The Funny Little Woman

The Funny Little Woman won the Caldecott some years ago.
It's a retelling of a Japanese folk tale that reminded my nine
year old of Strega Nona with its theme of a magical cookery
implement (A rice paddle rather than the Strega Nona pasta pot).
The battered little paperback has been sitting unloved and unread
in my house for years, and I decided it was time for it to seek 
a new home. But first I coralled the boys on the couch for
a read aloud. As usual, both protested. I threatened my neurotypical
child with an electronic device ban and told my son with autism
that even though he hadn't "planned to read" we were reading. 
It's a good read aloud. 
You may know some of my touchstones by now.
The Funny Little Woman includes:
1) illustrations that are clear and relate to the story
(they're also next to the words they illustrate)
2) minimal subtext
(adults may find some here, kids are unlikely to and the
story doesn't need it)
3) humor (giggling woman, dumpling chase, rescue by prat fall)
4) repetition (my dumpling)

 Here's another description of this book 
from a blogger who read Caldecott winners with her
girls and had them journal afterwards. She provides
a list of Caldecott winners through 2010. 

Award Winners

This year I've never heard of the Newbery 
and Caldecott winners.
This is usual. 
And as usual, the winners look well worth a look.
The picture book seems a bit over the top illustratively 
for kids who relate better to clear, realistic pictures. 
But the message of someone searching to belong and
succeeding is great. 
And my boy loves poems. 
I'm hoping he'll give The Crossover a try.

Here's an article by Christina Barron from the Washington Post about the winners.

D.C.-area poet and author Kwame Alexander won the Newbery Medal 

on Monday for “The Crossover,” his book written in verse about 12-year-old basketball-playing twin boys.

KidsPost reviewer Abby McGanney Nolan wrote that the poems are “sometimes fresh and funny, sometimes sad and painful, but always move the story along in a compelling way.”

Alexander said the book was partly inspired by basketball legends such as Michael Jordan and the way their playing is described as “poetry in motion.”

Two books, “El Deafo” by Cece Bell and “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson, were awarded Newbery Honors.

“The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend” by Dan Santat was awarded the Caldecott Medal for the year’s best picture book. Six books were named Caldecott honor books.