Caldecott Medal

Besides the Caldecott Medal, the committee awards a variable number of citations to runners-up they deem worthy, called the Caldecott Honor or Caldecott Honor Books. The Caldecott Medal was first proposed by Frederic G. Melcher in 1937. The award was named after English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. Unchanged since its founding, the medal, which is given to every winner, features two of Caldecott's illustrations. The awarding process has changed several times over the years, including the use of the term "Honor" for the runner-ups beginning in 1971. There have been between one and five honor books named each year. To be eligible for a Caldecott, the book must be published in English, in the United States first, and be drawn by an American illustrator. An award committee decides on a winner in January or February, voting using a multi-round point system. The committee judges books on several criteria to meet the Caldecott's goal of recognizing "distinguished illustrations in a picture book and for excellence of pictorial presentation for children." Winning the award can lead to a substantial rise in books sold. It can also increase the prominence of illustrators. Illustrator and author Marcia Brown is the most recognized Caldecott illustrator, having won three medals and having six honor books. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of minority characters and illustrators recognized. However, this is something which has fluctuated over the history of the award.

• Name — Caldecott Medal • Awarded For — "the most distinguished American picture book for children" • Presenter — Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association • Country — United States • Website — ala.org/alsc/caldecott

• Illustration — Frederic G. Melcher first proposed the idea for the Caldecott Award following the success of the Newbery Award. The Caldecott was suggested in 1937 by Frederic G. Melcher, former editor of Publishers Weekly, following the establishment of the Newbery Medal in 1921. The American Library Association adopted Melcher's suggestion of awarding a medal to the illustrator "who had created the most distinguished picture book of the year." According to children's literature expert Leonard S. Marcus, the award helped draw American artists into the field of children's books. The award has been tweaked over the years, with the most recent changes in 2009. When the award was founded, books could be considered either for the Newbery or the Caldecott, with the same committee judging both awards. The committee noted other books of merit, which were frequently referred to as runner-ups. In 1971, these books were formally named Caldecott Honor books, with this name applied retroactively. In 1977, books became eligible for both awards and, beginning with the 1980 award, separate committees for each award were formed. Until 1958, a previous winner could win again only by unanimous vote of the committee, and it was only in 1963 when joint winners were first permitted.

• Illustration — Randolph Caldecott, for whom the medal is named, was an English artist and illustrator. Maurice Sendak said, "Caldecott's work heralds the beginning of the modern picture book." A picture book, according to the award criteria, provides "a visual experience. A picture book has a collective unity of storyline, theme, or concept, developed through the series of pictures" that constitute the book. The Medal is "for distinguished illustrations in a picture book and for excellence of pictorial presentation for children". Specifically, the illustrations are judged on their artistic technique, interpretation of the book's story and theme, the fit between the illustrations and the story and themes, the precision of depiction of elements of the book, like characters and mood, and how well the illustrations serve their targeted audience. Honor books need to fulfill the same criteria. The book must be self-contained, independent of other media for its enjoyment. Components other than illustration, including the book's text or overall design, may be considered as they affect the overall effectiveness of the book's illustrations. To be eligible for the Caldecott, the artist must be a US citizen or resident, the book must have been published in English, in the United States first, or simultaneously in other countries. Picture books for any audience up to the age of 14 may be considered. In December 2019, children's literature expert Leonard S. Marcus suggested that the Caldecott had achieved its mission in the US and the award should be expanded so children's book illustrations from anywhere in the world be considered.

The Caldecott and Newbery awards have historically been considered the most important children's book awards. Anita Silvey, children's book author, editor, and critic, suggests they might even be the most important book awards, saying that "no other award has the economic significance of the Newbery and Caldecott". According to Silvey, a Caldecott winner can have sales increased from 2,000 to 100,000–200,000. Silvey also credits the Caldecott for helping to establish Bradbury Press and Roaring Brook Press as important publishers. It can also be an important recognition for authors. According to Leonard Marcus, Where the Wild Things Ares recognition brought its author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak, to national prominence. A 1999 study on the reading levels of Caldecott recipients suggested that most winners were written at the elementary age level, with the average reading level having decreased over time. A 2007 study of Caldecott recipients found that the prevalence and importance of female characters had risen and fallen several times over the history of the Caldecott. It also found that, unlike recipients of the Pura Belpré Award and Coretta Scott King Award, the behaviors of male and female characters remained distinct and adhered to traditional gender norms. A different 2007 study, by one of the same authors, also found an increase in the number of minority characters following a 1965 critique by Nancy Larrick, however the number of minorities had fallen by the 2000s. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of minority characters and illustrators recognized. The Horn Book Magazine editor Martha Parravano has noted how rarely non-fiction books, especially non-fiction books about science, are recognized by the Caldecott.

