

On the moon's face shines the sun.

Sun in the moon, moon in the dark,

dark in the song, song in the bird,

bird in the book, book on the bed,

bed in the light,

light in the house.

Here is the key to the house,

the house in the night,

a home full of light.

This is as close to perfect as a picture book can get. Text and woodcut illustrations combine to create a superb artwork. We see the enchanting power of four imaginations becoming one: the author, the illustrator, the child in the book who reads, and you, the reader. The child reading in bed is transported by the book and we join him/her on a journey. We feel the comforting, enveloping warmth of home, and freedom to fly to the sun and the moon. A book within a book, where it begins it also ends, and in-between there is a whole other, tantalising world. Readings Melbourne

In 2024 I penned a blog post - Meet the Illustrator Beth Krommes - I should have hunted out The House in the Night for that post.

As well as a regular format you can also buy this book as a board book and even though I have not seen it, I think this book could work quite well presented that way. Very sadly, you were probably expecting me to say this, here in Australia the hardcover version of this book will be way beyond any school library budget at over AUS$37.

Take a look at this blog post from Seven Impossible Things where Beth Krommes talks about her art techniques and you can also see an original storyboard for The House in the Night.

I once had the idea that my former school library could place a large mural on the first landing as you walk up the 20 stairs to the library. I even created a Pinterest with ideas. The page in this book "On that bed waits a book" would be SO perfect if you could get permission from Beth Krommes to recreate it for the wall.

If you are lucky enough to be working with trainee teachers or even people studying to be a Teacher-Librarian or tertiary students enrolled in a Children's Literature course this is a book you must include as an exemplar of page turns, art, text placement, cover design, and so much more. The title page alone is worthy of close inspection:

Companion book:

Watercress by Andrea Wang illustrated by Jason Chin

Watercress isn’t loud. It doesn’t need to be.

The prose is spare and poetic. The watercolor illustrations are subtle, immersive, and rich with emotion. This book whispers truths: about shame and pride, about family and survival, and about the painful beauty of remembering. The Wardens of Magic

Understated, deep, and heart-rending -

bring tissues. Kirkus Star review

The big mystery of this Caldecott winning book is that it was not distributed here in Australia and yet this is a story that could easily translate to our context. AND this book won the 2022 Caldecott Medal. You can still buy this book but the hardcover edition of this book costs between AUS$35 and AUS$47 and so will be beyond the budget of most school libraries. Trove only list ten public and university libraries with this book. Luckily, I was able to re-read Watercress in a public library a couple of weeks ago - Green Square Library. I discovered it there a couple of years ago. You can see the whole book on this video. Here is an interview with Andrea Wang and Jason Chin.

Here is the synopsis from Wikipedia: A young girl is in the car with her brother and parents when they come across wild watercress growing on the side of the road. Her parents excitedly pull over and instruct the children to help them gather the watercress. The girl feels embarrassed to be seen by passing cars and disgusted by the mud and snails that are on the plants. The watercress is prepared for dinner that night, but the girl initially refuses to eat it because she is ashamed of their "dinner from a ditch". Her mother brings out a picture from her childhood and, for the first time, talks about the famine that her family suffered. Feeling guilty, the girl takes a bite of the watercress. She discovers that she likes the taste and reflects on the new memory she and her family have created.

My former school had a unit of study with the Grade 6 classes about our multicultural country here in Australia - Watercress is a book I would have loved to share as a part of this class topic alongside other books about The Refugee Experience Through Picture Books. 

You should also look for this book which is based on the years in China of the great famine.

Sparrow Girl

Author note from Andrea Wang: This story is about the power of memory. Not just the beautiful memories, like the ones my mother and father had about eating watercress in China, but also the difficult ones, the memories that are sometimes too painful to share. It starts with my own distressing memory of being made to pick watercress that was growing wild by the side of the road. As the child of Chinese immigrants, growing up in a small, mostly white town in Ohio, I was very aware of how different my family and I were from everyone else. It's hard to feel like you don't belong, and collecting food from a muddy roadside ditch just made that bad feeling more intense for me -- something my very practical parents didn't understand. When I was young, my parents didn't talk about their memories of China, of growing up poor, losing siblings, and surviving war. I don't blame them -- these are difficult topics to discuss with children. But it's important, too, for children to understand their family history. Perhaps if I had known about the hardships they had faced, I would have been more compassionate as a child. Maybe I would have felt more empathy and less anger. More pride in my heritage and less shame. Memories have the power to inform, to inspire, and to heal. This story is both an apology and a love letter to my parents. It's also an encouragement to all children who feel different and to families with difficult pasts -- share your memories. Tell your stories.

