Today on Calling Caldecott, a conversation between Elisa Gall and Jonathan Hunt about sequels, series, and the Caldecott Award. (This is an entry in their "why-the-hell" Calling Caldecott series. Previous posts include discussions about the Caldecott and holiday books; photography; board books; the Newbery Award; "didactic intent"; and folklore.) 

ELISA GALL: It's no surprise that once a book wins the Caldecott Medal or Honor, its chances of getting a sequel or becoming book #1 in a series is strong. But what about the other way around? Are there standout sequels that have actually won big? The biggest ones that come to mind for me are Bemelmans’s Madeline’s Rescue and maybe Paul O. Zelinsky's Rapunzel if you count the fairy tales he illustrated as a series. Do any sequels/series medalists or honor books stand out to you?  

JONATHAN HUNT: The only other example I would offer up is Mo Willems’s Knuffle Bunny and Knuffle Bunny Too both receiving Caldecott Honors, although I will give an honorable mention to Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad Are Friends winning a Caldecott Honor and then Frog and Toad Together winning a Newbery Honor.

I must also call attention to Aaron Becker's wordless trilogy (Journey, Quest, and Return). While only Journey was recognized by the committee, I think the entire trilogy was worthy of recognition. Quest came out the year I was on the committee. So, too, did Flora and the Penguin which was an excellent sequel to Caldecott Honor book, Flora and the Flamingo.

ELISA: The Caldecott terms and criteria say the book needs to be a "self-contained entity" and not reliant on other media for its enjoyment. Do you believe this knocks some series and sequels out of consideration? What else might do that? 

JONATHAN: I think it's likely to knock more series books out of contention for the Newbery as it's an onerous burden to read previous books in a series on top of a ridiculously large reading load. With a picture book, however, it's easy to read the previous books in the series if one is not already familiar with them. 

I think a sense of "been there, done that" hurts a series book, but not only a series book. I wonder whether illustrators with a distinctly recognizable style also get this type of treatment. Why else would it take Jerry Pinkney so long to win Caldecott gold? 

ELISA: I know you know this already, but when asking “what else?” I’m also reminded of Javaka Steptoe’s 2017 CSK Illustrator acceptance speech for Radiant Child, in which he speaks of racial injustice in the children’s literature ecosystem. I also agree that the "been there, done that" response some readers have is not limited to sequels or series books. I can think of several picture book creators that have such stellar and specific illustrative styles that familiarity could actually be a roadblock when committees are looking for something they determine to be "individually distinct" (coughROBINSONTONATIUHcoughcough). I wonder if a sequel or continuation of a story that has already received Caldecott recognition has a leg up on the competition. At the end of the day, I do believe it simply depends on the fifteen people in the room. Are there any series or sequel picture books on your watch list for this year?  

JONATHAN: Knight Owl And Early Bird is all the rage in my household now. My two-year-old and five-year-old cannot get enough of it! We find it visually appealing, compelling storytelling, and the addition of Early Bird is a welcome new element in a familiar setting. We love the relationship between Knight Owl and Early Bird (which reminds me slightly of the one between the Pigeon and the Duckling, if I can invoke another series book).

ELISA: There is a difference between a recognizable style or theme connecting a creator's list of works and books that are a direct extension of a singular story or idea. Even with committee-member familiarity being a potential roadblock in both situations, we are way less likely to see the latter type of book receiving award recognition.

A direct sequel will always be evaluated alongside the prior book — even though committee members are not supposed to do that! I also feel that so much of the Caldecott criteria focuses on delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting, and mood through the illustrations — and if these have already been established in a previous book (and are only being expanded upon in a sequel or series book), it's a harder pull for a committee. Especially if they are looking to award something groundbreaking or "individually distinct." It's not impossible, but way less likely.  

I love Knight Owl and Early Bird! While there are nods to the first book (including a pizza reference and newspaper clipping reading "Knight Owl, Our Hero!" on the title page) no knowledge of Knight Owl is needed to appreciate this standalone story. Denise seamlessly introduces a new character to the Knight Owl universe, and the digitally rendered illustrations convey mood and plot through effective use of scale and color. The design is also notable, with varying font sizes, bits of spot art, and thoughtfully employed white space creating a well-paced story. It's a delight. 

Have you seen Winter Light by Aaron Becker? I view this board book as a follow-up to You Are Light. This one is all about concept and theme: light and winter vibes. What do you think of the cutouts? 

JONATHAN: I didn't read the fine print so I didn't even realize the illustrations in Knight Owl and Early Bird are digitally rendered. I know there are still some die-hard purists who hold that hand-drawn illustrations are intrinsically superior, but I feel like their numbers are rapidly dwindling. 

Anyway, on to Winter Light. I'm always happy to consider a board book and we've kvetched about the Caldecott's record with that format. I had already recommended it to a colleague who was looking for a book to tie together many of the winter holiday celebrations (Kwanzaa, Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, and Diwali) — and it was exactly what she was looking for. I do appreciate the universality of the theme, and I always love Becker's watercolors, but I'm not quite sure what to make of the cutouts.

I've found that various light sources (e.g., front lighting vs. back lighting) dramatically alter the reading aesthetic of the book. Thus, it's not a really good lap book as it needs to be held up so the light around the book can filter through the open cutouts and the cellophane. I think I'm talking myself into liking it more than I did upon my first several readings of the book. What did you think?

ELISA: The book delivers on delineation of concept and theme regardless of the environment and light sources present when one is reading it. It is a different experience in different surroundings, but it also means it will hold up to multiple readings! To achieve the bright, colorful, illustrative climax and wrap the whole book together, however, every cutout matters from start to finish. With this lens in mind, I’m not sure that every spread is consistently successful. Some cutouts are just there, and instead feel like filler as the book moves from wow-moment A to wow-moment B. This might be a sandbag for some, but others might argue it is simply part of pacing a visual narrative. All in all, the book affords young people a strong visual-reading experience that feels distinctive, and thus worthy of Caldecott consideration. And it just happens to be a sequel.

JONATHAN: Yes, and we both know that books that offer up different insights on multiple reads tend to get more mileage in committee discussions. That said, I’m not sure that it’s quite enough. I feel like I’m in love with the idea of this book more than the execution of it. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t call out Lauren Castillo's Nana in the Country, the sequel to Nana in the City. And Brendan Wenzel's Two Together, a sequel to They All Saw the Cat and Inside Cat. Both are worthy of discussion and perhaps we can continue the discussion in the comments: Which of these long shot sequels seems to be the most likely Caldecott book?