Fond Books
Archive Collection

Caldecott Medal Winners

1938–2026

The Caldecott Medal is the most prestigious award in American picture books, presented annually since 1938 by the American Library Association to the artist of the most distinguished illustrated book for children. Winners include classics from Robert McCloskey and Maurice Sendak to Chris Van Allsburg and David Wiesner.

Jump to:
2020s 2010s 2000s 1990s 1980s 1970s 1960s 1950s 1940s 1930s
Year Title & Author Historical Context
2026 Fireworks by Catia Chien Fireworks won the 2026 Caldecott Medal for Catia Chien's painterly illustration.
2025 Chooch Helped by Rebecca Lee Kunz Chooch Helped received the 2025 Caldecott Medal and centers a contemporary Cherokee family.
2024 Big by Vashti Harrison Big made Vashti Harrison the first Black woman to win the Caldecott Medal when it was honored in 2024.
2023 Hot Dog by Doug Salati Hot Dog earned Doug Salati the 2023 Caldecott Medal for his debut as both author and illustrator of a picture book.
2022 Watercress by Jason Chin Watercress won the 2022 Caldecott Medal and also received a Newbery Honor, a rare double recognition for one picture book.
2021 We Are Water Protectors by Michaela Goade Michaela Goade became the first Native American illustrator to win the Caldecott Medal, for a book written by Carole Lindstrom inspired by Indigeno...
2020 The Undefeated by Kadir Nelson The Undefeated, written as a poem by Kwame Alexander, won the Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award in the same year.
2019 Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall Hello Lighthouse gave Sophie Blackall her second Caldecott Medal, following her 2016 win for Finding Winnie.
2018 Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell Wolf in the Snow is a nearly wordless picture book that earned Matthew Cordell the Caldecott Medal.
2017 Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe Javaka Steptoe painted the art on found wood to echo Basquiat's style and won the Caldecott Medal for this biography of the artist.
2016 Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Sophie Blackall Finding Winnie tells the real history behind Winnie the Pooh and was written by Lindsay Mattick, the great granddaughter of veterinarian Harry Cole...
2015 The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat Dan Santat named the title character Beekle and won the Caldecott Medal for this story about an imaginary friend who seeks out his child.
2014 Locomotive by Brian Floca Locomotive depicts travel on the transcontinental railroad just after its completion in 1869 and won the Caldecott Medal for Brian Floca.
2013 This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen This Is Not My Hat made Jon Klassen the first person to win the Caldecott Medal and the British Kate Greenaway Medal for the same book.
2012 A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka This wordless picture book earned Chris Raschka his second Caldecott Medal, following his 2006 win for The Hello, Goodbye Window.
2011 A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Erin E. Stead Erin E. Stead won the Caldecott Medal for her first picture book, illustrated using woodblock printing and pencil with text by her husband Philip C...
2010 The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney This was the first Caldecott Medal of Jerry Pinkney's long career after five Caldecott Honor citations, and it is a nearly wordless retelling of an...
2009 The House in the Night by Beth Krommes The book drew on a traditional cumulative rhyme and earned Beth Krommes the Caldecott Medal for her detailed scratchboard technique.
2008 The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick At over five hundred pages, it was by far the longest book ever to win the Caldecott and the first true novel to take the award.
2007 Flotsam by David Wiesner Flotsam gave David Wiesner his third Caldecott Medal, tying the record then held by Marcia Brown.
2006 The Hello, Goodbye Window by Chris Raschka The book paired illustrator Chris Raschka with Norton Juster, the author best known for The Phantom Tollbooth.
2005 Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes This was Kevin Henkes's first Caldecott Medal, awarded for his first book illustrated entirely in black and white.
2004 The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein The book recounts Philippe Petit's actual high wire walk between the World Trade Center towers on August 7, 1974.
2003 My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann My Friend Rabbit was Eric Rohmann's first picture book that he both wrote and illustrated, having earned a Caldecott Honor in 1995 for Time Flies.
2002 The Three Pigs by David Wiesner The medal made David Wiesner the second illustrator to win the Caldecott more than once, following his 1992 award for Tuesday.
2001 So You Want to Be President? by David Small A revised edition appeared in 2004 to reflect George W. Bush's election and update the count of presidents.
2000 Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback Simms Taback based the book on a Yiddish folk song, expanding an earlier 1977 version of the same story that he had illustrated decades before.
1999 Snowflake Bentley by Mary Azarian The book tells the true story of Wilson Bentley, the first person to photograph a single snow crystal, in 1885.
