Mock Caldecott Winners - 2013-2026

 

2026: This Book is Dangerous!

 

2025: The Squish

 

2024: 100 Mighty Dragons, All Named Broccoli

 

2023: I Want to Be a Vase

 

2022: Off-Limits

 

2021: Snail Crossing

 

2020: Who Wet My Pants?
(second GC win in a row for Zachariah!)

 

2019: Niblet and Ralph

 

2018: Creepy Pair of Underwear!

 

2017: School's First Day of School
(second GC win for Christian Robinson!)

 

2016: I'm Trying to Love Spiders

 

2015: Gaston

 

2014: Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great

 

2013: This is Not My Hat (ALA Winner!)

AASL: I.B.3 - Generating products that illustrate learning; II.B.1 - Interacting with learners who reflect a range of perspectives; II.C.1 - Learners exhibit empathy with and tolerance for diverse ideas by: 1. Engaging in informed conversation and active debate. 2. Contributing to discussions in which multiple viewpoints on a topic are expressed.; III.B - Learners participate in personal, social, and intellectual networks; III.D.1 - Actively contributing to group discussions; V.A.1 - Reading widely and deeply in multiple formats and write and create for a variety of purposes.

Common Core: SL.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1/2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups; SL.2 Ask and answer questions about/recount or describe key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media; RL.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text; RL.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events; W.1 Write opinion pieces in which they name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure

Rhode Island Cross-Curricular Proficiencies: Collaboration - Incorporate diverse perspectives to promote an exchange of ideas with reasoning and evidence; Communication - Organize information to communicate ideas and responses when using any mode of communication

Rhode Island School Library Curriculum Priority Skills: 1.1 - Develops own opinion about a topic with evidence to support the opinion; 3.2 - Participates in collaborative conversations with peers and adults to share ideas and information

Options 

Mock Caldecott 2014 Reads - Batch 2

My second-grade Mock Caldecott unit doesn't quite follow the exact criteria of the official award, because I'm also reading for how much I think the story will entertain my students. Here are some that made the cut:

source: us.penguingroup.com

The Day the Crayons Quit
Author: Drew Daywalt
Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers

Really, what else can you do for a related activity but set the kids loose with crayons? Well, I guess you could have them write complaint letters. Hmm. Not sure I want to go that route. Maybe we'll talk about the color wheel and do that trick where you use opposite colors, stare at them, and then look at a white surface and see the correct colors in the afterimage.

Here is that optical illusion and some others.

source: hachettebookgroup.com

The Dark
Author: Lemony Snicket
Illustrator: Jon Klassen

When I saw these two had teamed up, I almost fainted. Which is why I already read this book to my kids last year, when they were first graders. I loved the range of predictions as to what would happen when Laszlo went into the basement: from "I think it's his parents playing a trick on him!" to "I think he's going to be dead!" And then I got to show them these videos:

Grr, the other one is coming up as Not Found in Blogspot, even though I can view it on Youtube. It's the "Light / Dark" song with the guy cutting a hole in the wall ...

source: missmoorethought
otherwise.com

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise
Author: Jan Pinborough
Illustrator: Debby Atwell

Even if this book were terrible, how could I not want to read it? It's about a Miss Moore who believes in libraries for children! Luckily, the book is great. I've read several picture-book biographies this summer, and I think this is the best of the bunch. Kid-friendly, but fairly complete in its storytelling of a life. And the title tag line just works so well.

Take a look at Nicholas Knickerbocker's treasures!

source: us.penguingroup.com

Time-Out for Sophie
Rosemary Wells

I anticipate many dramatic stories of younger siblings and their bad behavior. Open to any ideas for accompanying activities.

source: disney.go.com

Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great
Bob Shea

Goofy but with a message ... get to know people (or, in this case, animals) before you judge them. Will pair well with Bear & Bee.

I'm trying to incorporate music into my lessons this year, so I think I will teach the kids The Unicorn Song. Although I do remember being very sad when I heard it when I was little. Those poor frisky unicorns. But hey, they weren't listening or following directions ... see what happens, kids?? Consequences!

The World is Waiting for You

source: randomhouse.com

Author: Barbara Kerley
Photographers: Various

I am not sure if this book would qualify for the official award, not because it is illustrated with photographs (see Betsy Bird's 2010 post about this), but because the photos weren't taken specifically to go with the text. Regardless, they are gorgeous and inspiring. I loved this before I even realized that it alternates between kids having fun and adults doing the same activities as a career. This may be the new go-to graduation gift!

Play the Virginia Career View game.

Mock Caldecott 2014 Reads - Batch 1

I am already looking forward to second quarter of the school year, because I'll be doing a Mock Caldecott with my second graders again. I have been reading dozens of books that reviewers and other librarians thought might be worthy of the reward. Here are some that I think my kids will enjoy:

source: ruzzier.com

Bear and Bee  
Sergio Ruzzier

A sweet demonstration of how our preconceived notions and prejudices are mostly just silly. I will be recommending to my guidance counselors.

You can download activity sheets from Ruzzier's site.

source: goodreads.com

Exclamation Mark
Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld

As a grammar and punctuation nerd, I am excited to have the kids see that such things can be FUN.

What's My Mark? game
Rags to Riches game - easier
Rags to Riches game - harder
Punctuation Paintball game

source: childrensbooksalmanac.com

Lucky Ducklings
Author: Eva Moore
Illustrator: Nancy Carpenter

Based on a true story, this will remind most readers of Make Way for Ducklings.

Evidently, ducklings fall down grates a lot. I was trying to find a video of the Montauk even to show, but will have to settle for this one for now:

source: randomhouse.com

The Mighty Lalouche
Author: Matthew Olshan
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall

Put together the post office, boxing, French phrases, and an underdog story, and you have this charmer. J'ADORE the names given to Lalouche's opponents: Ampere, the Piston, the Pointillist, the Misanthrope. And the paper cutout watercolor art is lovely.

Brainpickings.org has samples of old-timey photographs that Blackall used for inspiration.

source: harpercollinschildrens.com

That Is Not a Good Idea
Mo Willems

Can Mo Willems do no wrong? From the silent movie design to the Greek chorus of baby geese to the twist ending, this is another instant classic. I'm excited to share this with the students, because we read lots of Pigeon and Elephant & Piggie books last year when they were in first grade.

I am a huge Buster Keaton fan and think this is the perfect opportunity to introduce him ... see 10:00 for a scene with dialogue cards.

source: peachtreepub.
blogspot.com

Tiger in My Soup 
Author: Kashmira Sheth
Illustrator: Jeffrey Ebbeler

Super bold artwork shows how a boy's imagination works overtime as he begs his older sister to read him a story. Cool perspectives and visual treats (like the T I G E R cascading into his bowl of alphabet treats as she serves him lunch) make for a striking book.

pbkids.org has an alphabet soup riddle game.