It’s been a while since Hannah paraded her contestants around, making promises of Mirette’s hardhitting high-wire fire, Ox-cart man’s intimidating wife, and Sylvester’s pebble with it’s magic powers. Pish posh, I say. The Caldecott is about the fantastical, the mystical, the mysterious, the profound! Not ox and pebbles! I present, the contenders, or should I say the squashers, and the winners!

We’ll start with the 1992 winner Tuesday by David Wiesner. This was Wiesner’s first Caldecott win, but it wouldn’t be his last. Tuesday doesn’t rely on fancy words: this book is almost completely wordless. The beautiful illustrations of Tuesday were the first thing that drew me to Wiesner’s work. Using his brush strokes alone, Wiesner gives me the watercolored tools to mop up Mirette: Frogs. That’s right, frogs. Flying on lily pads. They come in the night, intriguing and terrorizing the characters within this book and amazing the reader. Mirette may be a high-wire show off, but these frogs show her up. Hannah: 0, Emily: 1.

Continuing with this sparse theme, we have my next prize-wining fighter: My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann. “My friend Rabbit means well. But whatever he does, wherever he goes, trouble follows.” And so begins the tale of an imaginative rabbit who, despite his best efforts, is always in trouble. And while trouble is bad when trying to be good, it’s perfect when trying to beat the competition. Look at this rabbit! He can lift a bear! Take that Ox-Cart Man. We don’t need no cart! Boo yah!

And Hannah, I finish with a 1-2-punch: I give you Flotsam by David Wiesner. This was Wiesner’s third Caldecott win and with it he became only 1 of 2 people who have won the award three times (Marcia Brown was the first). Flotsam tells the story of a camera that has been to unimaginable places. With the same beautiful watercolor style as he showed us in Tuesday, Wiesner blows his audience away with breath-taking scenes such as the one below. So which is better: Sylvester’s magic rock, or starfish with whole islands on their backs. Well, dear reader, I’ll let y’all be the judge of that.

As I’m sure you’ve all been waiting with bated breath about what will take place in our grand Caldecott competition (details about said competition found here)– ladies and gentlemen and other gentlebookcreatures, allow me to introduce who I am sure will be the front runners in this competition. Mirette with her death-defying feats of balance! Sylvester with his death-defying trick of turning into a rock when threatened (but, ah, also being unable to unturn himself back–but that’s irrelevant)! The nameless ox-cart man with absolutely no death-defying feats whatsoever but with solid family values and an excellent work ethic!

Let’s start with brave little Mirette. Mirette on the High Wire won the Caldecott in 1993, just in time for me to dive in and become obsessed with it while I was learning to read. Written and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully, this beautiful book is about a little girl in France who stumbles across a high-wire walker practicing his art while he is staying at her mother’s inn. Mirette is obsessed. She has to learn how to walk on the wire too! And as you probably have guessed already, she does, and she does it marvelously. I don’t want to give away too much, so suffice it to say, she RULES at the high-wire by the end. So here’s my case for Mirette: she is nimble like a cat, y’all. She’s also a sassy redhead who doesn’t give up, so she’s a fierce competitor. Bring it on Emily Grossenbacher, Queen of Oz. Mirette will crush your contestants.

Next in the ring is the ever-industrious Ox-Cart Man (winner in 1980 and written by Donald Hall and illustrated by the incredible Barbara Cooney). This nameless colonial family man lives off of the land, makes all of the stuff that he uses to live off of the land, then proceeds to sell all of the things that he made and all leftovers of the food from the land he lives off of, and then starts all over again the next year. BAM. I have nothing else to say about this. Wilderness god. If you’re stuck in a bind, stick with this fellow. But ask his wife first– she’s pretty intimidating too.

Lastly but not leastly, Sylvester and that dang magic pebble. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble won the Caldecott for William Steig in 1970, so I can’t play the nostalgia card like I did with Mirette and tell you that this marvelous book was released just as I was beginning my love affair with books. I wasn’t even a twinkle in my father’s eye in 1970 y’all. I’m very young. But being this young has it’s advantages, namely that I still remember how obsessed I was with this book when I was a tiny thing– like three weeks ago. So Sylvester finds this pebble that turns out to be magic and then immediately turns himself into a rock when he sees an angry lion heading his way. What an ass. (Pun intended. I know. I’m sorry.) Sylvester had to stay a rock for quite some time before his parents randomly find the rock that is Sylvester and have a picnic on it, in turn waking up Sylvester and reuniting their family. Sylvester was a tough pick for me because he was really quite dumb, but in the end, William Steig is hilarious and you always want any kind of magic stone or crystal in your corner– it might come in handy later.

