Children’s picture book illustrator and author Jason Chin, an illustration alumnus of the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ School of Art, was named the 2022 recipient of the Randolph Caldecott Medal, one of the most prestigious awards in children’s literature.
The Caldecott Medal honors outstanding illustration of works published in the United States during the previous year and is presented by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association. Chin received the award for “Watercress,” written by Andrea Wang and published by Neal Porter Books, Holiday House.
In “Watercress,” a Chinese American family stops to collect watercress spotted on the roadside while driving through rural Ohio. Embarrassed by its gathering, the daughter later comes to appreciate her culture after learning why the plant is important to her parents. Chin’s expressive watercolors complement the various layers of Wang’s poignant and universal story.
“Chin masterfully utilizes soft washes of watercolor, using both Chinese and Western techniques to express memory and culture with depth and emotion,” says Caldecott Medal Committee Chair Claudette S. McLinn.
“Watercress” was also named a Newbery Honor Book by the ALSC. It has been designated a “best book of 2021” by the New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, Washington Post, Publishers Weekly and other major outlets.
Chin, who earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in illustration from the School of Art in 2001, also received the Caldecott Medal in 2018 for “Grand Canyon” (Roaring Brook Press, 2017), which he wrote and illustrated. He started his career in New York City and now lives in Vermont with his wife and children.