In 1938, Dorothy P. Lathrop’s illustrations for Animals of the Bible won her the inaugural Caldecott Medal, awarded for the year’s “most distinguished American picture book for children.” • Illustration — Thomas Handford won the second Caldecott for his book Mei Li, which was based on a girl he met in his travels. • Illustration — Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, who won the third Caldecott Medal in 1940, worked together as a writing and illustrative team. • Illustration — Leo Politi (left), who won the Caldecott Medal and two honors, was called the Italian Dr. Seuss. • Illustration — 1965 recipient Beni Montresor wrote operas and children's books the same, "I must astonish and amaze myself first, and if I do, then the spectator will react in the same way." • Illustration — Both of Chris Van Allsburg's Caldecott winners have been adapted into films. • Illustration — Ed Young won the 1990 Caldecott Medal for his telling of the Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood. • Illustration — Prior to winning the Medal in 1991, David Macaulay had been disappointed not to have been recognized with the Caldecott for his earlier works. • Illustration — Three time honoree Marla Frazee also wrote and illustrated The Boss Baby. • Illustration — Caldecott winner Dan Santat turned down the chance to work full time for Google creating their Google Doodles so he could keep pursuing children book illustration. • Illustration — Brian Selznick's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret was the first novel to win the Caldecott. • Illustration — Mo Willems has been honored with other ALA awards including the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video and the Geisel Award for his early readers. • Illustration — Jillian Tamaki's 2015 winner This One Summer was the first and, As of 2020, only graphic novel to win the Caldecott Honor. • Illustration — Patrick McDonnell mentioned Jane Goodall in his syndicated Mutts comicstrip. This attracted the Jane Goodall Institute's attention and eventually led to his 2012 honor book Me... Jane. • Illustration — Erin E. Stead (left) won the 2011 Caldecott for her very first book which was written by her husband, Phillip (right). • Illustration — Yuyi Morales was the first Latina Caldecott recipient in 2016. • Illustration — Last Stop on Market Street won its author, Matt de la Peña, a Newbery Medal while illustrator Christian Robinson (pictured) won a Caldecott Honor. • Illustration — Javaka Steptoe (pictured), 2017's winner, is the son of two-time honors winner John Steptoe. • Illustration — 2015 Caldecott Honor recipient Mary GrandPré illustrated the covers and chapter illustrations for the United States editions of the Harry Potter books. • Illustration — Vashti Harrison, who won the 2024 Caldecott for her debut picture book Big, was the first African-American woman to win the award. 1 Caldecott Medal |Winners and Honor Books • Year — Illustrator — Book — Award • 1938 — Animals of the Bible — Winner • Four and Twenty Blackbirds — Honor • Seven Simeons: A Russian Tale — Honor • 1939 — Mei Li — Winner • Andy and the Lion — Honor • Barkis — Honor • ' — Honor • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — Honor • Wee Gillis — Honor • 1940 — Abraham Lincoln — Winner • Cock-a-Doodle Doo — Honor • Madeline — Honor • ' — Honor • 1941 — They Were Strong and Good — Winner • April's Kittens — Honor • 1942 — Make Way for Ducklings — Winner • ' — Honor • In My Mother's House — Honor • Paddle-to-the-Sea — Honor • Nothing at All — Honor • 1943 — ' — Winner • Dash and Dart — Honor • Marshmallow — Honor • 1944 — Many Moons — Winner • Small Rain: Verses From The Bible — Honor • Pierre Pidgeon — Honor • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • 1945 — Prayer for a Child — Winner • Mother Goose — Honor • In the Forest — Honor • Yonie Wondernose — Honor • ' — Honor • 1946 — ' — Winner • Little Lost Lamb — Honor • Sing Mother Goose — Honor • My Mother Is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World — Honor • You Can Write Chinese — Honor • 1947 — ' — Winner • Rain Drop Splash — Honor • Boats on the River — Honor • Timothy Turtle — Honor • Pedro, the Angel of Olvera Street — Honor • Sing in Praise: A Collection of the Best Loved Hymns — Honor • 1948 — White Snow, Bright Snow — Winner • Stone Soup — Honor • McElligot's Pool — Honor • Bambino the Clown — Honor • Roger and the Fox — Honor • Song of Robin Hood — Honor • 1949 — ' — Winner • Blueberries for Sal — Honor • All Around the Town — Honor • Juanita — Honor • Fish in the Air — Honor • 1950 — Song of the Swallows — Winner • America's Ethan Allen — Honor • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • Bartholomew and the Oobleck — Honor • Henry – Fisherman — Honor • 1951 — ' — Winner • Dick Whittington and His Cat — Honor • ' — Honor • If I Ran the Zoo — Honor • ' — Honor • T-Bone, the Baby Sitter — Honor • 1952 — Finders Keepers — Winner • Mr. T. W. Anthony Woo — Honor • Skipper John's Cook — Honor • All Falling Down — Honor • Bear Party — Honor • Feather Mountain — Honor • 1953 — ' — Winner • Puss in Boots — Honor • One Morning in Maine — Honor • Ape in a Cape: An Alphabet of Odd Animals — Honor • ' — Honor • Five Little Monkeys — Honor • 1954 — Madeline's Rescue — Winner • Journey Cake, Ho! — Honor • When Will the World Be Mine? — Honor • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • Green Eyes — Honor • 1955 — Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper — Winner • Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes — Honor • Wheel on the Chimney — Honor • ' — Honor • 1956 — Frog Went A-Courtin — Winner • Play With Me — Honor • Crow Boy — Honor • 1957 — ' — Winner • Mr. Penny's Race Horse — Honor • ' — Honor • Anatole — Honor • Gillespie and the Guards — Honor • Lion — Honor • 1958 — Time of Wonder — Winner • Fly High, Fly Low — Honor • Anatole and the Cat — Honor • 1959 — Chanticleer and the Fox — Winner • ' — Honor • What Do You Say, Dear? — Honor • Umbrella — Honor • 1960 — Nine Days to Christmas — Winner • Houses from the Sea — Honor • ' — Honor • 1961 — Baboushka and the Three Kings — Winner • Inch by Inch — Honor • 1962 — Once a Mouse — Winner • Fox Went out on a Chilly Night: An Old Song — Honor • Little Bear's Visit — Honor • ' — Honor • 1963 — ' — Winner • ' — Honor • Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present — Honor • 1964 — Where the Wild Things Are — Winner • Swimmy — Honor • All in the Morning Early — Honor • Mother Goose and Nursery Rhymes — Honor • 1965 — May I Bring a Friend? — Winner • Rain Makes Applesauce — Honor • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • 1966 — Always Room for One More — Winner • Hide and Seek Fog — Honor • Just Me — Honor • Tom Tit Tot — Honor • 1967 — Sam, Bangs & Moonshine — Winner • One Wide River to Cross — Honor • 1968 — Drummer Hoff — Winner • Frederick — Honor • Seashore Story — Honor • ' — Honor • 1969 — ' — Winner • Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky — Honor • 1970 — Sylvester and the Magic Pebble — Winner • Goggles! — Honor • Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse — Honor • Pop Corn & Ma Goodness — Honor • Thy Friend, Obadiah — Honor • ' — Honor • 1971 — ' — Winner • ' — Honor • Frog and Toad Are Friends — Honor • In the Night Kitchen — Honor • 1972 — One Fine Day — Winner • Hildilid's Night — Honor • If All the Seas Were One Sea — Honor • Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book — Honor • 1973 — ' — Winner • Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti — Honor • Hosie's Alphabet — Honor • Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs — Honor • When Clay Sings — Honor • 1974 — Duffy and the Devil — Winner • Three Jovial Huntsmen — Honor • Cathedral — Honor • 1975 — Arrow to the Sun — Winner • Jambo Means Hello: A Swahili Alphabet Book — Honor • 1976 — Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears — Winner • ' — Honor • Strega Nona — Honor • 1977 — Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions — Winner • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • Fish for Supper — Honor • ' — Honor • Hawk, I'm Your Brother — Honor • 1978 — Noah's Ark — Winner • Castle — Honor • It Could Always Be Worse — Honor • 1979 — ' — Winner • Freight Train — Honor • ' — Honor • 1980 — Ox-Cart Man — Winner • Ben's Trumpet — Honor • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • 1981 — Fables — Winner • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • Mice Twice — Honor • Truck — Honor • 1982 — Jumanji — Winner • Where the Buffaloes Begin — Honor • On Market Street — Honor • Outside Over There — Honor • ' — Honor • 1983 — Shadow — Winner • ' — Honor • When I Was Young in the Mountains — Honor • 1984 — ' — Winner • Little Red Riding Hood — Honor • Ten, Nine, Eight — Honor • 1985 — Saint George and the Dragon — Winner • Hansel and Gretel — Honor • Have You Seen My Duckling? — Honor • ' — Honor • 1986 — ' — Winner • ' — Honor • King Bidgood's in the Bathtub — Honor • 1987 — Hey, Al — Winner • ' — Honor • Alphabatics — Honor • Rumpelstiltskin — Honor • 1988 — Owl Moon — Winner • Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters — Honor • 1989 — Song and Dance Man — Winner • ' — Honor • Free Fall — Honor • Goldilocks and the Three Bears — Honor • Mirandy and Brother Wind — Honor • 1990 — Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China — Winner • Bill Peet: An Autobiography — Honor • Color Zoo — Honor • ' — Honor • Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins — Honor • 1991 — Black and White — Winner • Fred Marcellino — Puss in Boots — Honor • Honor • 1992 — Tuesday — Winner • Tar Beach — Honor • 1993 — Mirette on the High Wire — Winner • ' — Honor • Seven Blind Mice — Honor • Working Cotton — Honor • 1994 — Grandfather's Journey — Winner • Peppe the Lamplighter — Honor • In the Small, Small Pond — Honor • Raven: A Trickster Tale From The Pacific Northwest — Honor • Owen — Honor • Yo! Yes? — Honor • 1995 — Smoky Night — Winner • John Henry — Honor • Swamp Angel — Honor • Time Flies — Honor • 1996 — Officer Buckle and Gloria — Winner • Alphabet City — Honor • Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin — Honor • ' — Honor • Tops & Bottoms — Honor • 1997 — Golem — Winner • Hush!: A Thai Lullaby — Honor • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • Starry Messenger — Honor • 1998 — Rapunzel — Winner • ' — Honor • Harlem — Honor • There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly — Honor • 1999 — Snowflake Bentley — Winner • Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra — Honor • No, David! — Honor • Snow — Honor • Tibet: Through the Red Box — Honor • 2000 — Joseph Had a Little Overcoat — Winner • ' — Honor • Sector 7 — Honor • When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry — Honor • ' — Honor • 2001 — So You Want to Be President? — Winner • Casey at the Bat — Honor • Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type — Honor • Olivia — Honor • 2002 — ' — Winner • ' — Honor • Martin's Big Words: the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — Honor • ' — Honor • 2003 — My Friend Rabbit — Winner • ' — Honor • Hondo & Fabian — Honor • Noah's Ark — Honor • 2004 — ' — Winner • Ella Sarah Gets Dressed — Honor • and — What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? — Honor • Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! — Honor • 2005 — Kitten's First Full Moon — Winner • ' — Honor • Coming on Home Soon — Honor • Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale — Honor • 2006 — ' — Winner • Rosa — Honor • Zen Shorts — Honor • Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride — Honor • Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems — Honor • 2007 — Flotsam — Winner • Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet — Honor • Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom — Honor • 2008 — ' — Winner • Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad — Honor • First the Egg — Honor • ' — Honor • Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity — Honor • 2009 — ' — Winner • Honor • How I Learned Geography — Honor • ' — Honor • 2010 — ' — Winner • All the World — Honor • Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors — Honor • 2011 — ' — Winner • Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave — Honor • Interrupting Chicken — Honor • 2012 — ' — Winner • Blackout — Honor • Grandpa Green — Honor • Me... Jane — Honor • 2013 — This is Not My Hat — Winner • Creepy Carrots! — Honor • Extra Yarn — Honor • Green — Honor • One Cool Friend — Honor • Sleep Like a Tiger — Honor • 2014 — Locomotive — Winner • Journey — Honor • Flora and the Flamingo — Honor • Mr. Wuffles! — Honor • 2015 — Winner • Nana in the City — Honor • ' — Honor • Sam and Dave Dig a Hole — Honor • Viva Frida — Honor • Honor • This One Summer — Honor • 2016 — Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear — Winner • Trombone Shorty — Honor • Waiting — Honor • Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement — Honor • Last Stop on Market Street — Honor • 2017 — Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat — Winner • Leave Me Alone! — Honor • Freedom in Congo Square — Honor • Du Iz Tak? — Honor • They All Saw a Cat — Honor • 2018 — Wolf in the Snow — Winner • Big Cat, Little Cat — Honor • Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut — Honor • ' — Honor • Grand Canyon — Honor • 2019 — Hello Lighthouse — Winner • Alma and How She Got Her Name — Honor • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • Thank You, Omu! — Honor • 2020 — ' — Winner • Bear Came Along — Honor • Double Bass Blues — Honor • Going Down Home with Daddy — Honor • 2021 — We Are Water Protectors — Winner • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • Me & Mama — Honor • Outside In — Honor • 2022 — Watercress — Winner • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre — Honor • Wonder Walkers — Honor • 2023 — Hot Dog — Winner • ' — Honor • ' — Honor • Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmitt Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement — Honor • Knight Owl — Honor • 2024 — Big — Winner • In Every Life — Honor • Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter — Honor • There Was a Party for Langston — Honor • The Truth About Dragons — Honor • 2025 — Chooch Helped — Winner • My Daddy is a Cowboy — Honor • Noodles on a Bicycle — Honor • Home in a Lunchbox — Honor • Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains — Honor • 2026 — Fireworks — Winner • Every Monday Mabel — Honor • Our Lake — Honor • Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave — Honor • Sundust — Honor

• Illustration — Illustration by Randolph Caldecott (1878) of The Diverting History of John Gilpin, basis of the medal's obverse The award is named for Randolph Caldecott, a nineteenth-century English illustrator. Rene Paul Chambellan designed the Medal in 1937. The obverse scene is derived from Randolph Caldecott's front cover illustration for The Diverting History of John Gilpin (Routledge, 1878, an edition of the 1782 poem by William Cowper), which depicts John Gilpin astride a runaway horse. The reverse is based on "Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie", one of Caldecott's illustrations for the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence". Each illustrator receives a bronze copy of the medal, which, despite being awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), lists Children's Librarian's Section, the original awarding group, for historical reasons.

• Illustration — David Wiesner is one of only two illustrators, along with Marcia Brown, to have won three Caldecott Medals. • Illustration — Jon Klassen is the second Caldecott medal recipient to also have a Caldecott honor book in the same year. • Illustration — Kadir Nelson's artwork has been acquired by museums including the Smithsonian. • Illustration — Sophie Blackall is the most recent multiple Caldecott Medal winner. Listed below are all illustrators who have won at least two Caldecott Medals or who have won a medal and multiple honors. • Illustrator — Number of total awards — Number of Caldecott Medals — Caldecott Medals — Number of Caldecott Honors — Caldecott Honors • 9 — 3 — 1955, 1962, 1983 — 6 — 1948, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 • 8 — 1 — 1964 — 7 — 1954, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1982 • 6 — 1 — 1960 — 5 — 1945, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1966 • 6 — 1 — 2010 — 5 — 1989, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2003 • 6 — 3 — 1992, 2002, 2007 — 3 — 1989, 2000, 2014 • 5 — 2 — 1942, 1958 — 3 — 1949, 1953, 1954 • 4 — 1 — 1985 — 3 — 1984, 1990, 2000 • 4 — 1 — 1973 — 3 — 1965, 1969, 1971 • 4 — 1 — 1967 — 3 — 1964, 1965, 1966 • 4 — 1 — 1969 — 3 — 1980, 1999, 2009 • 4 — 1 — 1998 — 3 — 1985, 1987, 1995 • 3 — 1 — 1989 — 2 — 1982, 1986 • 3 — 1 — 2013 — 2 — 2013, 2015 • 3 — 1 — 1941 — 2 — 1938, 1939 • 3 — 2 — 1966, 1972 — 1 — 1977 • 3 — 1 — 1949 — 2 — 1940, 1944 • 3 — 1 — 2005 — 2 — 1994, 2016 • 3 — 1 — 1981 — 2 — 1971, 1972 • 3 — 1 — 1991 — 2 — 1974, 1978 • 3 — 1 — 1975 — 2 — 1973, 1994 • Kadir Nelson — 3 — 1 — 2020 — 2 — 2007, 2008 • 3 — 1 — 1950 — 2 — 1947, 1949 • 3 — 2 — 2006, 2012 — 1 — 1994 • 3 — 1 — 1957 — 2 — 1950, 2002 • 3 — 1 — 2001 — 2 — 1998, 2013 • 3 — 2 — 1982, 1986 — 1 — 1980 • 3 — 1 — 1947 — 2 — 1946, 1947 • 3 — 1 — 1990 — 2 — 1968, 1993 • 3 — 1 — 1974 — 2 — 1970, 1978 • 2 — 2 — 2016, 2019 • 2 — 2 — 1959, 1980 • 2 — 2 — 1976, 1977