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Everybody gird your loins, it’s awards season. Now, before you pish posh me right out of the blogosphere, let me clarify: I am not referring to the star-studded televised awards in which the skimpily dressed (or in some cases, robed in billowing garments of raw meat) win lovely golden figurines. I am instead speaking of the lesser-known but infinitely more edifying youth book awards! Ah yes, the Newbery — spelled with only one stupid ‘r’, forever embarrassing us when we write it out incorrectly in front of other book people — and oh yes, yes yes! The Caldecott. Easier to spell, better to look at, and bucket tons of fun to read, because who are we kidding, you are never too old for a good picture book.

Jon Klassen recently won that hallowed golden sticker with his sparsely written, adorably simple book This Is Not My Hat. How we oohed and ahhed over that book. And then we thought, (and by we, I actually mean Emily, but since I am writing the introductory blog, I shall therefore take credit for all the things ever) “What if all these books had to fight it out?” All these tried and true picture books from the last 75 years, such wonderful stories and pictures- if they had to duke it out who would win? Which would be the one book to rule them all? (and in the darkness bind them….mwa ha ha)

So here’s how it’s going to work. Since we are now looking at 75 years worth of Caldecott winners, we couldn’t realistically throw them all in a ring and watch them fight it out. We’re weeding out the weak. No paperbacks! And no out of print books! Sorry OPs, you’re basically a contestant who has already died. Our condolences. Also, since you may or may not realize this, books are inanimate objects that cannot literally punch or bite each other; therefore, a few Lemurians will be taking on the roles of sponsors, bringing to the front their best contenders.

In a series of four blogs we will choose the winning-est books of them all and determine the fiercest. You think Make Way for Ducklings was cute? Wait till you get a load of Madeline rescuing Genevieve. Oh wait, Where the Wild Things Are is the best book you’ve ever read? Psh, you must have missed the time Sylvester found that magic pebble. Because we will be so heavily invested in our own contestants (I’ll be in the corner with the Ox-Cart Man rubbing his shoulders and preparing him to give the ‘ole haymaker to that Girl Who Loved Wild Horses), we are hoping that you, our esteemed readers, will offer your impartial opinions on who you think the winner should be in the comments for each blog. If you already have a winner in mind, shout it out now –or forever hold your peace.

If Katniss had been up against The Song and Dance Man, I honestly don’t think she would stand a chance, arrows or not.

Bear with me here. If this sounds crazy, that’s because it is. But really, if you are either writing this blog or reading it (and if you are neither of the two then you are MAGIC) then you are a little crazy, and book crazy is the best crazy. What we’re proposing is this: Let’s do it. Let’s actually take that ridiculous question posed by Emily and put it into practice, Catching Fire style. We’ll pit the winners against each other and see who is the one ring–I mean book to rule them all.

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As we have mentioned before, we have these amazing reps from most publishers whose books we sell. Here to comment on some of her favorite books is Sarah Nasif, my wonderfully amazing Random House Children’s Books rep. She will be joining us montly to help us spread the word about children’s books:

Hello Lemuria Bookstore and Oz Blog readers! I’m a book rep for Random House Children’s Books, a Mississippi resident (I live in Vicksburg), a wife and mom, and a regular customer at Lemuria and Oz. I also help run a book blog called Random Acts of Reading with my fellow reps. You can check us out here for author interviews, book buzz and all sorts of cool industry insider stuff. I’m thrilled that Emily has agreed to let me contribute, and I hope that I can help you discover some new favorites along the way!

Today, I want to share what I’ve been reading to my 7 month old daughter, Mia. As you can imagine there is no shortage of books in our house, but we tend to pick a few favorites and read them over and over. While I know the repetition is good for her, I try to switch it up every week or two for my own sake!

One board book that I have been reading to her since she was born and have not gotten tired of yet is A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na. This sweet bedtime board book explores a variety of animals’ sleep habits and the illustrations are just gorgeous. It is also available in hardcover picture book format if your child has moved past the phase of trying to eat the book rather than read the book, which mine has not! Snow Rabbit Spring Rabbit is another favorite by this author, and it’s just out this month in board book format. Since we don’t get much snow in Mississippi, this book is a great way to introduce your little one to the winter season.

Sandra Boynton is a no brainer when it comes to baby shower gifts and we have a stack of her board books lining our shelves. What’s Wrong, Little Pookie is our new favorite – it makes me laugh every time I read it which sends Mia into fits of giggles. Little Pookie’s mom is trying to figure out what’s bothering him but she just can’t seem to guess right, and by the end Pookie has forgotten!

