A Caldecott Celebration: Seven Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal - Tapa dura

To celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the Caldecott Medal and another decade of award-winning picture books, noted children's book historian Leonard S. Marcus has updated this absorbing and informative picture of the world's most prestigious illustration award and seven of its acclaimed winners: Robert McCloskey, Marcia Brown, Maurice Sendak, William Steig, Chris Van Allsburg, David Wiesner, and now Mordicai Gerstein.

Along with a newly added preface and an introduction that provides a historical perspective on the origins of the award, Marcus takes us into the studios and behind the drawing boards of these seven noteworthy artists, each representing a decade of the award's history. Through personal anecdotes and glimpses of their prize-winning books and works in progress—from doodles to sketches to dummies to finished art—readers will find out how their favorite picture books were imagined and created. The artists reveal their inspirations, work processes, and private reactions to receiving this unparalleled honor.

A Caldecott Celebration illuminates the creative process while applauding the talents of the creators themselves. Complete with an up-to-date list of winners, this essential book belongs on the bookshelf of every teacher, parent, child, or book collector who has ever been dazzled by the art of children's book illustration or has aspired to create original work of his or her own.

LEONARD S. MARCUS is one of the world's leading writers about children's books and the artists and authors who create them. His own awarding-winning books for middle-grade and teen readers include Pass It Down, Side by Side, and The Wand in the Word. Two million parents read his monthly review column in Parenting magazine, and he has been a frequent contributor to the New York Times Book Review and numerous other publications. He holds degrees in history from Yale and poetry from the University of Iowa Graduate Writers' Workshop, and he is the recipient of an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the Bank Street College of Education. He and his wife, the picture-book artist Amy Schwartz, live with their son, Jacob, in Brooklyn, New York. Visit his Web site at www.leonardmarcus.com.