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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