Donald Crews
Recognized in the Creative Minds Montessori 2026 Teacher’s Choice list.
Donald Crews is one of roughly one hundred authors whose work was selected by the Montessori-certified teachers at Creative Minds Montessori for the 2026 Teacher’s Choice list — 120 books chosen across four reading stages, from first lap-reads to first chapter books. The selected book was chosen for how precisely it meets children at a real developmental moment. This recognition cannot be bought: no author or publisher paid to appear on our lists, and we take no commission on any book sale.
About Donald Crews
Donald Crews graduated from Cooper Union in New York City in 1959 and makes bold, graphic picture books whose design and colour are, in the ALA's words, "dynamic and accessible, especially to toddlers." Freight Train was a 1979 Caldecott Honor book and Truck a 1981 Caldecott Honor book; in 2015 he received the ALA's Children's Literature Legacy Award.
Crews spent childhood summers at his grandparents' home in rural Cottondale, Florida — trips that became his autobiographical books Bigmama's and Shortcut.
Also by this author: Truck · School Bus · Bigmama's
Publisher page: www.harpercollins.ca/author/cr-167257/donald-crews
Selected for the 2026 Teacher’s Choice list
Part of The Best Children’s Books by Age, chosen by the teachers at Creative Minds Montessori in Frisco, TX.