WOMEN MAKE PICTURE BOOKS TOO…
Of course, in making such predictions, all of us had helped generate buzz about those same male-authored books. And it’s hard to guess at what effect that buzz has on the award itself, in the end. So, in an attempt to create a little grassroots buzz for the women I admired, I wrote this post, and enlisted the help of my online community. Together, we created a list of amazing picture books illustrated by women.
For a number of years after that, I recreated the post, and each year I was truly shocked to discover many wonderful books I’d never even seen. Despite the fact that I now actively seek out women illustrators in my own reading.
Today, five years have passed. And guess what? The medal has been won by four men and one woman in that time. Those numbers are… not great. So here we are again, making a list! As usual, I’ll start off with a handful of books with art I especially love, and I invite you all to leave comments with your own suggestions (American artists, please, 2018 titles, illustrated by women, though they can be written by men). I’ll try to add them as quickly as possible.
Because WOMEN MAKE PICTURE BOOKS TOO!
(note: it’s important to me to say that I don’t mean to diminish the accomplishments of the individual men who have won the medal. Bad art doesn’t win this important award, and I know the committee takes its job very seriously each year, works hard. But we are all biased in so many ways, and it’s very clear that historically, the Caldecott reflects the systemic elevation of men in our industry. I’d really love it if we all became a little more aware of how our bias affects our preferences.)
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Jessica LOve
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Yuyi Morales
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Corinna Luyken
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Ekua Holmes
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Sophie Blackall
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Grace Lin
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Emily Hughes
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Dana Wulfekotte
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Hyewon Yum
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Jessie Sima
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Melissa Iwai
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Laura Vaccro Seeger
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Catia Chien
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Lauren Eldridge
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Jennifer Thermes
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Suzanne Kaufman
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Juana Martinez-Neal
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Giselle Potter
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Sarah Lynne Reul
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Sara Palacios
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Vashti Harrison
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Lily Williams
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Jessie Sima
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Kate Berube
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Anne Sibley O’Brien
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Dow Phumiruk
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Katherine Roy
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Stasia Burrington
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Micha Archer
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Thao Lam
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Patrice Barton
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Lita Judge
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Hannah E. Harrison
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Vanessa Brantley-Newton
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Airlie Anderson
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Jen Betton
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Ebony Glenn
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Julia Patton
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Melissa Larson
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Ekua Holmes
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Hadley Hooper
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Lucy Ruth Cummins
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Jen Hill
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Keturah A. Bobo
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Galia Bernstein
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Molly Idle
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September 8th, 2018 at 5:27 pm
Adrian Simcox!
September 8th, 2018 at 5:32 pm
already there! One of my faves!
September 10th, 2018 at 1:47 pm
I love Emily Hughes’s lush work in EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR A TREEHOUSE.
I’m a sucker for all of Hyewon Yum’s work. SATURDAY IS SWIMMING DAY is delightful. I especially love her use of watercolor for the pool.
I’d definitely put A BIG MOONCAKE FOR LITTLE STAR by Grace Lin on my list. It’s doing magic with (predominantly) only three colors: black, yellow, and white. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
September 10th, 2018 at 1:50 pm
SATURDAY IS SWIMMING DAY by Hyewon Yum; THE REMEMBER BALLOONS illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte. (Full disclosure: I’m a literary agent and I work w/ Hyewon and Dana, so I may be slightly biased, both both books are brilliant.)
September 10th, 2018 at 1:58 pm
Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima!
September 10th, 2018 at 2:47 pm
Melissa Iwai
Thirty Minutes Over Oregon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_CI5yDyCPM
(supportive hubby or not, this is an amazing book)
September 10th, 2018 at 4:05 pm
You have some great choices already! So many beautiful books.
Alma and How She got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal deserves to be considered, too.
