Filed by KOSU News in Art & Life.
January 26, 2013

On Monday morning, the 75th Caldecott Medal will go to the artist of “the most distinguished” American children’s book of 2012. And while the committee doesn’t release a list of nominees ahead of time, there’s been plenty of speculation about which titles have made it onto the shortlist. Here are some of the most talked about books, along with a peek at the artwork that helped them earn all that buzz:

Other contenders include Julie Fogliano and Erin Stead’s And Then It’s Spring, about a boy who plants seeds in the winter and waits for them to grow; Philip Stead’s A Home For Bird, about a toad who helps the lost bird of a cuckoo clock find his way home; Marla Frazee’s Boot & Shoe, about two sibling dogs who endure a painful separation after a frenzied squirrel chase; and Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann’s Oh No!, about a group of jungle animals who band together to escape a stalking tiger. Have your own personal favorite? Or did we leave it off the list? Speak up in the comments! [Copyright 2013 NPR]