Vermonter wins top award for his watercolor illustrations in children's book Watercress
Vermont author Jason Chin is now among the most distinguished illustrators in children's literature.
His book Watercress was awarded the 2022 Caldecott Medal, conferred by the American Library Association as a top honor to one artist of an American picture book for children each year.
Written by Andrea Wang, the book depicts a young Ohio girl embarrassed when her family stops by the side of the road to collect watercress growing in a ditch, but upon hearing how foraging for food helped her parents when food was scarce, she comes to appreciate her Chinese heritage.
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Chin's watercolor illustrations incorporate Chinese painting techniques to weave the time periods together.
Since the book's release in March 2021, Watercress has garnered lots of acclaim and other awards.
"Wang’s multilayered, poetic text allows anger, guilt and grief to coexist with love and hope," The New York Times book review reads. "Chin’s captivating watercolor art, executed with a mix of Chinese and Western techniques, combines meticulous, gut-wrenching realism with dreamlike panoramas.”
In an Instagram post about the accolade, Chin wrote, "Unbelievable. I’m floored."
Chin says on his website he likes to explore science and nature through imaginative storytelling. Two of his other books were widely regarded: Grand Canyon and Your Place in the Universe. Grand Canyon won the Caldecott honor, which is essentially an honorable mention awarded to books considered for the medal.
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Contact reporter April Barton at abarton@freepressmedia.com or 802-660-1854. Follow her on Twitter @aprildbarton.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: VT author Jason Chin wins Caldecott Medal for illustrations in Watercress
