Caldecott Winner 2003
Mordicai Gerstein
Northampton, Massachusetts
Telephone Number:
Title: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
Author: Mordicai Gerstein
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Editor: ??? Please confirm: Simon Boughton
Description: This true story recounts the daring feat of a spirited young Frenchman who
walked a tightrope between the World Trade Center twin towers in 1974. His joy in
dancing on a thin wire high above Manhattan, and the awe of the spectators in the
streets far below, is captured in exquisite ink and oil paintings that perfectly complement
the spare, lyrical text.
Chair Kathy East said, “Skillful compositions and dramatic use of perspective make this
a book that literally takes your breath away.” Two ingenious gatefolds and horizontal and
vertical framing put the reader high in the air with this daredevil performer and
emphasize the vast space between the towers and their astounding height. Gerstein
insures that this extraordinary event is imprinted on readers’ minds and creates a
powerful, transforming memory.
Biographical Information about Award Winner
Mordicai Gerstein is an award-winning creator of animated films, as well as author and
illustrator of children’s books. He was born in Los Angeles, studied at the Chouinard Art
Institute, and worked for twenty-five years in animated film production. Although he
began illustrating children’s books in the 1970’s, the 1983 publication of “Arnold of the
Ducks” marked the beginning of Gerstein’s distinguished career as an author-illustrator.
He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, who is also an illustrator, and their daughter.
Previous Awards
Selected Children’s Book Awards
For “Arnold of the Ducks”: New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year 1983
For “Tales of Pan”: Parents’ Choice Award, 1986
For “The Mountains of Tibet”: New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books and New
York Times Notable Books, 1987.
For “The Wild Boy”: New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year 1998:
School Library Journal 1998, Horn Book Magazine Fanfare 1998: Booklist Editor’s
Choice 1998: Parents’ Choice Award 1998.
For “Victor: A Novel Based on the Life of the Noble Savage of Aveyron”: New York
Times Notable Book of the Year 1998.
For “What Charlie Heard”: Parents’ Choice Award 2002, ALSC Notable Books 2002,
Hornbook Farfare 2002.
Web-Site
www.mordicaigerstein.com
Caldecott 2003 Honor Books
Chodos-Irvine, Margaret; Ella Sarah Gets Dressed, Harcourt, Inc., 2003
Standing in front of her wardrobe, Ella Sarah selects her attire. “I want to wear my pink
polka-dot pants, my dress with orange-and-green flowers, my purple-and-blue striped
socks, my yellow shoes, and my red hat.” Her parents and siblings try to persuade her to
wear something more conservative. Ella Sarah emphatically responds, “NO!” and makes
her OWN fashion statement.
Elegant in its simplicity, Ella Sarah Gets Dressed is a classic picture book that uses a
“variety of printmaking techniques.” Cheerful, bold colors outlined in white, emphasize
Ella Sarah’s freedom and confidence. Pink polka-dots on orange background and bluegreen rick-rack, on the borders of the jacket flap foreshadow her unique outfit. With
careful attention to detail and design, the imaginative use of colors and illustrations that
convey emotions make this a fun visual experience.
Margaret Chodos-Irvine
Biographical Information
Margaret Chodos-Irvine received her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Art from
the University of Oregon. She worked for approximately twenty years as a commercial
artist before starting to illustrate for children’s book. She resides in Seattle, Washington
with her husband and their two daughters.
Previous Awards
Buzz
ABA Pick of the Lists
Los Angeles Times Book Review Best Book of the Year
CCBC Choices
Apple Pie 4th of July
Notable Books for a Global Society
Texas 2 X 2 Reading List [Texas]
Technique
She illustrates with a technique called Collagraph, which involves printing layers of color
from mixed media with etching presses.
Web-Site
www.chodos-irvine.com
Jenkins, Steve. What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? Illustrated by Robin Page.
Houghton Mifflin Company 2003
This innovative guessing book delivers a fun and playful science lesson on thirty
animals’ body parts: ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails. The artist uses exquisite
cut-paper collage to detail basic forms combined with clever placement of the spare text
to create an interactive visual display.
Chair Kathy East explained the committee considered the masterly blend of
textured paper, image, and white space and the clever use of the book’s elements to
create tension and humor. “They wanted to award this book ‘Best use of Gutter’.”
Biographical Information
The husband-and-wife team of Steve Jenkins and Robin Page live in Boulder, Colorado
with their three children.
Previous Awards:
Top of the World: Climbing Mt. Everest
Boston-Globe/Horn Book Award 1999
ALA Notable Book for Children 2000
School Library Journal Best Book 1999
NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 1999
Life on Earth
Horn Book Fanfare 2002
Booklist Editor’s Choice 2002
NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2002
Willems, Mo. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. New York: Hyperion, 2003.
A persistent pigeon asks, pleads, cajoles, wheedles, connives, negotiates, demands,
and uses emotional blackmail in attempts to get behind the wheel. Pigeon will not take
no for an answer, and puts the reader on the spot, using an escalating series of tactics.
Even a temper tantrum is futile, but not the end of Pigeon’s dreams.
Chair Kathy East says, “Willems portrays the wide-ranging emotions and the personality
of this pigeon with just a few deft strokes of a crayon and a limited palette of colors.
Perfectly paced, every line and blank space in the deceptively simple illustrations is
essential to this distinguished work.”
Biographical Information
Mo Willems is a five-time Emmy-award winning writer (Sesame Street) and an animator
of numerous films and television shows for children. His ceramics, wire sculptures, and
drawings have been exhibited at galleries across the United States. Mo currently serves
as Head-Writer for Cartoon Network's Codename: Kids Next Door. He lives in Brooklyn
with his wife and daughter.
Previous Awards
None for children’s books.
Numerous awards for animation work in film and television
Web-Site
www.mowillems.com
Name of Committee Chair
Kathy East, Assistant Director/Head of Children’s Services, Wood County District Public
Library, Bowling Green, Ohio, 419-352-5104, eastka@oplin.org