Today In History: First Caldecott Medal Is Awarded

Randolph Caldecott (March 22, 1846 - February 12, 1886) was an influential children's illustrator and artist from Chester, England whose beautiful work was recognized not only by the Royal Academy, but by organizations around the world, including the American Library Association. Noted for his humor and vitality in drawing, Caldecott's most notable illustrations were published in The House That Jack Built (1878); The Diverting History of John Gilpin (1878); Three Jovial Huntsmen (1880); and A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go (1883). In decades to come a prestigious medal named in his honor would be awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the United States during the preceding year. In 1938 the first Caldecott Medal was given to Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop, text: selected by Helen Dean Fish (Stokes); honor awards were Four and Twenty Blackbirds, illustrated by Robert Lawson; text: compiled by Helen Dean Fish (Stokes); and Seven Simeons: A Russian Tale, retold and illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff (Viking). The complete list of Caldecott awards can be found here.

Be sure to check out the related blog posting, And the Envelope, Please! which describes the Gottesman Libraries' acquisition of recent award winning and notable children's books. Included is this year's Caldecott Winner is: Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers/Random House Children’s Books/Penguin Random House). Caldecott Honor Books are: Ain’t Burned All the Bright, illustrated by Jason Griffin, written by Jason Reynolds (Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing); Berry Song, illustrated and written by Michaela Goade (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers/Hachette Book Group, Inc.); Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement, illustrated by Janelle Washington, written by Angela Joy (Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group); and Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise (Christy Ottaviano Books/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers/Hachette Book Group, Inc.).

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• Book Illustration: Caldecott and His Works. (1886, Nov 21). New - York Tribune (1866-1899) 
• The Late Randolph Caldecott. (1886, Feb 16). The Scotsman (1860-1920) 
• Randolph Caldecott: The Celebrated English Artist Who Died in St Augustin. (1886, Feb 16). Detroit Free Press (1858-1922)
• Library Group to Get Caldecott Medal Today. (1937, Dec 28). New York Herald Tribune (1926-1962)
• Melcher, F. G. (1947, Nov 16). History of Juvenile Reading Since Days of Horn-Book: Juveniles Since Days of Horn-Book. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963) 
• Lane, L.  (1986, Feb 21). Caldecott: New Look at a Picture-Book Pioneer. The Christian Science Monitor (1908-) 
• McKuen, P. (1992, Apr 15). Librarian Helps Children See the Life in Literature. Chicago Tribune (1963-1996) 
• K, W. (1993, Nov 05). Behind the Glitter of Book Medals. The Christian Science Monitor (1908-) 
• Maes, N. (1995, Jun 09). Art Institute Celebrates the Art of Children's Literature. Chicago Tribune (1963-1996) 
• Marcus, L. S. (2013, Aug 11). Seal of Approval: The Spirited Vision of Randolph Caldecott Lives On in the Picture Books We Prize Today. New York Times (1923-) 

Tips:

• Blackburn, Henry. Randolph Caldecott : A Personal Memoir of His Early Art Career. With One Hundred and Seventy-Two Illustrations. London: S. Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1886. Closed Stacks Research ; Closed Stacks Research NC242.C3 B6
• Caldecott, Randolph. Randolph Caldecott’s Sketches. England: S. Low, Marston, 1912.  e-book
• Caldecott, Randolph, and Edmund Evans. R. Caldecott’s Picture Book : Containing The Diverting History of John Gilpin The House That Jack Built The Babes in the Wood and An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog : All Exhibited in Beautiful Engravings, Many of Which Are Printed in Colours. London: Published by George Routledge & Sons  Broadway, Ludgate Hill  New York: 416 Broome Street, 1879. Closed Stacks Juvenile ; PZ8.3.C127 Pic
• Englebaugh, Debi. Art through Children’s Literature : Creative Art Lessons for Caldecott Books. Englewood, Colo: Teacher Ideas Press, 1994. Oversize ; N362 .E54 1994
• Smith, Irene. A History of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals. New York: Viking Press, 1957.  Stacks ; Z1037 .S648 1957

Images:

• Frog and Mouse, Randolph Caldecott, Courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net
• Poster Image: Cover for Animals of the Bible, Courtesy of Gottesman Libraries

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