blogis librorum. A blog about books. Rare books.

The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to a children's book illustrator who has published a work of immense creativity that furthers the field of illustration within the previous year. The Caldecott Medal entered the 20^th century by honoring an illustrator who often turned to the stories and songs of the past to revamp them into fun and vibrant books for modern children. Join us today as we continue our Caldecott Medal Winning Illustrators series by taking a closer look at the winner of the 2000 Caldecott Medal: Simms Taback.

The Caldecott Medal is awarded yearly to the book that best represents the highest quality of children's book illustration, whether through innovation or skilled homage to past artistic traditions. Oftentimes, a key factor is the skill at which the illustrator designs their illustrations to further the aims of the text, something for which today's writer/illustrator is well known for. This illustrator has not only won the Caldecott Medal, but has also been a Caldecott Honor recipient an astounding three times. Join us as we take a closer look at Paul O. Zelinsky in this edition of our Caldecott Winning Illustrators Series:

For over sixty years, author Katherine Paterson has released children's books on difficult themes like death, abandonment, war, and grief. She has won two National Book Awards, two Newbery Medals, the Hans Christian Anderson Award, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and adapted into film. Her books are often considered controversial, and some have even been banned from the booklist due to their challenging themes. Paterson’s devotion to these hard-to-approach topics is due to a belief that realism in children’s books is important and is inspired in part by her childhood where she felt isolated and like an outsider due partially to her early childhood spent in China as the child of missionaries who later moved to the US and had to learn English after years of speaking only Chinese. Today, we take a closer look at some of Paterson’s most beloved books featuring characters that overcome personal tragedy and experience great and necessary growth.

The Caldecott Medal, the highest honor for children's book illustrators in America, is awarded annually to an artist whose work exemplifies the highest standard and quality in the industry. Both parents and children alike seek out these books with their shining gold medals emblazoned on the cover, knowing that what is inside is sure to be of high quality. In 1994, the Caldecott Medal was awarded to an illustrator whose dedication and skill are devoted to depicting his Japanese culture. Join us in this edition of the Caldecott Medal Winning Illustrator series as we take a look at the life and work of illustrator Allen Say:

The Wheel of Time series by renowned author Robert Jordan is one of the most beloved fantasy series since Lord of the Rings. Jordan, born James Oliver Rigney Jr released the first of his famous series, The Eye of the World, in 1981.

The series spans fourteen books as well as a prequel novel was adapted into a television series in 2022. The last three books in the series were co-written with Brandon Sanderson, known for his Mistborn Trilogy, after Jordan’s illness and death. This series has been a staple for fantasy fans for over forty years.

While writers such as Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde are known for their witticisms and adages, fans of the series know that Jordan’s work too was full of such sayings. While some are meant for humor and some are more serious, each book is a veritable Poor Richard’s Almanac, chock full of small instructive truths. In Knife of Dreams, Jordan’s narration observes “That had the irritating sound of an old saying,” seemingly poking fun at the phrases that are a hallmark of his work.

Join us as we take a look at some of Jordan’s most famous sayings:

On December 23, 2021, legendary journalist, novelist, and essayist Joan Didion passed away at the age of eighty-seven due to complications from Parkinson's disease. Throughout a career spanning more than seventy years, she produced works of fiction and non-fiction that explored both the political and the personal.

This pioneer of New Journalism received many accolades throughout her career, including the National Book Award for Nonfiction, a National Medal for the Arts, and was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Today, we explore Didion's career and some passages that exemplify her inimitable style and observational skills, which make her one of America's most important writers.

British writer Virginia Woolf is undoubtedly one of the most important literary figures in both English literature and feminist literature. Her novels, essays, criticism, and work toward education reform have made her a frequent subject of study and firmly declared her relevant, even today when we are nearing sixty years since her death. Her work makes her a pillar of both feminism and modernism. Today, on the anniversary of her birth, let's take a closer look at her life and the ways in which she has stayed on the forefront of popular culture and zeitgeist.

Edwin Aldrin Jr, better known as Buzz Aldrin, is perhaps one of America's best known explorer heroes. In 1969 he became one of the first men to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. He has served as one of the most prominent faces of NASA for many years, inspiring generations of people to go into the fields of aerospace and astronautics through his outspoken advocacy for space travel and exploration.

Even after Aldrin's retirement from NASA, he has continued to further knowledge of the importance of understanding space as a writer, authoring eleven books for a variety of age groups, including Footsteps on the Moon; The Return, Look to the Stars; Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet; and most recently, 2016's No Dream is Too High: Life Lessons From a Man Who Walked on the Moon. Though we all know Buzz Aldrin the astronaut and Buzz Aldrin the writer, here are some lesser-known facts about one of NASA's biggest names.

Each year, the Caldecott Medal is awarded to an illustrator whose work represents the best in children's book illustration. 1989 winner Stephen Gammell earned this award for his charming illustrations in Katherine Ackerman's Song and Dance Man. But Gammell is interesting that while he won his award for a very particular and lovely style, he is best known for a work that evokes an entirely different feeling than the art for which he won the Caldecott Medal. Join us today in our Caldecott Medal Winning Illustrators Series as we take a closer look at the career of Stephen Gammell:

Every year, the Caldecott Medal is awarded by the Association for Library Services to Children, a division of the American Library Association. The committee reviews children's books published throughout the year and selects one book whose art exemplifies the best of American illustration. To be named winner of the Caldecott Medal is a massive achievement and often comes as a sign that the book is destined to be loved by generations of children. These distinguished books are sought after by both children and collectors, and they occupy well-loved places on numerous shelves. Continuing our ongoing Caldecott Medal Winning Illustrators Series, let's take a closer look at 1948 Winner, Roger Duvoisin.