Prizes for Watercress:

• Caldecott Medal Winner
• Newbery Honor Award
• Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
• Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award 2022
• New England Book Award Winner
• 2021 Boston Globe – Horn Book Honor Book
• 2021 Cybils Award 

See more here. 

I previously talked about these books by Andrea Wang and Jason Chin:

Luli and the Language of Tea

Life after whale

Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan

Publisher blurb: Every Monday, Mabel wakes up early and peeks out her window to make sure she didn’t miss the one thing she’s been looking forward to the whole week. She drags her chair down the hallway, past her big sister and Mom and Dad, out the door, and waits. What is Mabel waiting for every Monday? According to Mabel, it’s the best thing in the world. But no one else in her family seems to understand…until they see what’s honking down the street!

Begin with this fabulous page by page exploration of Every Monday Mabel by Travis Jonker at 100 Scope Notes.

Here are a few quotes from this article that resonated with me:

TITLE PAGE - Through this simple image, we understand that Mabel is in her house, and she is waiting and watching for something (something hinted at on the cover of the book).

Turn over two pages - We see that Mabel has grabbed the chair and the light from the window is projecting a large shadow on the wall. This accentuates the “forward” (to the right) progress, and also emphasizes the mystery of Mabel’s task - where is she headed?

Mabel runs past her sister's room - She’s in such a hurry that the “camera” can’t quite catch her, and, importantly, makes it clear that Mabel DOESN’T CARE that her sister doesn’t understand her obsession. She’s on a mission.

Now go back - click my link and keep reading. 

Awards:

• New York Public Library Best Book of 2025
• Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2025
• Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
• School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
• Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2025
• BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
• NPR Best Book of 2025
• 2025 Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Awards Winner
• Common Sense Media Best Book of 2025
• Smithsonian Magazine Best Children's Book of 2025
• One of the Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids of 2025
• The Children's Book Review Best Picture Book of 2025
• A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Most people don’t love Mondays, but Mabel does. Why? Because something very special and exciting happens every Monday morning, in this ode to garbage truck enthusiasts everywhere. Oh, I LOVE this. Seriously, I adore it. Man. I don’t think I’ve been giving Jashar Awan enough attention these last few years. This is a perfect encapsulation of what happens when someone finds that thing that they love and they then proceed to dedicate themselves to it heart, body, mind, and soul. The fact that Mabel’s family doesn’t understand her passion feels so very true, but does she care? She does not! She grabs that cereal, heads out the door, plants herself, and watches what she loves. And talk about a successful ending to the book! This is a book that gives kids, and the things that they love, respect. And on top of all of that, it reads aloud brilliantly. Betsy Bird 31 Days 31 lists

Every Monday Mabel appears on so many favourite 2025 book lists. Today I read it in a city bookstore. Sadly this book is a little too expensive here in Australia but if your budget does allow you to spend a little more money this is a terrific book to share with a preschool group - the final pages are especially fantastic. I have seen it listed between AUS$30 and AUS$47!

Captures the excitement of anticipation, the thrill of yearning realized, and truck love among the young. Kirkus

I was visiting a friend recently and her two-year-old grandson heard the distant sound of the garbage truck driving up their street. I could not hear it at all and nor could his grandmother until it was quite close but this little boy loves these trucks so much (as do heaps of children his age) that he could hear that truck and he knew it was their collection day!

Check out this post from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything where she shares heaps of other books about garbage trucks - you could explore this as a fun mini theme in your preschool.

Finally you MUST pair Every Monday Mabel with the Bluey episode called Bin Night - it is one of my favourites! This episode also talks about phases of the moon and mum offers gentle advice to Bingo about how to make friends with the new kid in her preschool. 

Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo

"I went to stay with my Nana at her new apartment in the city. 

