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February 10, 2026Protected: Librarians Know When It’s Time to Move to a Better Library ILS
March 14, 2026Explore 2026 Caldecott Award Books + Activities!
Let's look at the Caldecott Book selection (and a few other books that were favorites) and decide if you would come up with the same winner our ALA Judges did.
THIS YEAR'S 2026 CALDECOTT AWARD-WINNERS WERE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY, JAN 26th.
THIS LIST INCLUDES SOME OF THE WINNERS ALONG WITH SOME MOCK AWARD BOOKS.
I thought it would be fun for you to read top book selections for this year with patrons. You can really delve into the books, read and discuss what makes them great! You can explore what the ART does to bring the picture book magic. See how these authors draw you into story.
Which one do this best?
What can we learn from that?
There's so much this year to get excited about. Books with interactive elements: Choice, Fact or Lie, Story in Three parts or Three Authors. More graphic novels at lower reading levels. Texts embracing the book form as an added element of the book's story.
Nonetheless, please enjoy reading and talking and doing some of the suggested activities by the book with me.
Randolph Caldecott Medal
Randolph Caldecott Medal
Chooch Helped, illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz, written by Andrea L. Rogers (Levine Querido), is the 2025 Caldecott Medal winner.
Five Books, 1 Caldecott Winner, 4 Honor Books + 5 Short Listed on Mock Caldecott
Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, illus. by Cátia Chien
Sundust by Zeke Peña , illus. + written
Cat Nap by Brian Lies, illus. + written
Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan, illus. + written
Our Lake by Angie Kang, illus. + written
Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, illus. by Dan Santat
To See an Owl by Matthew Cordell, illus. + written
Stalactite & Stalagmite by Drew Beckmeyer
Papilio by Ben Clayton, Corey R. Tabor, Andy Chou Musser, illus. + written
Worm Makes A Sandwich by Brianne Farley
Before you read.
We often talk about building books that gift readers with an experience and bring them to life through Onomatopoeia, dialogue, lists, and alliteration—here we get all of it. "Chins dip sweet drops." Such a nice way to shae that feeling of deliciousness, author style.
Then watch how this author draws you in by breaking down the fourth wall and speaking to you directly: "Reader, I won't lie." And, he will mix in plentiful word play: "It was a CAT-astrophe!"
Watch for this all this writing fun as you read.
1 Fireworks by Matthew Burgess
"★ WINNER OF THE 2026 CALDECOTT MEDAL!
★ SEVEN STARRED REVIEWS
★ A NEW YORK TIMES/NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST ILLUSTRATED CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR
★ THE SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS GOLD MEDAL WINNER
★ KIRKUS' BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR * BOOKLIST'S EDITOR'S CHOICE PICKS OF THE YEAR
★ SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
★ PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
★ A HORN BOOK FANFARE PICK
★ THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
★ CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST OF THE YEAR
★ NPR'S BEST OF THE YEAR ROUNDUP
★ A CHARLOTTE ZOLOTOW HONOR BOOK *
FIREWORKS is a sparkling picture book from the award-winning team of Matthew Burgess and Cátia Chien, highlighting the simple delights of a steamy July day in the city as two siblings eagerly anticipate a spectacular fireworks display.
POP!
As a hot day sizzles into evening, everyone on stoops and sidewalks looks skyward on this special summer night—the Fourth of July! Words and art blossom into flowers of fire across the sky, making this a perfect read for firework enthusiasts in cities and suburbs everywhere" (Amazon).
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Before you read.
Extending our conversations about building books that gift readers with an experience, this books comes directly from the author's life experience, living near a desert. Zeka brings this to life with his reader.
Then, this author shares desert creatures and moves the reader into the more mystical aspects of desert life: the sun and it's role in the universe.
2 Sundust by Zeke Peña
A Caldecott Honor Book 2026!
"In his striking author-illustrator debut, the award-winning illustrator of My Papi Has a Motorcycle offers an immersive and fantastical desert adventure, where the sun reigns over the vast landscape and shapes all that it touches.
“A hypnotic joy.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Where the rock wall ends, the desert beyond begins.
Following a blazing trail of sundust, two curious siblings hop the wall into a place that’s endless and free. Here, prickly old nopal trees beg to be climbed, empty turtle shells invite a closer look, enormous rocks model how to sit still and listen, and a colibrí offers an unexpected ride. In the desert, where life revolves around the Sun, brother and sister explore, imagine, and wonder, What if Sun’s power was inside me? until their mom’s whistle calls them back home again.
With spare, lyrical text, Pura Belpré Honor and Ezra Jack Keats Honor recipient Zeke Peña has created a fantastical tale that suspends moments in time with his radiant art and celebrates the bonds between the sun, the desert, and its people" (Amazon).
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Before you read.
Let's explore more about good writing. Let's continue our conversations about gifting readers with an experience. In this book, the author SLOWS Mabel's Monday experience for the reader. Jashar creates a list of what Mabel does to begin her day: 1) Mabel wakes; 2) She drags a chair down the hall; 3) Then, what does she do?
