I'm a little slow this year, but with the 2018 ALA Youth Media Award (#ALAYMA18) in our rearview mirror, it's time for the annual EXTREME CALDECOTT PLACEMENT!

For those of you who are new to this, the basic idea is: With such an incredible honor, why stop at placing the Caldecott medal on the book's cover? Why not go all in and insert the medal inside the book itself? (For the historians among you, here are links to past years: 2017, 2016, and 2015.)

First up, your distinguished 2018 Caldecott Honorees:

BIG CAT, LITTLE CAT by Elisha Cooper (Macmillan/Roaring Brook)

big cat little cat extreme caldecott 2.jpg

CROWN: AN ODE TO THE FRESH CUT by Derrick Barnes, ill. Gordon C. James (Agate/Denene Millner)

h/t to Betsy Bird for already addressing the important question of "Where Do I Fit All My Medals?"

A DIFFERENT POND by Bao Phi, ill. Thi Bui (Capstone)

GRAND CANYON by Jason Chin (Macmillan/Roaring Brook)

Grand Canyon Extreme Caldecott bright.jpg

and last but not least... (drumroll please)... your 2018 Caldecott Medalist!

WOLF IN THE SNOW by Matthew Cordell (Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends)

Wolf in the Snow Extreme Caldecott 2.jpg

and there we have it! Congratulations to all of the 2018 Caldecott winners. And I'll see you back here next year for the next edition of EXTREME CALDECOTT PLACEMENT! (cue cheering crowds, fainting masses, etc.)