Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson




I Love You Because I Love You by Mượn Thị Văn




Snow Angel, Sand Angel by Lois-Ann Yamanaka




Cornbread & Poppy by Matthew Cordell



We are kicking the year off with some fantastic publications.
What did you think of these Caldecott contenders?

The Year We Learned to Fly is a companion to The Day We Begin. I'm still miffed that Rafael Lopez didn't win a Caldecott this year for I'll Meet You in Your Dreams. It was perfection. It seems unlikely that this companion picture book would win a Caldecott. I don't believe it would be considered unique enough.

Cornbread & Poppy is a super cute chapter book in a new series. It may win a Geisel award but not a Caldecott.

I Love you Because I Love You is stunning. I would be thrilled if it won a Caldecott. Maybe the committee is ready for this title about inclusive love. And Jessica Love. Julian is a Mermaid illustrated by Love should have won a Caldecott in 2019.

I haven't read Snow Angel, Sand Angel by Lois Ann-Yamanaka

I agree that Cornbread & Poppy would be more likely to win a Geisel.

Both Snow Angel, Sand Angel and The Year We Learned to Fly are beautiful and inclusive and hopeful.

But the one that stands out is definitely I Love You Because I Love You. I just want to keep reading this one and give it to everyone that I love.

*The Year We Learned to Fly
We hope our ancestors pass down “storytelling wings” to us. And so, this book accounts for a year in the life of two siblings, when they learn to fly, just as grandmother would tell them to lift their minds and arms and fly! With imaginative thoughts and colors, the story comes to life with ideas of success. The book is illustrated in muted, dreamy tones with highlights of every color of the spectrum! The words and illustrations merge to encourage readers to be positive and free! -- Nice Caldecott choice!

*I Love You Because I Love You
This book shows parental love, grandparent love, caretaker love, and the love of friends and sweethearts. I believe even a baby would love to look at the pages of this book and hear the beautiful, poetic words.

The last two-page spread shows love for all ages and resembles a circle of love that is somewhat heart-shaped. Same is true for the book cover. -- Good Caldecott honor!

*Cornbread & Poppy
A great adventure book! Surprises await two loyal friends on a dangerous trek up the mountain. The pen and ink sketched illustrations are very engaging. The expressions on the creatures are comical yet dramatic! Could win the 2023 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, the most distinguished beginning reader book.

Snow Angel Sand Angel
I really enjoyed this story of a young Hawaiian girl who longed to see snow, so her dad takes the family to the summit of Mauna Kea to see and play in the snow. The illustrations are lovely and go beyond the text to advance the story.

The Year We Learned to Fly
I like how the illustrator made the pages in which the children's imaginations soared just a little bit brighter and more colorful than the other pages. This book might get some Caldecott love; I think definitely some CSK love.

Cornbread & Poppy
Adorable characters, interesting plot with a hint of mystery, and illustrations that perfectly match the style of story. I agree with the other reviewers above that this is a great candidate for a Geisel Award.

*Snow Angel, Sand Angel
Someday, a little girl thinks she will grow up, move away, and enjoy a better place. Her family helps her see what is special about their homeland and think about how their ancestors, likewise, valued this home. The little girl begins to understand the thought, “Bloom Where You Are Planted!” A great book to help readers value what is special about where they live.

The illustrations and storyline work well together, bursting with the rich colors of the natural, sundrenched world of Hawaii. The illustrator has done a beautiful job depicting a wealth of culture in the Hawaiian Islands.

I enjoyed all of these selections. Snow Angel, Sand Angel was a sentimental favorite of mine because I lived in Hawaii for eight years when I was young; it brought all of Hawai'i's beauty and glorious vibrancy back to me. I also loved the wise, poetic text and the colorful, fanciful drawings of Year We Learned to Fly, as well as the softly-drawn, loving tribute to relationships in I Love You Because I Love You. I would support any of these earning a Caldecott nod, and I agree that each might also be eligible for other YMAs.

My personal favorite of this batch was Cornbread & Poppy, with its entertaining storyline, its sweet depiction of a friendship, and its charming, whimsical drawings, full of personality and details. I agree that this could nab the Geisel Award, and I also think it could possibly get some Newbery attention (similar to Frog and Toad) for its engaging storyline and characterization. Apparently, its sequel (C&P at the Carnival) is also due to come out this summer.