From The Carle Museum’s website:

The Caldecott Medal: 75 Years of Distinguished Illustration
January 8 – June 30, 2013

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal, The Carle Museum, located in Amherst, MA, USA  is mounting a special exhibition of high quality prints, organized by Barbara Elleman, in the Reading Library. At the end of the 1930s, with urging from publisher and children’s book advocate Frederick Melcher, the American Library Association created a highly welcomed award, to recognize the true artistry of illustration in children’s picture books. Designed to parallel the Newbery Award, established in 1922 and presented each year to a book with outstanding literary qualities, the Randolph Caldecott Medal honored a picture book featuring “the most distinguished illustration of the year.” Its namesake, Randolph Caldecott, was a noted British illustrator of the mid 1800s, who had charmed children with energetic interpretations of nursery rhymes that seemingly burst with humor and mischief, and he was considered worthy to symbolize what was to become an internationally recognized award. In 1938, the first Caldecott Medal was presented to Dorothy Lathrop for Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book, and to mark the 75th anniversary of this award, Barbara Elleman has included a little over one-third of the honorees in the display. The exhibition is grouped into four categories: SNOW, HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAMS, FOLKLORE, and LONG LOVED, LONG REMEMBERED. Additionally, nearly all of the books are shelved in the bookcase dedicated to the memory of Lori Schilder, and we are grateful to her family for funding to enable this and future exhibitions.

Join Guest Curator and former Book Links editor Barbara Elleman for an exhibition tour on January 20 at 3:00 pm. Free with Museum Admission. For more information click here

The Caldecott Award is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The 75th Anniversary logo was designed by  2008 Caldecott Medal Winner Brian Selznick who has cleverly brought together characters from past Caldecott Medal-winning books — beginning with the very first in 1938 and spanning all the way to the 21st century.

The American Library Association Annual Conference and Exhibit is currently underway in New Orleans, LA. To follow along with all the events related to children’s literature, be sure to check out the Association for Library Services to Children blog. Must read postings include Want to Hear About Great New Books for Kids? and What’s Happening @ ALSC.

One of the initiatives of the ALA’s Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is Kids! @ your library. As part of this campaign ALSC provides free, downloadable artwork for libraries to use in promoting their programs and services to kids and families. ALSC Program Officer, Laura Schulte-Cooper tells me that parents and care-givers are also invited to print off this material to use in their own homes as long as it is for non-commercial uses.

Check out the the original artwork that award-winning children’s book illustrator David Diaz has created for this campaign. The full colour mini-posters and bookmarks are lovely! You can also download clip art adapted from Michael P. White’s illustrations in the book The Library Dragon written by Carmen Agra Deedy. With the winter rain and snow just around the corner, we are always looking for indoor activities to keep us busy and these downloadable craft projects like door hangers and coloring pages should help do the trick.

To keep up to date with all the ALSC happenings check out their blog.

Calling all poetry fans in the Chicago area! The ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) sends out an invitation to join in their Poetry Blast on Monday, July 13, 2009 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Co-hosted by librarian Barbara Genco and poet/writer Marilyn Singer, this unique program will celebrate the wonder and excitement of contemporary North American poetry for children. Ten to twelve poets, some new, some well-established, will read from their works. Information about current and forthcoming books of poetry will be available.

This event is designed to be a ‘drop-in’ reading at the close of the ALA Annual Conference and attendees are guaranteed to find the time spent in these readings both enlightening and energizing. Poets include: Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, David Harrison, Bobbi Katz, Laura Purdie Salas, Jon Scieszka, Joyce Sidman, Marilyn Singer, Hope Anita Smith, Susan Marie Swanson, Joyce Carol Thomas. Publishers will also offer a display of books and promotional materials featuring the participants.