The Caldecott

Over the past few weeks, through my class, I have learned a lot about the Caldecott Medal--the award given for excellence in picture books annually. Perhaps the most important fact that has arisen, is that the award is given to the illustrator of the book, not the author (excepting when they are the same person, of course). This obviously puts a larger emphasis on the pictorial aspect of these books than the literary, a subject about which I have mixed feelings.

Obviously, there is a certain credibility (even cache?) implied by awarding a person's work, and the work of illustrators is often dismissed in the art field as "lesser"--just as the children's author is in the literary field. So, the Caldecott Medal definitely performs an important task by recognizing picture books for what they are--pieces of art with real artistic (as well as commercial) merit.

However, at the same time as the Medal values the art of picture books, by ignoring the author (relatively speaking) it devalues the literary worth of picture books. At least intellectually, the Medal seems to place the words at a lower level. Now, this is true to a certain extent--after all, what sets picture books apart is obviously the pictures. And it is also important to note that very young children certainly value the pictures more than the words, especially if they are capable of imparting a story, as all the Caldecott Medal winners should be.

But ultimately, it disappoints me that there is not a requisite award, of equal standing, to honor the author of a great picture book. Even if the award were presented to the author/illustrator team, the arrangement would feel a little more fair to me.

It just all seems to come back to the fear of honoring children's literature, or, even more basically, things that are simple. Because Goodnight, Moon has very few words on each page, does not make it any less mesmerizing or reassuring as a poem, as a story, as a lullaby, even. So I say, give picture book authors credit where credit is due--although the illustrator's work is vital, it is the author who first pens a manuscript and sends it off, sparse as it may seem, in hopes of finding a reader who can picture its potential.