Saint George and the Dragon
By: Margaret Hodges
Illustrated by: Trina Schart Hyman
Medal Winner
NOT REVIEWED
Set "in the days when monsters and giants and fairy folk lived in England," this retelling of a classic and well-loved tale recounts the battle between Saint George and the Dragon—a creature so huge and fearsome that his tail "swept the land behind him for almost half a mile," and whose "deep jaws gaped wide, showing three rows of iron teeth ready to devour his prey."
In graceful and evocative prose, Margaret Hodges retells the dramatic story from Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene. Trina Schart Hyman portrays the monstrous dragon; the long, horrible battle; and the final victory celebration in exquisite detail, bringing her full artistic genius to bear in this work. Both storyteller and artist have re-created this timeless legend in a book for children of generations to come.
From the dust jacket
Hansel and Gretel
Honor
NOT REVIEWED
Originally published in 1984, Zelinsky's paintings for Hansel and Gretel are as compelling as his later work and will captivate readers with their mysterious beauty, emotional power, and brilliant originality.
Each spread brings to life a world as rich and real as our own—detailed, colorful, sensual—yet filled with the unearthly shadowed magic of the Hansel and Gretel folktale. Whether portraying the fear and anguish of children abandoned by their parents, the delicious sumptuousness of a candy house, or the joy of being reunited with one's family, the artist captures the subtle nuances of emotion and the tactile quality of the physical world with exquisite accuracy and elegance.
The hauntingly spare retelling of this perennial favorite by the poet Rika Lesser perfectly complements the vivid storytelling of Zelinsky's artwork. Once again this gifted artist gives us a unique interpretation of a beloved fairy tale, allowing us to both see it anew and rediscover its eternal truths.
From the publisher
Have You Seen My Duckling?
By: Nancy Tafuri
Honor
NOT REVIEWED
A duckling is missing! "Have you seen my duckling?" asks Mother Duck as she sails frantically around the pond, the rest of her brood behind her. "Have you see my duckling?" None of the pond residents has, not bird, not turtle, not beaver, not fish.
But clever viewers can see that duckling isn't lost, just adventuring—and never very far away.
From the dust jacket
The Story of Jumping Mouse: A Native American Legend
By: John Steptoe
Honor
NOT REVIEWED
The smallest and humblest of creatures can dream of greatness and, if faithful to himself and the dream, can become the noblest of creatures.
In simple words and poignant pictures, John Steptoe gives us his personal interpretation of a moral tale that originated among the native American peoples of the northern plains.
A small, humble mouse years to know the mysteries that lie beyond the familiarities of home and journeys out into the world to meet the challenges to be found there. He finds pain, and responds to it with compassion. He knows fear, but his fear turns to joy with the discovery that the shadow in the sky is his own.
From the dust jacket