What is your list of the things you do to start your day?
3 Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan, illus. + written
A Caldecott Honor Book 2026.
“An arm-pumping, truck-horn toot to each person reveling in their own ‘garbage'.” —BCCB (starred review)
From the creator of I’m Going to Build a Snowman comes a “enthusiastic, delightful” (BookPage, starred review) celebration of community helpers that captures the joy and wonder of being a kid, centering around a precocious girl whose favorite day of the week is Monday.
Every Monday, Mabel wakes up early and peeks out her window to make sure she didn’t miss the one thing she’s been looking forward to the whole week. She drags her chair down the hallway, past her big sister and Mom and Dad, out the door, and waits.
What is Mabel waiting for every Monday? According to Mabel, it’s the best thing in the world. But no one else in her family seems to understand…until they see what’s honking down the street (Amazon)!
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Before you read.
Be warned. This is the kind of book that makes you want to admit, "Wow, I wish I would have thought of something so genuinely clever and unique that also shares a whole lotta science." This is it. If mineral formations could have friends. Stalactite clings to the ceiling for millions of years wanting to connect to someone who he can claim his friend. Seems to me it would be boring, but what does this author do to make this book uber exciting for you, the readers?
4Stalactite & Stalagmite by Drew Beckmeyer, written + illustrated
A Caldecott Honor Book 2026!
"Four starred reviews!
'Both gloriously expansive and goofy—in short, everything young readers could ask for.' —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A hilarious and thought-provoking picture book about two little cave rock formations who witness the entire history of the world, perfect for fans of Oliver Jeffers, Jon Klassen, and Mac Barnett.
DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.
Time flies for two charming little cave nubs, Stalactite and Stalagmite. Over millions of years, creatures and things pass in and out of their cave, everything from a trilobite, an ichthyostega, and a triceratops, to a ground sloth and a bat.
When you are an ageless rock formation, it’s nice to have a friend who’s always there. But what will happen when the two nubs grow enough to finally touch" (Amazon)?
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Before you read.
How does this book share and "experience" the reader would want to know about? Is it one experience or more?
5Our Lake by Angie Kang, written + Illustrated
A Caldecott Honor Book 2026!
"A tender and vulnerable exploration of love and loss that follows two boys as they take their first trip back to the lake without their father, from debut author-illustrator Angie Kang.
Today, Brother is taking me up to swim in the lake like Father used to.
I want to thank him for bringing us here, but I can’t find the words.
Instead, I loop my arms around his torso, and he does the same back.
Here, in our lake, the water holds us close.
On a sweltering hot day, a little boy mirrors his brother as he takes off his shirt, stretches, and walks toward the edge of the tall rock, ready to dive into the cool lake waters glistening below. Only this time, Father is not here. And the water looks so far away. How can he take the plunge?
With a gorgeous, deft touch in her exquisitely soft illustrations and words, Angie Kang conveys vulnerability, longing, and connection as these two boys hear Father’s laugh and see his memory all around them, uniting them in a bittersweet moment" (Amazon).
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Before you read.
If a book is an experience, then what do we learn from a mouse and cat chasing each other "experience" the reader would want to know about? Is it one experience or more? In this book, the reader chases a mouse and cat though art museums, time, space, and history. How does this create fun for the readers of this book?
6 Cat Nap by Brian Lies, illus. + written
"SEVEN STARRED REVIEWS:
★ NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK
★ INDIE NEXT PICK
★ ALA NOTABLE BOOK
★ KIRKUS BEST BOOK
★ BOOKPAGE BEST BOOK
★ BOSTON GLOBE BEST BOOK
★ HORN BOOK FANFARE
★ SHELF AWARENESS BEST BOOK
★ SCBWI GOLDEN KITE AWARD FINALIST
“Utterly beautiful, playfully fun, and, above all, breathtaking.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Mr. Lies has set a new standard for ingenuity” —Wall Street Journal
With lush paintings and intricately constructed 3-D artwork, bestselling and Caldecott Honor–winning author-illustrator Brian Lies introduces a sleepy kitten whose afternoon nap transforms into an epic journey through art, time, and history.
In the warm, late afternoon sunlight, a girl sits on the couch reading a book. Her kitten dozes nearby. But when Kitten notices a mouse and dives after it through a framed poster on the wall, an epic chase through time, art, and history ensues. Is it a dream? That’s up to the reader to decide, but for the kitten, every leap and bound is full of suspense and makes for a masterpiece.
Caldecott Honor–winning and New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Brian Lies creates a truly unique picture book journey that invites young readers through the galleries of an art museum as well as through time, space, and history. As the cat and mouse leap from one page to the next, they are portrayed in the style of masterful artworks from history—an ancient Egyptian relief, an illuminated manuscript, a stained-glass window, a ceramic dog—each painstakingly and lovingly re-created in its original media by Brian Lies.
When the sly mouse gets away, Kitten finds himself lost and alone. Will art help him find his way home?" (Amazon).
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Before you read.
This is one fun book. This one got my attention right away, and I love the illustrations in this. Fun. Big. Engaging. So take a peek and list the many reasons you should not trust fish.
7Don't Trust Fish
"NATIONAL BESTSELLER • An absurdly laugh-out-loud funny picture book about the villainy of fish, illustrated by National Book Award-winning creator Dan Santat
"A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on." —Kirkus, starred review
ONE OF SLATE'S 25 GREATEST PICTURE BOOKS OF THE PAST 25 YEARS
ONE OF BOOKPAGE'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: New York Magazine, NPR, Chicago Public Library, Smithsonian Magazine, Libby, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Publishers Lunch, BookPage, Booklist, School Library Journal, Book Riot, BCCB, Imagination Soup, Parent Map, The Children's Book Review, EBSCO NoveList
Why, dear reader, must you NEVER EVER trust fish?
1) They spend all their time in the water where we can’t see them.
2) Some are as big as a bus—that is not okay.
3) We don't know what they're teaching in their "schools."
4) They are likely plotting our doom.
This nature-guide-gone-wrong is a hilarious, off-the-rails exploration of the seemingly innocent animals that live in the water" (Amazon).
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Before you read.
Returning to our chat about experience, how does this book share an expanded experience? What do we learn about owls? What do we learn about learning about owls? What is your favorite part of this story? Write a letter to the Author.
8To See an Owl by Matthew Cordell, written + illustrated
"A SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
When will I find you?
Where could you be?
What will it take?
To see an owl.
Silent and wide-eyed, owls are hidden creatures of the night. Janie has always dreamed of finding one. She searches everywhere for signs of an owl – on the open prairie for short-eared owls, on the beach for snowy owls, and for great horned owls in the woods near her home. But months go by, and she sees no owls. She wonders, what will it take to see an owl?
Her teacher, Mr. Koji, a fellow bird-lover, shares that he, too, waited a long time to see an owl. He assures her, “If you are very quiet and very patient, and if you look very close, you might just find them.”
When the snow begins to fall, Janie and her mother head into the woods again, and as she looks carefully, hidden high up in the trees, what she sees is pure magic.
From Matthew Cordell, the creator of Wolf in the Snow that was awarded the Caldecott Medal, comes this beautiful story about quiet perseverance that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the anticipation of discovering a rare treasure in the wild" (Amazon).
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Before you read.
This is made in 3 parts by 3 author-illustrators. How does the sections play a part in telling this story? What do we learn about the stages of butterflies as they grow? The funniest part for me is shared below: "It won't be long before she's soaring effortlessly through the air, a graceful, beautiful butterfly." What is your favorite funny part?
9Papilio by Ben Clayton, Corey R. Tabor, Andy Chou Musser, written + illustrated
"A tale told in three parts by three friends! Powerhouse creators, Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser, have come together to create a wholly inventive picture book that is perfect for fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Introducing Papilio Polyxenes, the Black Swallowtail Butterfly! She’s an adorable and hilarious caterpillar who is ready to join the world and become a butterfly! But growing up is a complicated work in progress, and Papilio encounters some hiccups as she learns to fly, fall, and feed. While avoiding foes and making friends, she transforms from caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly...and most importantly, learns to believe in herself along the way.
Told in three parts and complete with backmatter about butterflies, mega-bestselling author-illustrator Ben Clanton (Narwhal and Jelly), Caldecott Honoree Corey R. Tabor (Mel Fell) and rising star Andy Chou Musser (Ploof) have come together to create an expressive character who exudes all of the emotions that accompany life's big firsts and the experiences that help us to discover our inner strength" (Amazon).
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Before you read.
This book is one of my favorites this year. It's just not every day that you get to listen to a worm telling you how they will make you a sandwich. This a great way to learn about composting while taking care of your hungry problem. And Worm says, as you can see on the cover , that he does makes this sandwich "All by myself!" Does he? Turn and talk!
10Worm Makes a Sandwich by Brianne Farley, written + illustrated
"A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year.
A sweetly humorous picture book about composting, told from the point of view of a worm.
Meet Worm. He might be little. He might have no hands. But Worm would love to make a sandwich, just for you!
To get started he'll need just one thing: garbage! Delicious, delectable garbage like apple cores and mushy grapes, broccoli bottoms and carrot tops, sad celery, and drippy cucumbers. Worm and his friends eat the garbage. And then they do what everyone does after they eat garbage. They poop! The poop goes in the compost and the compost goes in your garden, which is where the vegetables for your sandwich come from!
Simple, right? Worm thought you'd agree. He might just need a bit of assistance along the way . . .
This hilarious, engaging picture book is the perfect introduction to the process of composting from start to finish, told from the perspective of one little worm who is very eager to help" (Amazon).
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Create Explore Pane & Share Read Alouds + Activities Schoolwide
Here's How
- Download Image + Caldecott 2026.txt file
- Open /ExploreBuilder/
- Save to Desktop
- Click COG + Import
- Select TXT + Click OK.