1998 Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky This win made Paul O. Zelinsky a four time Caldecott honoree who had finally taken the medal, after earning Honor citations for Hansel and Gretel, ...
1997 Golem by David Wisniewski David Wisniewski constructed the illustrations entirely from layered cut paper, retelling a legend rooted in the Jewish quarter of sixteenth centur...
1996 Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann Peggy Rathmann both wrote and illustrated the book, which centers on a police officer and his safety lessons.
1995 Smoky Night by David Diaz Eve Bullock wrote the text, which responded to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
1994 Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say Allen Say drew on his own family history of immigration between Japan and the United States to tell the story.
1993 Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully Emily Arnold McCully set the story in nineteenth century Paris and later wrote sequels following the character Mirette.
1992 Tuesday by David Wiesner This was the first of David Wiesner's three Caldecott Medals, and the nearly wordless book relies almost entirely on its illustrations to tell the ...
1991 Black and White by David Macaulay The book opens with a warning that it may contain several stories or only one, signaling its experimental approach to narrative.
1990 Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young Ed Young won the medal for a story he translated from a Chinese oral tradition more than a thousand years old.
1989 Song and Dance Man by Stephen Gammell The text was written by Karen Ackerman, and the book honors the vanished tradition of American vaudeville.
1988 Owl Moon by John Schoenherr The poetic text was written by Jane Yolen and drew on the owling outings of her own family in New England.
1987 Hey, Al by Richard Egielski The text was written by Arthur Yorinks, a frequent collaborator with illustrator Richard Egielski.
1986 The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg The book inspired a 2004 motion capture animated film starring Tom Hanks and directed by Robert Zemeckis.
1985 Saint George and the Dragon by Trina Schart Hyman Trina Schart Hyman won the Caldecott Medal in 1985 for this book, which retells an episode from Edmund Spenser's sixteenth century epic The Faerie ...
1984 The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot by Alice and Martin Provensen Alice and Martin Provensen won the Caldecott Medal in 1984 for this account of Louis Bleriot, who made the first airplane flight across the English...
1983 Shadow by Marcia Brown Marcia Brown won her third Caldecott Medal in 1983 for Shadow, which she translated from a poem by the French writer Blaise Cendrars.
1982 Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg Chris Van Allsburg won the Caldecott Medal in 1982 for Jumanji, which later inspired a hit 1995 feature film starring Robin Williams.
1981 Fables by Arnold Lobel Arnold Lobel, already known for his Frog and Toad books, won the Caldecott Medal in 1981 for these fables that he both wrote and illustrated himself.
1980 Ox-Cart Man by Barbara Cooney Barbara Cooney won her second Caldecott Medal in 1980 for this book, illustrating a poem by the poet Donald Hall.
1979 The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble Paul Goble won the Caldecott Medal in 1979 for this story rooted in Plains Indian culture and his lifelong study of Native American life.
1978 Noah's Ark by Peter Spier Peter Spier won the Caldecott Medal in 1978 for this almost wordless book, which he built around a translated poem by the Dutch writer Jacobus Revius.
1977 Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Leo and Diane Dillon This book gave Leo and Diane Dillon their second straight Caldecott Medal in 1977, making them the first illustrators to win the award two years in...
1976 Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Leo and Diane Dillon Leo and Diane Dillon won the Caldecott Medal in 1976 for this Nigerian folktale retold by Verna Aardema, becoming the first of their two consecutiv...
1975 Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott Gerald McDermott adapted this story from a Pueblo Indian tale and also produced it as an animated film before it won the Caldecott Medal in 1975.
1974 Duffy and the Devil by Margot Zemach Margot Zemach won the Caldecott Medal for this book in 1974, illustrating a story retold by her husband Harve Zemach from a Cornish version of the ...
1973 The Funny Little Woman by Blair Lent Arlene Mosel adapted this Japanese folktale from a collection by the folklorist Lafcadio Hearn.
1972 One Fine Day by Nonny Hogrogian This second Medal made Nonny Hogrogian one of the few illustrators to win the Caldecott twice.
1971 A Story a Story by Gail E. Haley The story retells a West African Anansi tale that explains how spider stories came to be told.
1970 Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig The book faced bans in some places during the 1970s because Steig drew the police officers as pigs.
1969 The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Uri Shulevitz Arthur Ransome retold this Russian folktale, and Uri Shulevitz won his first Caldecott Medal for illustrating it.