I love my nana but I don't love the city."

At its heart this simple picture book is about point of view. The little boy finds the city is loud and scary. But his nana says it is wonderful - bustling, booming and extraordinary.

Nana has such wisdom. She makes the little boy a cape and the next day she shows him that the city is not at all scary because he can now be brave in his fabulous cape. Now slow down and take time to really look into the illustrations because, as is the way with the best picture books, at this point the pictures go way beyond the text. 

You will love sharing this book with your young reading companion and a bonus they might hear/discover a wonderful new word - extraordinary. Nana in the city was a Newbery honour title in 2015. Unfortunately, this book is outrageously expensive here in Australia at over AUS$42. I borrowed my copy from a well-stocked school library - they were lucky to purchase this book back in 2015 for AUS$20. 

What does the Caldecott mean to you?  It means so much to know that the committee felt my book was worthy of such an incredible honor. I am just so thankful. Now, because of this silver sticker, many more children will experience NANA—Maybe even while sitting on the lap of their own Nana—and that blows me away. This book was written as a tribute to my grandmother, who I traveled to New York to visit during my childhood summers, and to my late editor, Frances Foster, who was like family to me in New York City. 

Throughout, Castillo’s soft, warmly colored art expresses the child’s changing feelings about the city while also depicting the characters’ close bond. Kirkus

Publisher blurb:  In this magical picture book, a young boy spends an overnight visit with his nana and is frightened to find that the city where she lives is filled with noise and crowds and scary things. But then Nana makes him a special cape to help him be brave, and soon the everyday sights, sounds, and smells of the city are not scary—but wonderful. The succinct text is paired with watercolor illustrations that capture all the vitality, energy, and beauty of the city.

If you read this book with a preschool or Kindy group you could compare the themes of Nana in the City with Town Mouse and Country Mouse. I have put a few picture book versions in this post. And then you can read the sequel Nana in the Country. Here is the web site for Lauren Castillo.

This is a Story; Our friend Hedgehog

See lots more Lauren Castillo books here.

Here is the blurb for Nana in the Country: When Nana comes from the city to visit her grandson in the country, the boy is so excited to teach her about all the wonderful things he does on the farm where he lives—feeding the ducks, milking the cow, even tending to bees. But to his disappointment, Nana already seems to know how to do just about everything. And she isn’t the least bit nervous about picking up bugs or easing a hen aside to collect an egg. But then a storm hits in the night, and the boy must take the lead and make sure the animals are safe and dry. And it turns out there are many more unique-to-the-country adventures to surprise his beloved Nana with.

Last Stop on Market Street Matt de la Pena illustrated by Christian Robinson

Through simple yet powerful storytelling, Matt de la Peña explores themes of gratitude, perspective, and community. CJ begins the story feeling envious of what others have, 

but as he listens to his grandmother’s wisdom, he comes to see value in his experiences—in the people they meet, in the music of the streets, and in the sense of belonging 

that isn’t tied to material wealth. The book captures how young children process social differences and how caregivers can shape their understanding of privilege, joy, and human connection. Reading is Resistance

Last Stop on Market Street is a timeless masterpiece transcending age and genre, creating an immersive reading experience that will stay with readers long after turning the final page. This book is not just a journey through the city; it’s a journey of the heart—a celebration of diversity, resilience, and the beauty of the human spirit. Allow yourself to be transported by its magic. 

The Children's Book Review

It is easy to see this is part of CJ and his grandmother's weekly routine. After church they head to the bus stop. CJ has lots of questions but it is the answers that are truly special. His grandmother is filled with the joy of life even though clearly, as we discover, life is tough - she always has a positive answer to questions such as 'Nana how come we don't got a car?'; 'How come we always gotta go here after church?'; and 'How come it's always so dirty over here?'.

The bus is filled with many different people - not in a forced didactic way - if you have been on a suburban bus, you have seen they are usually filled with a variety of people from all walks of life. We see an older lady, a businessman, a young boy with tattoos, a blind man with his guide dog and a guitar player. The bus feels like a small community. His grandmother reacts to each person in a genuine and warm way - what a beautiful example for CJ to follow. When the guitar man plays his tunes, the experience of this bus ride becomes quite magical - but where are they going?

