At the end of January, the Youth Media Awards were announced by the American Library Association. These are kind of like the Grammys or Oscars for those who love children’s books. Like many others, I celebrate when my favorite books of the year win and rush to read those I haven’t yet. The winners and honor books exemplify the richness in children’s literature and are some of the best of the best picture books from 2024. A full list of award winners can be found on Central Rappahannock Regional Library’s website at librarypoint.org.
The winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children is Chooch Helped, opens a new window, written by Andrea L. Rogers and illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz. In Chooch Helped, a young girl gets increasingly frustrated when her toddler brother, Chooch, is repeatedly praised for “helping” when what he is really doing is making a mess or getting in the way. The girl’s feelings change when Chooch comforts her when she is crying, and she comes to understand the special ways that her little brother is helpful. A distinguishing characteristic of Chooch Helped is the incorporation of Cherokee words throughout, as well as a glossary and pronunciation guide in the backmatter.
My Daddy Is a Cowboy, opens a new window, written by Stephanie Seales and illustrated by C.G. Esperanza, is the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award winner, which recognizes outstanding illustrations in children’s books by African American artists. The vibrant illustrations in this book perfectly convey the excitement and energy of this story about a girl and her father taking an early morning urban horseback ride through quiet streets before the city is fully awake.
The Schneider Family Book Award recognizes books for their portrayal of the disability experience. A Little Like Magic, opens a new window, written and illustrated by Sarah Kurpiel, is the winner in the Younger Children’s category. I wrote about this book in my column last month, where I focused on “snowy” books. A Little Like Magic is the delightful story of a girl who is resistant to going with her mother to view ice sculptures, then ends up having a magical experience in the wintry environment that changes her mind. The fact that the girl is in a wheelchair is reflected in the illustrations in a natural and seamless way.
The winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book is Vacation, opens a new window, written by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Mark Teague. Vacation is part of the Bat, Cat & Rat, opens a new window series, which follows the silly adventures of the three friends. As a beginning reader, the text is written to help children build their reading skills by using simple vocabulary and sight words, and the plot is simple but engaging so that young readers have positive experiences and will be enthusiastic about reading more.
The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children went to Life After Whale, opens a new window, written by Lynn Brunelle and illustrated by Jason Chin. This was my favorite non-fiction children’s book of the year, and I am thrilled it has been recognized with the Sibert Award. The blue whale is the largest creature on Earth, and I had never thought about what happens to its body after a whale dies at sea. Life After Whale tells that story, following the century-long cycle of life. Writing a good non-fiction book for children is harder than it seems, and this book presents just the right balance of scientific information and context to make it engaging and accessible for its intended elementary school readers.
Darcie Caswell is Director of Youth Services at CRRL. This column originally appeared in The Free Lance-Star newspaper.
