The Mohansicott Winners!

First graders chose the winners of our first annual Mohansicott Award! Students evaluated what makes a "distinguished" picture book, as described in the Caldecott Terms & Criteria. We looked at several past winners to help us identify "distinguished" attributes, such as details in the illustration, colorful pictures, something new and different we had never seen before, and illustrations that shared a feeling from the story.

The winner is A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann! Students enjoyed the colorful and playful illustrations complementing a sweet story of kittens enjoying winter's first snow. Our two Honor titles are Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken illustrated by Harry Bliss and written by Kate DiCamillo, and Old Bear by Kevin Henkes. The illustrations in Louise matched the adventures in the story: exciting and fun! Louise looked like a cartoon! In Old Bear, Kevin Henkes told the story of a bear who went to sleep for the winter and dreamed of the changing seasons. We loved how we could tell from the illustrations which season Old Bear was dreaming of.

We enjoyed sharing the Caldecott Committee's choice, The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson. Some first graders noticed that this cumulative tale tells a story then "rewinds" to tell the tale in reverse. Many students loved the beautiful etched illustrations with its careful use of golden color.

Special thanks to polldaddy for helping us tally our votes. We will soon have a medal designed for the winning and honor books that will be placed on the book covers in the Mohansic Library. Can't wait until next year!

First Annual Mohansicott Award

First graders are learning about the Caldecott Medal, awarded to one picture book annually since 1938. We looked at the terms and criteria for the award, and had a lively discussion of what is meant by "the most distinguished American picture book for children"; how do we identify "distinguished" illustrations? We examined many Caldecott winners and noticed some characteristics of these "distinguished" books.

We do not know which books are being considered for this year's award. But there are several places to find some educated guesses. Try and google "Mock Caldecott" and you'll get a glimpse into a variety of opinions on the subject. Check out what School Library Journal thinks. The Allen County Public Library has a blog devoted to their mock Caldecott election. Here is the list by the Wells County Public Library. These are the books that first graders will choose from for the first Mohansicott Award:

What To Do About Alice? by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham	Owney, the Mail Pouch Pooch by Mona Kerby, illustrated by Lynne Barasch	Old Bear written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes	A Kitten Tale written and illustrated by Eric Rohmann	Grace For President by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Monarch and Milkweed by Helen Frost, illustrated by Leonid Gore	Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, illustrated by Ed Young	1, 2 Buckle My Shoe by Anna Grossnickle Hines	Duel! : Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words by Dennis Fradin, illustrated by Larry Day	Louise: the Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Harry Bliss

We will use a survey website for our election, so we can easily track the winner. I can't wait to get started sharing these books together! Even if your favorite doesn't win, there's nothing better than discovering a wonderful new story!