Last stop on Market Steet is a soup or community kitchen. It is in a poor part of town, but CJ sees a rainbow and the scene is transformed. Now look closely at the final page - have CJ and Nana come here for food - no - why are they here?

Last Stop on Market Street won the 2016 Caldecott Medal. 

Other awards:

• 2016 Caldecott Honor Book
• 2016 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book
• #1 New York Times Bestseller
• New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of 2015
• NPR Best Book of 2015
• Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2015
• Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2015
• 2015 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
• Horn Book Best Book of 2015
• The Huffington Post Best Overall Picture Book of 2015
• Boston Globe Best Book of 2015
• Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2015
• 2015 E.B. White Read Aloud Award Finalist

The air smelled like freedom, but it also smelled like rain, 

which freckled CJ's shirt and dripped down his nose.

He ducked under his nana's umbrella, saying 'How come we gotta wait for the bus in all this wet?' 'Trees get thirsty, too,' his nana told him. 'Don't you see that big one drinking through a straw?' CJ looked for a long time but he never saw a straw.'

You need to take your time reading this book - the story unfolds slowly.

Last Stop on Market Street doesn’t make political points. It just shows a visit to a soup kitchen from a small child’s perspective. The lead up to their arrival shows community spirit and strangers being nice to each other (whether they are heavily tattooed, or elderly ladies, or blind men with guide dogs). And the soup kitchen is an extension of that – from CJs point of view, it is about being nice to others and helping those who need help. So while it may be, on one level, an ‘issue’ book, it is also a simple ‘day in the life’ story of a little boy, who just happens to regularly go to a church, and take a bus to help out in a soup kitchen. It can be read in that simple way for children to enjoy and make sense of however they wish. But it also opens a window to experiences that are (hopefully) outside of their own and make them think about the difficulties that other people suffer....  It’s an observation of the world, designed to make us and our children think. Rhubarb and Wren

Christian Robinson’s acrylic and collage illustrations are smart, captivating snapshots of CJ’s day as he watches and interacts with a variety of people on the bus and at the soup kitchen. The visual camaraderie of the passengers—old and young, tattooed, talented, and disabled—as they talk together and smile at one another will cheer readers. The color scheme of bright and pastel colors shared from page to page enhances the book’s themes of interconnectedness and cohesion, and the clean, unadorned images reflect the idea that often the simple things in life really are the best. Celebrate Picture Books

Companion books (including one for older readers):

It's a no money day

Free Lunch

Caldecott Medal and Honor titles 2000 to 2025

 

The Medal shall be awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year. There are no limitations as to the character of the picture book except that the illustrations be original work. Honor books may be named. These shall be books that are also truly distinguished.

A “picture book for children” as distinguished from other books with illustrations, is one that essentially provides the child with a visual experience. A picture book has a collective unity of story-line, theme, or concept, developed through the series of pictures of which the book is comprised.

 A “picture book for children” is one for which children are an intended potential audience. The book displays respect for children’s understandings, abilities, and appreciations. Children are defined as persons of ages up to and including fourteen and picture books for this entire age range are to be considered.

Each book is to be considered as a picture book. The committee is to make its decision primarily on the illustration, but other components of a book are to be considered especially when they make a book less effective as a children’s picture book. Such other components might include the written text, the overall design of the book, etc.

The committee should keep in mind that the award is for distinguished illustrations in a picture book and for excellence of pictorial presentation for children. The award is not for didactic intent or for popularity

I was curious to see how many of the previous Caldecott winners and Honor titles I had read and hopefully talked about here on this blog. My friend and I are constantly frustrated that either a Caldecott book does not arrive here in Australia or if it does the price is so high no school library could ever expect add this book to their collection. This means I have not seen, for example, the 2025 winner Chooch Helped and while I have read Watercress (2022) I am very keen to see this one again so I can talk about it here in some depth.

Hot Dog

Knight Owl

Mel Fell

Wonder Walkers

We are Water Protectors

Bear came along

Hello Lighthouse

Thank you, Omu!

A Different Pond

The right word

Extra Yarn

Green

First the egg

Knuffle Bunny and Knuffle Bunny Too

Olivia