The wait is almost over! The winner of the 2013 Caldecott Medal will be announced on January 28, 2013! The announcement will be made at 8 am PST and can be watched live online at ala.org. This is the 75th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal and something that you don’t want to miss!

When we think of great books, it is usually the author who receives the most attention. Sometimes the illustrator is a second thought. When we talk about books, we often ask “Who wrote that book?” How many times do we ask “Who is the illustrator?” With the Caldecott Medal, it is the illustrator that is in the spotlight. A truly classic book has to have beautiful illustrations in order to bring the story to life.

With the prestige of being named the Caldecott Medal winner, also comes tremendous economic opportunity as most winners vault to the top of the list in both popularity and sales. Winning the Caldecott Medal can greatly impact the illustrator’s career both in the short term with the gain of instant notoriety as well as cementing their place among the best illustrators for this generation and for generations to come.

This week is a great time to revisit some of the books that have received the Caldecott Medal in recent years.

2012                                  2011                                2010                                    2009

Any discussion about the Caldecott Medal cannot be complete without the mention of two time winner Chris Van Allsburg. Chris won in 1982 for Jumanji and again in 1986 for The Polar Express.

In addition to the Caldecott Medal winner, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) will also name 2-4 books that they believe deserve to be noticed as Caldecott Honor books.

With three Caldecott Honor books, Mo Willems stands out from the pack. In 2004 Mo received the Caldecott Honor for his illustrative work in Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. Mo’s other two Caldecott Honor books are from the beloved Knuffle Bunny collection; Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale won in 2005 and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity won in 2008.

In addition to being an award winning illustrator, he is also an award winning author and an Emmy award winner for his writing and animation work on Sesame Street.

Is it possible to pick a favorite Mo Willems series? I’m not sure that it can be done. Even if you can pick a favorite series, you won’t be able to pick a favorite book. With each new book you read, you will be convinced that it is your favorite.

The books in the Pigeon series are hilarious; you will laugh at the outrageous antics. How can the Pigeon even think he can drive a bus? What does the Pigeon think he would do if he really got a puppy?

Mo Willems will be celebrating his birthday on February 11th. Now is the perfect time to wish him an early ‘Happy Birthday’!