2008 Caldecott Award announced: "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick

I was pleasantly surprised to hear recently that the 2008 winner of the Caldecott Medal - the yearly award for the best American "picture book" for children - was none other than "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick. "Hugo" is a lovely work of art, a true description in this case. The bulk of the book is done in black and white pencil drawings, telling the story with a minimum of actual written words.

Young Hugo is an orphaned boy left to run all the clocks of the French train station in which he works and lives - left behind by a dead uncle, working himself like crazy so that no one will discover him and take him away. Hugo likes to invent like his late father and wants to be left to his own devices. What will happen, though, when he befriends a girl his own age and a mysterious old man who makes toys? Hugo is trying to recreate an "automaton" that his father left only drawings of, while keeping up with day-to-day existence, but when he opens his heart, he is able to finally make a life for himself and fulfill his dreams.

At first glance, "Hugo" may seem intimidating to a child; it's nearly as thick as some of the later Harry Potter books! But since most of it is artwork, it's not difficult to read at all.

Part story, part wordless book, part history lesson and part science lesson, it ultimately combines into one charming book that sparks imagination. You won't be disappointed to check out this book!


For more about the Caldecott Award, see our sister site, BookHelpWeb.

posted by Homeschool Help Web at 6:51 PM |