Most of my summer days involved trekking to the library by bike and camping among the stacks. Reading was and still is my favorite pastime.
At the library, I realized you could indeed judge a book by its cover because the best books were Caldecott and Newbury winners and all you had to do was find their shiny stickers.
I'd forgotten about my childhood short-cut to good literature until I starting buying books for Jude. The sticker has once again become a beacon, luring me to the precious gems.
Please check out the list of all the 2006 winners. My current favorite Caldecott read is "Zen Shorts", written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth, Scholastic Press. It is astonishingly good and I don't think I'll ever tire of its beautiful lessons.
From the ALA site:
"Zen Shorts, Muth’s story of inquisitive siblings befriending a wise panda, is told through luminous watercolors interwoven with three lessons, set apart by starkly contrasting Asian-inspired brush paintings. The interplay of artistic styles elegantly conveys the gentle, timeless messages of self-knowledge and acceptance."
Available at Amazon and my favorite place, your local library!
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