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Caldecott Winners and Honor Books

A list of Caldecott Award winners and Honor books

2024 Medal Winner: Big, illustrated and written by Vashti Harrison 
Honor Books:
2023 Medal Winner: Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati
Honor Books:
2022 Medal Winner: Watercress, illustrated by Jason Chin, written by Andrea Wang
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2021 Medal Winner: We Are Water Protectors, illustrated by Michaela Goade, written by Carole Lindstrom
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2020 Medal Winner: The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Kwame Alexander
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2019 Medal Winner: Hello Lighthouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
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2018 Medal WinnerWolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell
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2017 Medal Winner: Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe
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2016 Medal WinnerFinding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
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2015 Medal WinnerThe Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend  by Dan Santat
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2014 Medal WinnerLocomotive by Brian Floca
Honor Books

2013 Medal WinnerThis Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
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2012 Medal Winner: A Ball for Daisy by Christopher Raschka
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2011 Medal Winner: A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
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2010 Medal Winner: The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
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2009 Medal Winner: The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes
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2008 Medal Winner: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
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2007 Medal Winner: Flotsam by David Wiesner
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2006 Medal Winner: The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster, illustrated by Christopher Raschka
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2005 Medal Winner: Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
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2004 Medal Winner: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
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2003 Medal Winner: My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
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2002 Medal Winner: The Three Pigs by David Wiesner
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2001 Medal Winner: So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George, illustrated by David Small
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2000 Medal Winner: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
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    1999 Medal Winner: Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Mary Azarian
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    1998 Medal Winner: Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky
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    1997 Medal Winner: Golem by David Wisniewski
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    1996 Medal Winner: Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
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    1995 Medal Winner: Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, illustrated by David Diaz
    Honor Books:       

    • John Henry by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney        
    • Swamp Angel by Anne Issacs, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky       
    • Time Flies by Eric Rohmann    

    1994 Medal Winner: Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say, edited by Walter Lorraine
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    1993 Medal Winner: Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully
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    1992 Medal Winner: Tuesday by David Wiesner
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    1991 Medal Winner: Black and White by David Macaulay
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    1990 Medal Winner: Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young
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    1989 Medal Winner: Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman, illustrated by Stephen Gammell
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    1988 Medal Winner: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr
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    1987 Medal Winner: Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks, illustrated by Richard Egielski
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    1986 Medal Winner: The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
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    1985 Medal Winner: Saint George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
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    1984 Medal Winner: The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot by Alice & Martin Provensen
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    1983 Medal Winner: Shadow by Blaise Cendrars, translated from the original French and illustrated by Marcia Brown     
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    1982 Medal Winner: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
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    1981 Medal Winner: Fables by Arnold Lobel
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    1980 Medal Winner: Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall, illustrated by Barbara Cooney
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    1979 Medal Winner: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble
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    1978 Medal Winner: Noah's Ark by Peter Spier
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    1977 Medal Winner: Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Margaret Musgrove, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
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    1976 Medal Winner: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears retold by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
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    1975 Medal Winner: Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott
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    1974 Medal Winner: Duffy and the Devil retold by Harve Zemach, illustrated by Margot Zemach;
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    1973 Medal Winner: The Funny Little Woman retold by Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent
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    1972 Medal Winner: One Fine Day retold and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
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    1971 Medal Winner: A Story A Story retold and illustrated by Gail E. Haley
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    1970 Medal Winner: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
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    1969 Medal Winner: The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship retold by Arthur Ransome, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz
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    1968 Medal Winner: Drummer Hoff adapted by Barbara Emberley, illustrated by Ed Emberley
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    1967 Medal Winner: Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness
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    1966 Medal Winner: Always Room for One More by Sorche Nic Leodhas (pseud. Leclair Alger), illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
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    1965 Medal Winner: May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, illustrated by Beni Montresor
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    1964 Medal Winner: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
    Honor Books:       

    • Swimmy by Leo Lionni        
    • All in the Morning Early by Sorche Nic Leodhas (pseud. Leclaire Alger), illustrated by Evaline Ness
    • Mother Goose and Nursery Rhymes illustrated by Philip Reed    

    1963 Medal Winner: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
    Honor Books:

    • The Sun is a Golden Earring by Natalia M. Belting, illustrated by Bernarda Bryson   
    • Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Maurice Sendak

    1962 Medal Winner: Once a Mouse retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown
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    1961 Medal Winner: Baboushka and the Three Kings by Ruth Robbins, illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov
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    1960 Medal Winner: Nine Days to Christmas by Marie Hall Ets and Aurora Labastida, illustrated by Marie Hall Ets
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    1959 Medal Winner: Chanticleer and the Fox adapted from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and  illustrated by Barbara Cooney
    Honor Books:

    • The House that Jack Built: La Maison Que Jacques A Batie by Antonio Frasconi
    • What Do You Say, Dear? by Sesyle Joslin, illustrated by Maurice Sendak
    • Umbrella by Taro Yashima