September 10th, 2018 at 4:27 pm
Love the books you’ve listed! I’d add—
The Town of Turtle, by Michelle Cuevas, illustrated by Catia Chien,
Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail, by Jennifer Thermes,
Sleep Train, by Jonathan London, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge,
How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine, by Amy Guglielmo, Jacqueline Tourville, illustrated by Giselle Potter,
Blue, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Ok I’ll stop there even though it would be easy to go on because, as always, there are TONS more gorgeous books by women out there!
September 10th, 2018 at 5:17 pm
The Remember Balloons illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte
The Breaking News illustrated by Sarah Lynne Reul
The Flying Girl illustrated by Sara Palacios
Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor illustrated by Felicit Sala
Festival of Colors illustrated by Vashti Harrison
If Polar Bears Disappeared by illustrated Lily Williams
A Big Mooncake for Little Star illustrated by Grace Lin
Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies illustrated by Jessie Sima
Mae’s First Day of School illustrated by Kate Berube
Someone New by Anne Sibley O’Brien
Counting on Katherine illustrated by Dow Phumiruk
Otis and Will Discover the Deep illustrated by Katherine Roy
Iver & Ellsworth illustrated by Melissa Larson
Snail Mail illustrated by Julia Patton
Just Being Jackie illustrated by Julia Denos
An Extraordinary Ordinary Moth illustrated by Steliyana Doneva
Everything You Need for a Treehouse illustrated by Emily Hughes
Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini
Alma and How She Got Her Name illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Mommy’s Khimar illustrated by Ebony Glenn
Sleep Train illustrated by Lauren Eldridge
Twilight Chant illustrated by Jen Betton
Neither illustrated by Airlie Anderson
Grandma’s Purse illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Friends Stick Together illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison
Mary’s Monster illustrated by Lita Judge
Quiet Please, Owen McPhee! illustrated by Patrice Barton
Wallpaper by Thao Lam
Girl Running illustrated by Micha Archer
Mae Among the Stars illustrated by Stasia Burrington
and that’s just off the top of my head…
September 10th, 2018 at 9:08 pm
Suzanne Kaufman and her stunning illustrations in All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold. Love to throw that vote in the hat.
September 11th, 2018 at 5:55 am
I am still swooning over the amazing work that Hadley Hooper did for Home with Mabel and Sam.
September 11th, 2018 at 6:02 am
great list! A few aren’t American illustrators, so not eligible for Caldecott, so I’m leaving them off, but some of these are totally new to me!
September 11th, 2018 at 6:10 am
What Do You Do With a Voice Like That? Ekua Holmes
September 11th, 2018 at 9:21 am
Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli, illustrated by Julie Morstad and Nightlights by Lorena Alvarez. Both stunning.
September 11th, 2018 at 9:37 am
Morstad is Canadian, so not eligible, though I’m a massive fan.
September 11th, 2018 at 9:37 am
ANd Nightlights in 2017!
September 11th, 2018 at 10:38 am
Shoot!
Okay, I’d replace with I AM ENOUGH with Keturah A. Bobo and BE KIND with Jen Hill. (Jen Hill does fabulous stuff with the Bland Sisters series, too.)
September 11th, 2018 at 10:43 am
Also, Lucy Ruth Cummins’ STUMPKIN.
September 11th, 2018 at 3:59 pm
It’s a stupid rule (needing to be American), especially since
A. it was named after someone who wasn’t American.
B. you don’t need to be American to be on the committee.
C. the books were released by American publishers and available to the American public. (would we not give Helen Mirren an Oscar because she’s not American?)
But I guess let us just tackle one issue at a time.
September 11th, 2018 at 4:22 pm
Is it okay to mention someone who already won in the past? Because Molly Idle’s PEARL looks so lovely.
September 12th, 2018 at 5:00 am
I am a Cat illustrated by Galia Bernstein
September 14th, 2018 at 5:18 pm
So hard to choose! What a great list! My top 5:
Julian is a Mermaid
Hello Lighthouse
Dreamers
Mae Among the Stars
Big Mooncake for Little Star