1968 Drummer Hoff by Ed Emberley Ed Emberley created the illustrations using woodcut printing, and his wife Barbara adapted the traditional verse.
1967 Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness Evaline Ness was a four time Caldecott contender, earning three Honor citations before winning the Medal for this book.
1966 Always Room for One More by Nonny Hogrogian The book retells a traditional Scottish folk song and includes the original tune at the back.
1965 May I Bring a Friend? by Beni Montresor Beni Montresor, who illustrated the book, also worked as a designer for opera and theater productions.
1964 Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Where the Wild Things Are has sold many millions of copies worldwide and was adapted into a 2009 feature film directed by Spike Jonze.
1963 The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats The Snowy Day was the first full color picture book featuring a Black protagonist to win the Caldecott Medal.
1962 Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown This win made Marcia Brown the first illustrator to receive a second Caldecott Medal, after her earlier honor for Cinderella in 1955.
1961 Baboushka and the Three Kings by Nicolas Sidjakov Ruth Robbins adapted this old Russian legend, and her husband Nicolas Sidjakov won the Caldecott Medal for the bold graphic art.
1960 Nine Days to Christmas by Marie Hall Ets Written jointly with Aurora Labastida, this was one of the first Caldecott winners set in contemporary Mexico rather than a folktale past.
1959 Chanticleer and the Fox by Barbara Cooney Barbara Cooney adapted this story from the Nun's Priest's Tale in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, written in the fourteenth century.
1958 Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey This was the first time Robert McCloskey worked in full color watercolor, and it made him the first artist to win the Caldecott Medal twice.
1957 A Tree Is Nice by Marc Simont Marc Simont illustrated this quiet picture book by Janice May Udry, whose spare text reads almost like a list of plain truths.
1956 Frog Went A-Courtin' by Feodor Rojankovsky The text by John Langstaff gathered verses from many versions of a centuries old folk ballad with roots in Britain and America.
1955 Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper by Marcia Brown Marcia Brown translated and illustrated this Charles Perrault tale, and she went on to win the Caldecott Medal three times in all.
1954 Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans This was the second Madeline book and the one that earned Ludwig Bemelmans the Caldecott Medal, following his original Madeline of 1939.
1953 The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward Lynd Ward was already celebrated for his wordless novels in woodcuts before he won the Caldecott for this story.
1952 Finders Keepers by Nicolas Mordvinoff Nicolas Mordvinoff collaborated with writer William Lipkind under the joint name Will and Nicolas, a partnership that produced several picture book...
1951 The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous Katherine Milhous based the story on the Pennsylvania Dutch culture of her own childhood, helping popularize the egg tree custom across the country.
1950 Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi Leo Politi drew on his deep love of Los Angeles neighborhoods and Mexican American culture, themes that ran through much of his picture book work.
1949 The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader The husband and wife Haders drew on the wildlife around their own home in the Hudson River valley for the book's woodland scenes.
1948 White Snow, Bright Snow by Roger Duvoisin The book paired the poetic prose of Alvin Tresselt with Duvoisin's art, the first of many collaborations between the two.
1947 The Little Island by Leonard Weisgard Margaret Wise Brown wrote the text under the pen name Golden MacDonald, the same year she was developing her later classic Goodnight Moon.
1946 The Rooster Crows by Maud and Miska Petersham Later printings removed early illustrations that contained racially demeaning caricatures present in the original 1945 edition.
1945 Prayer for a Child by Elizabeth Orton Jones Rachel Field originally wrote the prayer for her own daughter before it became this picture book.
1944 Many Moons by Louis Slobodkin The story was written by the noted humorist James Thurber, with Slobodkin earning the medal for the illustrations.
1943 The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton The book is often read as an early expression of environmental and anti urban sprawl concern in American children's literature.
1942 Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey Bronze sculptures of the mother duck and her ducklings have stood in the Boston Public Garden since 1987, honoring the book's enduring popularity.
1941 They Were Strong and Good by Robert Lawson Modern editions carry a publisher's note addressing dated racial language and depictions that reflect the attitudes of the era in which Lawson wrote.
1940 Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire The husband and wife team created the color plates by drawing directly onto lithographic stones, a demanding technique they used throughout their p...
1939 Mei Li by Thomas Handforth Thomas Handforth based the book on his years living in Peking, and Mei Li was modeled on a real child he knew there.
1938 Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book by Dorothy P. Lathrop This was the very first book to receive the Caldecott Medal when the award began in 1938.