 The Caldecott Medal was named after 19th century illustrator Randolph Caldecott, one of the first artists to illustrate children’s books. The award is given annually by the Association for Library Services to Children to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
Recent Winners:
 2008 Selznick, Brian / The Invention of Hugo Cabret
From an opening shot of the full moon setting over the awakening Paris in 1931, this tale casts a new light on the picture book form. Hugo, a young orphan secretly living in the walls of a train station, struggles to keep the station's clocks working, while trying to complete a mysterious invention left by his father.
2007 Wiesner, David / Flotsam
Flotsam is a cinematic unfolding of discovery. A vintage camera washed up on the beach provides a young boy with a surprising view of fantastical images fron the bottom of the sea. From fish-eye to lens-eye, readers see a frame-by-frame narrative of lush marinescapes ebbing and flowing from the real to the unreal.
2006 Juster, Norton / The Hello, Goodbye Window
In this sunny portrait of familial love, a little girl tells us about her experiences visiting her grandparents’ house. Chris Raschka's style resembles the drawings of children, perfectly mirroring the young narrator’s exuberant voice.
2005 Henkes, Kevin / Kitten's First Full Moon
Henkes employs boldly outlined organic shapes and shades of black, white and gray with rose undertones to tell a simple story of a kitten who mistakes the moon for a bowl of milk.
 2004 Gerstein, Mordicai / The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
This story recounts the daring feat of a young Frenchman who walked a tightrope between the World Trade Center twin towers in 1974. His joy in dancing on a thin wire high above Manhattan is captured in exquisite ink and oil paintings. 2003 Rohmann, Eric / My Friend Rabbit
Mouse shares his brand-new toy airplane with his friend Rabbit, and no one can predict the disastrous—but hilarious—results. It’s a lighthearted celebration of a friendship that will last – even if whatever Rabbit does and wherever he goes, trouble follows.
2002 Wiesner, David / The Three Pigs
The plot and form of a familiar folktale unravel as the pigs are huffed and puffed off the page and into a new world. Wiesner uses a range of artistic styles and thrilling perspectives to play with the structure and conventions of traditional storytelling, redefining the picture book.
2001 St. George, Judith / So You Want to Be President?
In illustrations rendered in a mix of watercolor, ink, and pastel chalk, David Small employs wiry and expansive lines with an echo of political cartooning investing this personable history of the presidency with imaginative detail, wry humor, and refreshing dignity.
See the complete list: Caldecott Medal Winners and Honor Books, 1938-Present |