A fellow rep sent me a copy of one of her family favorites before Mia was born and it has quickly become one of ours. I am a Bunny by Ole Risom, illustrated by Richard Scarry is a classic about nature and the seasons. Its tall skinny size stands out fascinates Mia. She has just started turning the pages which makes her momma proud!

On one of my first days working at Lemuria this summer, Emily handed me a copy of WONDER by RJ Palacio and asked if I would read it and tell her what I thought. A novel about a fifth grade boy with a severely deformed face beginning school for the first time looked potentially interesting; however, it was soon lost in my massive ‘to be read’ pile.

A month or so ago, a trusted writer friend posted on her Facebook page that everyone should ‘drop everything and read it now,’ so I mentally noted to bump it up in priority. But when my eleven year-old sister informed me it was ‘the best book she had ever read,’ I gave in, picked it up, and started reading. I knew after just a few pages that I had a truly special book in my hands. When I finished it the other night at 1 AM, tears were rolling down my face in, let’s just say, not insignificant quantity.

I’ve tried and tried to find a quick tagline to sell this amazing book, but on the surface, it sounds too simple to be exciting: this boy with a very strange and even frightening face goes to school. Predictable reactions ensue, and things happen.

But the magic of this book is in the writing, it’s in the voices of the people who fill it. Each character, major or minor, is vividly drawn and wholly believable. Human, flawed (some more than others), honest, hilarious, and reflective—one thing I loved about this book was the rapid shifts from one perspective to another. Though at first we meet main character August, we soon hear the story told just as fascinatingly from his new friends at school, his sister, even his sister’s friends.

The story’s overriding theme of Kindness is a dangerous one—how, oh how, can one write a book for kids about “being kind” that doesn’t make your teeth hurt from the saccharine? Yet Palacio has done it, I promise you. And she does it by not ignoring the ugly parts; neither August’s reality nor the imperfect actions of even those who love him most. This, in the end, gives the story just enough ambiguity to make it sing.

There is some buzz in the children’s lit blog world that this book is a frontrunner for the 2013 Newbery Medal, and I would be downright shocked if it weren’t at least given an Honor. It is rare indeed to find a novel such as this one that is both ‘important’ AND entertaining—for both kids AND adults.

Even if your child is a reluctant, Wimpy Kid type of reader; please put this book in their hands. It is so important, especially in this age of disconnectedness and online bullying, as kids become more and more distanced from each other, to give them an opportunity to explore what it really feels like to be different. Fourth through eighth grade students are making choices, conscious or not, about what kind of person they are going to be. This book will make them laugh out loud and maybe even cry, and it will also raise their consciousness as they make tough decisions in their social lives at school, decisions that call on them to be braver than they’ll ever have to be as adults.

Short, snappy chapters, plenty of jokes, authentic kid voices (avoiding the dreaded ‘grown-up trying to sound like a kid’ doom that haunts so many might-have-been-great books), and social tension to make you suck in your breath and clench your fists (maybe especially for us grown-ups who had buried those memories deep, deep down) will keep the pages turning—and when the kids are done, I hope you’ll pick it up and read it for yourself.

It’s well worth it. It’s truly a Wonder.

by Mandy

I stumbled across this un-published blog Simon wrote in March, and wanted to share it today. We are all missing Simon, and here is a chance for us to hear his voice again. -Adie

Dear Listener,

Sometimes people are vain.  With the advancement of our culture’s attachment to search engines, boredom is likely to draw one into searching their own name.  Googling yourself has become common practice.  Much to this effect, I was sitting at a store computer one August afternoon when I decided to see what sort of books were existence that bore my first name.  When discovering a children’s picture book called Simon’s Book, I swiftly put in a special order for myself.  Just the other day, after forgetting about my vain order from the fall, Simon’s Book came in.  It became clear after thirty seconds of looking at the book that it was something I have missed out on my entire life.

The story follows “a young boy [who] stops drawing and goes to sleep, leaving his creation – Simon – stranded on the drawing pad with a huge, yet friendly, monster!  Doodles come to monstrous life as a wild chase through the pages ensues, with Simon aided by his trusty drawing pens.” We eventually come to realize the boy’s imagination is writing the book that we are watching play out.  A tale within a tale, the abstract nature of the story doesn’t stray far from the beautiful, sometimes challenging artwork.  This is a great book to share with a child you hope will understand or appreciate a higher concept of art that may not be seen much elsewhere.

The pens come to help.

Simon gets chased by the monster.

But the monster was nice (and sleepy).

To go along with the abstraction, here is the video for Fever Dreams from Nurses 2011 album Dracula.

by Simon