'The Last Cuentista' and 'Watercress' win top Newbery, Caldecott book awards

Donna Barba Higuera's 'The Last Cuentista', won the John Newbery Medal for the year's best children's book, while the Randolph Caldecott Medal for outstanding children's picture book went to 'Watercress', illustrated by Jason Chin and written by Andrea Wang. Photo: Handout

Donna Barba Higuera's The Last Cuentista, a post-apocalyptic tale of a young girl who must preserve the memory of Earth's history, has won the John Newbery Medal for the year's best children's book.

Another story of memory was awarded the Randolph Caldecott Medal for outstanding children's picture book. Watercress, in which a Chinese American girl learns about her heritage, was illustrated by Jason Chin and written by Andrea Wang.