    1958 Medal Winner: Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
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    1957 Medal Winner: A Tree is Nice by Janice Udry, illustrated by Marc Simont
    Honor Books:

    • Mr. Penny's Race Horse by Marie Hall Ets        
    • 1 is One by Tasha Tudor
    • Anatole by Eve Titus, illustrated by Paul Galdone       
    • Gillespie and the Guards by Benjamin Elkin, illustrated by James Daugherty   
    • Lion by William Pène du Bois    

    1956 Medal Winner: Frog Went A-Courtin' retold by John Langstaff, illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky
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    1955 Medal Winner: Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper translated from Charles Perrault and illustrated by Marcia Brown
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    1954 Medal Winner: Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans
    Honor Books:

    • Journey Cake, Ho! by Ruth Sawyer, illustrated by Robert McCloskey   
    • When Will the World Be Mine? by Miriam Schlein, by Jean Charlot       
    • The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by M. R. James, illustrated by Marcia Brown       
    • A Very Special House by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Maurice Sendak       
    • Green Eyes by Abe Birnbaum    

    1953 Medal Winner: The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward
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    1952 Medal Winner: Finders Keepers by Will, illustrated by Nicolas
    Honor Books:       

    • Mr. T. W. Anthony Woo by Marie Hall Ets       
    • Skipper John's Cook by Marcia Brown        
    • All Falling Down by Gene Zion, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham
    • Bear Party by William Pène du Bois        
    • Feather Mountain by Elizabeth Olds

    1951 Medal Winner: The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous
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    1950 Medal Winner: Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi
    Honor Books:       

    • America's Ethan Allen by Stewart Holbrook, illustrated by Lynd Ward        
    • The Wild Birthday Cake by Lavinia R. Davis, illustrated by Hildegard Woodward
    • The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Marc Simont       
    • Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss   
    • Henry Fisherman by Marcia Brown

    1949 Medal Winner: The Big Snow by Berta & Elmer Hader
    Honor Books:       

    • Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey        
    • All Around the Town by Phyllis McGinley, illustrated by Helen Stone       
    • Juanita by Leo Politi        
    • Fish in the Air by Kurt Wiese

    1948 Medal Winner: White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
    Honor Books:       

    • Stone Soup by Marcia Brown        
    • McElligot's Pool by Dr. Seuss       
    • Bambino the Clown by Georges Schreiber       
    • Roger and the Fox by Lavinia R. Davis, illustrated by Hildegard Woodward       
    • Song of Robin Hood edited by Anne Malcolmson, illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton

    1947 Medal Winner: The Little Island by Golden MacDonald (pseud. Margaret Wise Brown), illustrated by Leonard Weisgard
    Honor Books:

    • Rain Drop Splash by Alvin Tresselt, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard       
    • Boats on the River by Marjorie Flack, illustrated by Jay Hyde Barnum       
    • Timothy Turtle by Al Graham, illustrated by Tony Palazzo       
    • Pedro, the Angel of Olvera Street by Leo Politi        
    • Sing in Praise: A Collection of the Best Loved Hymns selected by Opal Wheeler, illustrated by Marjorie Torrey

    1946 Medal Winner: The Rooster Crows by Maud & Miska Petersham
    Honor Books:       

    • Little Lost Lamb by Golden MacDonald (pseud. Margaret Wise Brown), illustrated by Leonard Weisgard 
    • Sing Mother Goose music by Opal Wheeler, illustrated by Marjorie Torrey   
    • My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World by Becky Reyher, illustrated by Ruth Gannett
    • You Can Write Chinese by Kurt Wiese

    1945 Medal Winner: Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field, illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones
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    1944 Medal Winner: Many Moons by James Thurber, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin
    Honor Books:       

    • Small Rain: Verses From The Bible selected by Jessie Orton Jones, illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones      
    • Pierre Pidgeon by Lee Kingman, illustrated by Arnold E. Bare
    • The Mighty Hunter by Berta & Elmer Hader        
    • A Child's Good Night Book by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Jean Charlot   
    • Good-Luck Horse by Chih-Yi Chan, illustrated by Plato Chan   

    1943 Medal Winner: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
    Honor Books:       

    • Dash and Dart by Mary & Conrad Buff        
    • Marshmallow by Clare Turlay Newberry    

    1942 Medal Winner: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
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    1941 Medal Winner: They Were Strong and Good by Robert Lawson
    Honor Book:       

    1940 Medal Winner: Abraham Lincoln by Ingri & Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
    Honor Books:       

    • Cock-a-Doodle Doo by Berta & Elmer Hader        
    • Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans        
    • The Ageless Story by Lauren Ford

    1939 Medal Winner: Mei Li by Thomas Handforth
    Honor Books:

    1938 Medal Winner: Animals of the Bible: a picture book selected by Helen Dean Fish, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop
    Honor Books:       

    • Four and Twenty Blackbirds compiled by Helen Dean Fish, illustrated by Robert Lawson   
    • Seven Simeons: A Russian Tale retold and illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff