| From
the July/August 2006 issue of The Horn Book Magazine
BY LEDA SCHUBERT
| Politics in the purebred dog world can be
as vicious as in any other arena; there have been charges of
favoritism, nepotism, bribery and even drugging of competitors’
animals. |
|
love children’s books. I love dogs. I love children’s
books about dogs. And I have had the privilege of serving on many
book award committees. This year I had one of those aha!
moments in which all of life attained a sort of mystic clarity,
revealing the answer to the question:
How is a Westminster Kennel Club judge like the
Caldecott committee?
There are surprising similarities. A dog show judge
must choose between a best-of-breed Newfoundland and a best-of-breed
Hairless Chinese Crested (yes, there is such a “dog”)
for the coveted blue ribbon, which will make an enormous difference,
financially and sexually, in the winner’s life. A Caldecott
committee member must choose among several equally brilliant representatives
of the craft of illustration, each a sublime example of a particular
kind of art, be it cartoon, surreal, photographic, Impressionist,
or anything else, executed in woodcut, oils, pastels, watercolor,
or pixels. That gold medal will make an enormous difference, financially
and . . .
But I digress.
And yet, year after year, the fearless committees
or judges perform their tasks out of love or because they came of
age in the 1960s and can’t think straight (I include myself
in this category). The following table will explain it all and should
prove useful for all of you just beginning life on award committees.
|
Best in
Show |
Caldecott
Medalist |
|
Color of coat |
Artist’s choice of palette |
| Pattern
of markings |
Overall composition |
|
Length
and angle of legs |
Trim size of book |
| Height
of stop
(where muzzle stops and rises to top of skull) |
Design of half-title / title page |
|
Slope
of back |
Placing of text on page |
| Shape
and color of eyes |
Artist’s use of shape and color |
|
Color
of nose |
Intensity of color; saturation |
| Health
of skin |
Quality of paper |
|
Quality
of stride |
Pacing of book / page turns |
| Dog’s
attitude
(growling or snapping at judge is unacceptable) |
Tone of text / voice
(patronizing the reader is unacceptable) |
|
Quantity
of wrinkles |
You can win for this? |
In conclusion: my own dogs are both mutts, ineligible for any major
prizes whatsoever, and yet the objects of unconditional and unlimited
love. Those of you who just might be feeling like losers —
keep this important fact in mind.
Leda
Schubert is a faculty member of Vermont College’s MFA
in Writing for Children and Young Adults and is the author of
the picture books Here Comes Darrell (Houghton), Ballet
of the Elephants (Brodie/Roaring Brook, reviewed in this
issue), and several forthcoming picture books.
|
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|
