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Are you familiar with Scratchboard art? Beth Krommes uses the technique in her Caldecott 2009 Medal winner, "The House in the Night," written by Susan Marie Swanson. Together they created a magnificent cumulative pattern beginning with "Here is the key to the house."But first, what is scratchboard art? "Scratchboard is a unique art medium which produces pictures of amazing realism, incredible detail, or fascinating contrast. It is 'The art of taking away' as you start with a black surface and scratch off to show the white underneath" (Scratchboard Art website). Obviously, Krommes focused on contrast with the black and white and gold.Norman Gaddini's website offers further details: Specific cardboard is coated with white chalk then dyed with India ink. Scratching tools etch the lines, and a spoon-like tool is used to scrape the black to reveal the white beneath. Correction of error is done with India ink. Later, watercolor can be added as Krommes did with her gold.Krommes used gold on the end pages as part of her cumulative effect. What else is gold? The key, the title words, the setting sun, lights in the house, flowers basking in the last sun rays, flowers in the house (a reflection), the dog's teddy bear, a lamp, the girl's teddy, a ball, a doll, book covers, rays on the bird in the book, stars, vibrations of the bird's song, reflections of the sun on the moon, and we're back in the house on the bed, light in the house, mom tucking the girl in, and all cozy in our places. All is right with the world.The words are simple but a bit dizzying like a magic mantra lulling one into bliss and peace. Gold and dark, dark permeated by gold, always that gleam of gold urging the girl on into a magic ride through the dark back into the coziness of bed and teddy and kitty and dog nearby. And of course, Mama. Daddy's there, too.In all these finely and coarsely scratched lines are things for children to look for: where's mama cat? How many kitties does she have? Whose toy is the little teddy? Where's the ball? On the next page? Things move around from picture to picture.When the girl and the bird fly through the night I was reminded of another Caldecott winner: Snowflake Bentley (Caldecott Medal Book), the story of the photography of snowflakes and the proof that each snowflake is unique. Krommes's stars and flowers are like that--each different.When you read a new Caldecott, do you wonder what was its competition? The artwork in "The House in the Night" is so magnificent, you just know it is in a class of its own. Caldecott Honor books for 2009 include:How I Learned GeographyA River of Words: The Story of William Carlos WilliamsA Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever
