One month later...

We have been happily getting settled into our new home after the big move, Christmas and New Years, and then going back to work at our day jobs.

Here is an article speculating on this year's potential Newbery and Caldecott award winners:

This year, children's-book experts agree that the winner should be "The Lion & the Mouse" (Little Brown, $16.99), an Aesop's fable masterfully illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, who has won five Caldecott Honors.

As Kellman put it: "... if 'Lion & Mouse' doesn't win, there is no justice."

Pinkney's watercolor illustrations offer wonderful new insights — sometimes humorous, other times dramatic — into the classic story. There's another factor (which, under the rules, can't be considered by the Caldecott committee): If he wins, Pinkney would be the first individual African-American illustrator to win the Caldecott since it was created in 1938. (An interracial couple, Leo and Diane Dillon, have won two Caldecott Medals).

Interestingly, Pinkney also illustrated one of this year's potential Newbery contenders, "Sweethearts of Rhythm" (Dial, $21.99), written by Marilyn Nelson.

Other Caldecott possibilities include:

"All the World" (Beach Lane, $17.99), written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee, who won a Caldecott Honor last year for "A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever";

"Birds" (Greenwillow, $17.99), written by Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes and illustrated by his wife, Laura Dronzek;

"Crow Call" (Scholastic, $16.99), written by Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline;

"The Curious Garden" (Little Brown, $16.99), written and illustrated by Peter Brown;

"Duck! Rabbit!" (Chronicle Books, $16.99), written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld;

"Hello Baby!" (Beach Lane Books, $16.99), written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Steve Jenkins;

"Higher! Higher!" (Candlewick Press, $15.99), written and illustrated by Leslie Patricelli;

"Moonshot" (Atheneum, $17.99), written and illustrated by Brian Floca;

"Otis" (Philomel, $17.99), written and illustrated by Loren Long;

"Tsunami!" (Philomel, $16.99), written by Kimiko Kajikawa and illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Ed Young.

Happy New Year everyone!