6 Children’s Literature Creators Who Should Make the Next ALA READ Poster
Every fall I love cracking open my ALA Store catalog and seeing the latest READ posters. Here are a few recent favorites:
We have a bunch of them in the library and it’s cool to see all the different children’s book artists who have made posters over the years.
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But there are a few people who haven’t made posters that I think would make some excellent ones. I shall now lobby the bigwigs at ALA to give the following people a shot.
(Note! It could be that some of the following people have been asked to make a READ poster and declined – I don’t know if they did, but I’d love to see a poster from any of them.)
Laurie Keller
I ask you – why is there no Arnie the Doughnut READ poster? How can this be?
Kadir Nelson
I had to double and triple check that Kadir Nelson hasn’t made a READ poster (and still, I’m only 75% sure. He REALLY hasn’t made a READ poster???). Typically, recent Caldecott winners have made one, so I’m guessing that the offer has been extended.
Aaron Blabey
ALA will occasionally have a non-US citizen make a poster (there are more than a couple Canadians) and so I vote that they reach out to the Pig the Pug (and Bad Guys) creator to try his hand at one.
Julie Flett
She’s winning illustration awards left and right. I think it’s time for her to try her hand at a READ poster.
Sydney Smith
Speaking of Canadians, Sydney Smith is one of the most revered illustrators going right now. I would love to see a Small in the City READ poster.
Melissa Sweet
She won a Caldecott Honor for a book called A River of Words and yet no READ poster? Let’s fix this!
Any you’d like to add to this list? Let me know in the comments.
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About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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Sharon Verbeten says
Has Bob Shea been featured? His stuff would be amazing. Also, what about YOU Travis? 🙂
Jen Bryant says
Well, I’m partial, of course! . . . but I couldn’t agree more that Melissa Sweet should create an ALA READ poster. Remember, she also got a second Caldecott Honor in 2015 for The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, which has, perhaps, the most delightful end papers EVER!