In this post, the three co-hosts of Guessing Geisel (Amanda, Amy, and Misti) share their thoughts and reactions to the 2019 Geisel Award winner and honor titles.
Watching the YMAs
Amy: I watched the YMAs live this year in Seattle surrounded by a sea of very excited book people! I must admit, the fact that the Geisel comes so close to the end of the announcements (third to the last, just before the Caldecott and Newbery) really built the suspense for me. The honors are always announced first and I was absolutely thrilled with all of them. But in those seconds before they said the name of the winner, I realized neither of Corey R. Tabor's books had been given an honor. And I thought, "There's no way the committee won't recognize his amazing work!" So I might have done a fist pump when Fox the Tiger was announced! It was magical.
Amanda: I came in to the office early to watch the livestream. Not exactly like being in the room where it happens, but delightful to text with friends as things were announced, and to hear the reaction in the room (ALA, could we eventually add crowd reaction shots to the livestream?). I definitely let out an audible cheer when Tiger vs. Nightmare was announced as an honor - while all the books are excellent choices this is the one I was afraid might be overlooked. And I am elated for Corey Tabor's win for Fox the Tiger!
Misti: I also watched the livestream from my office, though being in the Eastern time zone meant a morning of gleeful anticipation, rather than the early wake-up that an east-coast conference necessitates. Since my workspace is shared with other staff members who are not as invested in the results from the YMAs, I watch with my headphones on, and amuse my co-workers with my suppressed exclamations and Muppet-like arm flails at certain key points!
Fox the Tiger by Corey R. Tabor
Amy: I'll be honest, I've been hoping for a Geisel win for Tabor pretty much all year. But I had really put my money on his other title, Fox is Late. Something about a fox on a skateboard really spoke to me, I guess! That said, I'm thrilled with the committee's choice because I think both Fox books pair Tabor's crisp, clean, engaging illustrations with simple, yet fun sentences that build to a satisfying and humorous ending. Fox first made his appearance in two picture books a couple years ago, but I think Tabor really hit on something when Fox made the transition to beginning readers. Let's hope there are more Fox books in the works!
Misti: I'm super pleased with this win (and also with the fact that our Guessing Geisel mock vote resulted in a win for the same author/series). The Fox books have a classic feel, and Fox the Tiger certainly deserves its place on the shelf of Geisel winners.
Amanda: I'm thrilled with this win. Like Amy, I've been super impressed with both Fox titles, but thought Fox is Late stood the better chance (all that page-turning momentum). Fox the Tiger is so special and affirming, though, and I am so happy that more kids will see this book as a result of this win.
The Adventures of Otto: See Pip Flap by David Milgrim
Misti: Speaking of books with a classic feel, I love what Milgrim is doing with his beginning reader series. We can't have enough of these books on the shelf at my library, and I'm glad the committee chose to recognize this one.
Amy: This is Milgrim's second Geisel honor (Go, Otto, Go!, 2017), and with more titles in the Adventures of Otto series coming out in 2019 I wouldn't be surprised to see this trend continue! I really appreciate that Milgrim is adding such high quality titles to the too small beginning reader scifi canon.
Amanda: I agree with Amy - great to see Milgrim's excellent work recognized again this year. I expected it to be the other title released this year, See Zip Zap! but these titles are so strong for the very beginning reader and I'm pleased to see further recognition for the series.
Fox and Chick: The Party and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier
Amy: I've always been a fan of Ruzzier's surrealist style. In this title especially I think the illustrations and Ruzzier's wry sense of humor combine to offer three short stories that never underestimate readers' ability to appreciate a sophisticated, slightly surreal, world. I'm very excited that a second Fox and Chick title is coming out this year!
Misti: It's so delightful when a funny book is recognized by any award committee, and particularly the Geisel. Being funny is hard enough; doing it with a limited word count and an eye towards the needs of the youngest readers is quite a feat! I'm a big fan of this book, and I can't wait to see what's next for Fox and Chick.
Amanda: I'm not surprised that this is the year Sergio Ruzzier gets Geisel recognition. This Is Not A Picture Book and Two Mice both had fans among the Mock Geisel crowd, and with Fox and Chick sharing the multi-story format popular among some easy readers it makes sense that this would be the one to garner Geisel recognition. I look forward to what Ruzzier will create for young readers in the future, both in this series and in other titles!
King and Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers
Amy: Hooray for more Geisel honors for King and Kayla! Butler and Meyers won an honor in 2018 for King and Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats. Representations of humans in beginning reader titles are few and far between, so it makes me so happy that the committee choose this excellent title featuring a human.
Misti: I'll admit, this book was just a blip on my radar when looking at books with Geisel potential -- more fool me! I should have known to pay more attention when this series has already been honored once before by the Geisel committee. Taking a closer look, I can certainly see the distinguished elements that were present in earlier books in the series -- it's good to see that it continues to excel!
Amanda: Back-to-back honors in 2018 and 2019! King and Kayla are clearly a very solid new series in the tradition of other pet/person combos like Henry and Mudge or Mr. Putter and Tabby, and with a mystery solving element too! Here's hoping they keep going strong with many more adventures.
Tiger vs Nightmare by Emily Tetri
Amy: When the three of us chose to write about Tetri's book for our CaldeGeisel guest post on Calling Caldecott, we all agreed we loved, loved, loved it, but thought it might be a long shot for Geisel. Imagine our delight when it was announced Monday morning! I think the artwork in this title is so distinguished, so thoughtful, intentional, and lush. I can't wait to see what Tetri comes up with next!
Misti: Yes, the three of us have been extolling the virtues of this book for a while now, and I was thrilled beyond words when it won its Geisel Honor. The artwork elevates it above others in the field of early graphic novels, and the characters are so lovable and well-developed.
Amanda: I am so pleased that the committee saw and chose to honor the strengths in this beautiful book. I have been pushing it on everyone who comes near my desk, but didn't dare hope too hard that a graphic novel would be recognized in a year with many strong contenders in traditional easy reader formats. This was the announcement of the morning where my joyful surprise couldn't be contained.
Other Thoughts
Amy: It's interesting that of the five titles discussed above, only one is not illustrated by the author. I think that really speaks to the importance of the text and illustrations working together to create a successful reading experience. I also wonder (as I did last year about Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy) about series that have two or more titles published in the same year. There's no rule in the award handbook that says you can't recognize multiple titles by the same author or series, but looking back on past winners and honors, it seems the committee has never done that. If Fox is Late and Fox the Tiger were published in separate years, would both have won in their respective years? How about the Milgrim's See Zip Zap? It's an intriguing line of thought, although, of course, we'll never know the answer.
Amanda: Like Amy, I too marvel that we have two titles recognized that have other related titles also published this year. I imagine that the Geisel Award Committee had their work cut out for them, differentiating the strengths between a very strong field of contenders with multiple works by the same authors. Congratulations to the committee again on your results - this is a very fine group of winners, and it is clear you worked hard and thoughtfully in selecting them.
Misti: I had also noted the prevalence of books illustrated by the author, both in the actual Geisel winners and in our mock winners. By the way, readers, good work on choosing those mock winners -- we picked two of the actual Geisel Honor books as mock honors, and two of the other books we selected (including our winner) were by authors recognized by the Real Committee. While our goal is more about gaining a better understanding of the process than it is about picking the actual winners, it's always gratifying when we get so close.
