Amos McGee Illustrator Wins Caldecott

Last Sunday I recommended the book A Sick Day for Amos McGee. I consider it one of the best picture books of 2010, and I've often recommended it since its publication.

On Monday the book's illustrator, Erin E. Stead, won the Caldecott Medal. Although I don't rely on award and best seller lists, because I often disagree with them, I felt validated by the Caldecott committee's choice. As my librarian friend Nancy said, "Susan called this one!"

Erin E. Stead is only 28-years-old, and A Sick Day for Amos McGee is the first book she's illustrated. Her husband is the book's author. This in itself is a nice story. Erin shared it with the Wall Street Journal.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association to the artist of "the most distinguished American picture book for children."

A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a book that both children and adults will enjoy. It has now earned both the Caldecott Medal and the LitLinx Seal of Approval.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Zoo keeper Amos McGee takes time each day to visit his good friends. He and the elephant play chess. The tortoise always wins their races. The shy penguin appreciates McGee's quiet company, and the rhinoceros borrows McGee's handkerchief. And the owl, who is afraid of the dark, listens as McGee reads him a story.

When McGee stays home because he's sick, his friends wonder where he is, and set out to find him.

Philip C. Stead has written a lovely story of dedicated friendship. The illustrations by his wife, Erin E. Stead, bring each character to life and provide wonderful details that add to the pleasure of looking at the pictures.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee stands out from many of the picture books published in 2010. Both Steads, writer and illustrator, have invested thought and detail to craft an excellent book.