Medal. New York: Walker and Company. ISBN: 0802786561.
This book gives the stories behind six Caldecott Medal winning books and their authors. The authors' inspirations for their books, brief biographies, and other interesting pieces of information are given, including medium used by the author to create the illustrations and quotes from their acceptance speeches.
The book was informatve as well as interesting. There was enough information given on the authors to create a genuine interest in their lives, but not too much to become boring. There were some times when the wording started to get a little lengthy. For instance, in the section on Martha Brown's Cinderella, there was a paragraph that described how she decided on a publisher. This information seemed unnecessary and might not hold the attention of young children.
The layout of the pictures within the book varies from page to page and helps to keep the book lively and hold the reader's attention. The inclusion of some of the authors' rough draft sketches were one of the best parts of the book. They would appeal to both children and adults who are interested in seeing how the final illustrations came about. The sketches of the frogs for Tuesday were particularly interesting. Also the photographs included in the book added depth to the stories. The sculpture of the ducklings with the mother in the park in Boston shows the impact the book, Make Way for Ducklings, had on the surrounding community.
The quotes from the authors during their acceptance speeches for the award were my favorite part of this book.
