DiCamillo, Gerstein Win Newbery, Caldecott Medals

Posted on January 23, 2004

Kate DiCamillo, author of The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering, and Mordicai Gerstein, illustrator and author of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, are the 2004 winners of the John Newbery and Randolph Caldecott medals, the most prestigious awards in children's literature.

DiCamillo and Gerstein were among the award winners announced January 12 by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego, January 9-14. The 2004 Newbery and Caldecott medals honor outstanding writing and illustration of works published in the United States during the previous year.

The Tale of Despereaux, published by Candlewick Press, draws the reader into an enchanting account of a smaller-than-usual mouse in love with music, stories and a princess named Pea. This tiny hero faints at loud noises but gathers the courage to fulfill his dreams. With character and plot more complex than the traditional fairy tale, separate stories introduce Despereaux, condemned for talking to the princess; the evil rat, Roscuro, who loves light and soup; and Miggery Sow, a farm girl with royal aspirations. Their fates are threaded together as Despereaux undertakes a hero's quest that culminates in mice, rats and humans living almost happily ever after.

"With finesse, DiCamillo masterfully weaves drama, mystery and intrigue with high humor and fun into a cohesive, captivating and distinguished tale," said Newbery Award Chair Eliza T. Dresang. "Time-honored themes of good versus evil, light versus dark, unrequited love, loyalty and search for identity have roots in many mythic and literary classics familiar to children. This story is sure to entice, challenge and delight readers of all ages."

DiCamillo was born in Marion, Penn., grew up in central Florida, and now lives in Minneapolis. While working in a book warehouse, she was so impressed by the children's fiction she discovered there that she decided to try writing herself. Her first novel for children, Because of Winn Dixie (1999), was a Newbery Honor Book, and The Tiger Rising (2001) was a National Book Award finalist.

The 2004 Caldecott Medal for illustration is awarded to Mordicai Gerstein for The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of the Millbrook Press. This true story recounts the daring feat of a spirited young Frenchman who walked a tightrope between the World Trade Center twin towers in 1974. His joy in dancing on a thin wire high above Manhattan and the awe of the spectators in the streets far below is captured in exquisite ink and oil paintings that perfectly complement the spare, lyrical text.

"Gerstein's skillful compositions and dramatic use of perspective make this a book that literally takes your breath away," said Caldecott Award Chair Kathy East. "Two ingenious gatefolds and horizontal and vertical framing put the reader high in the air with this daredevil performer and emphasize the vast space between the towers and their astounding height. Gerstein ensures that this extraordinary event is imprinted on readers' minds and creates a powerful, transforming memory."

Gerstein is an award-winning creator of animated films, as well as author and illustrator of children's books. He was born in Los Angeles, studied at the Chouinard Art Institute, and worked for 25 years in animated film production. Although he began illustrating children's books in the 1970s, the 1983 publication of Arnold of the Ducks marked the beginning of Gerstein's distinguished career as an author-illustrator. He lives in Northampton, Mass., with his wife, who also is an illustrator, and their daughter.