Memory and kids' books

We went to a Catholic Homeschoolers conference this weekend. They had a book fair, which to us is like giving a junkie a free pass at a pharmacy. Anyway...
Since I think about kids' books a lot, having of inspiration to do so, I think about books I remember reading. We've actually acquired at least one; my husband's Gift with used book stores and online sellers is a wonderful thing. Some are still in print, like Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are.
But my point is, there are ones I remember and lots that I don't. One I remember is It Could Always Be Worse, by Margot Zemach. It pulled on the corners of my mind until I ordered it. When it arrived, it had one of those Caldecott/Newbery Awards on the cover. I didn't remember that. But what kid would?
It seems the ones I remember turn out to be award-winners. I usually have found this out when I find them as an adult.
We don't own any Curious George (yet--the treasury is on the "to buy" list), but we borrowed one from the library months ago. Madeleine asked about it just last week, which tells me it was good. We don't have Harold and the Purple Crayon yet, either, but I think those will be in the same Amazon box.

So I wonder. Do I and my kids have the same standards as the award-givers? Or do the award-givers just make sense?