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Carl and the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman

Hello, I'm Here! written by Helen Frost illustrated by Rick Lieder

Tomorrow Most Likely written by Dave Eggers illustrated by Lane Smith


Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich

Are any of these... distinguished?

Carl and the Meaning of Life
This very simple story with alluring pencil and watercolor illustrations depicts why earthworms are important. Carl, the earthworm, embarks on a quest to find out why he does what he does, but none of the other animals knows. He finally discovers his purpose for himself. It is lovely, and the text and illustrations are paired perfectly.

Tomorrow Most LIkely
Not so much a story as a list of the possibilities tomorrow might bring. The outstanding illustrations, created in oils, pen and ink and paper collage are appealing with interesting textures. Text and illustrations fit together very well.

Hello, I'm Here
The poem and gorgeous photos feature the hatching and life of a sandhill crane chick. The four line poems pair nicely with the photos. Most of the endearing photos are double-page spreads. I especially liked the photo of the chick resting his head and chest on his mother's wing. It is also amusing to see the tiny chick next to its mother's very long legs. I cannot think of any Caldecott award or honor book illustrated with photos. But I don't see anything in the eligibility rules that would exclude photos as illustrations.

Carl and the Meaning of Life - Carl is an earthworm. He spends his days happily tunneling in the soil until a field mouse asks him a simple question that stops him short: "Why?" Carl's quest takes him on an adventure to meet all the animals of the forest, each of whom seems to know exactly what they were put on this earth to do, unlike the curious Carl. But it's not until the world around him has changed that Carl begins to realize everyone, no matter how small, makes a big difference just by being themselves.

Nobody Hugs a Cactus
This was an adorable story about a prickly (in more ways than one) cactus, which is sitting in a bowl in the window of an adobe building. It might be set in Arizona, judging by the saguaro cactus dotting the landscape. All through one day, Hank the cactus rejects overtures of friendship from plants, animals, and people, until late at night, an owl rejects Hank's overture. Hank then decides he might like to be hugged after all; and someone does indeed come to his rescue. The watercolor illustrations feature desert colors of oranges, yellows, browns, and dull greens, with a sky that changes colors all day long, from deep blues to a red and pink sunset. The theme may sound familiar, but was developed in an innovative and creative way.

I've only been able to read Cactus and Tomorrow Most Likely. While I loved Nobody Hugs a Cactus for many reasons, I believe that the illustrations in Tomorrow Most Likely are closer to my understanding of "distinguished". The layers of texture, the collage, the color--outstanding! And they definitely enhance the text.