The Cook Family Children’s Literature Collection at the University of the Pacific, Stockton Campus Library, is part of a generous and well-curated donation from the Cook Family, the books are available for viewing to the Pacific as well as the wider Stockton communities.
The books were chosen from award-winning collections, including every winner from the time the award was established of the following:
• John Newbery Award (1922-current)
• Randolph Caldecott Award (1938-current)
• Robert F. Sibert Award (2001-current)
• Coretta Scott King Award (1970-current)
• Pura Belpre Award (1996-current)
• Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) Award (2001-current)
• John and Patricia Beatty Award (California Library Association) (1989-current)
The collection is rounded out by books from the Association of Library Services to Children's (a division of the American Library Association) Notable Books lists; former Pacific students (e.g. Matt de la Pena, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jennifer Torres Siders); plus some of Jane Cook’s favorites from over the course of her library career. The collection includes books that have stood the test of time but are broader in scope than solely the classics. New books will be added as time goes on following these same criteria.
The collection also includes an original watercolor by notable award winning artist Barry Moser titled "The Whales Parted the Blue Seas" from the book The Dreamer by Cynthia Rylant (Scholastic, 1993). The painting serves as an example of the fine caliber of art discoverable between the pages of children's books.