Fond Books

Every winner, newest first

Caldecott Medal Winners

1938 to 2026

Winners by year

Newest first. The year links to everything published or awarded that year.

Year Book and illustrator
2026 Fireworks illustrated by Cátia Chien
2025 Chooch Helped illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz
2024 Big illustrated by Vashti Harrison
2023 Hot Dog illustrated by Doug Salati
2022 Watercress illustrated by Jason Chin
2021 We Are Water Protectors illustrated by Michaela Goade
2020 The Undefeated illustrated by Kadir Nelson
2019 Hello Lighthouse illustrated by Sophie Blackall
2018 Wolf in the Snow illustrated by Matthew Cordell
2017 Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat illustrated by Javaka Steptoe
2016 Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear illustrated by Sophie Blackall
2015 The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend illustrated by Dan Santat
2014 Locomotive illustrated by Brian Floca
2013 This Is Not My Hat illustrated by Jon Klassen
2012 A Ball for Daisy illustrated by Chris Raschka
2011 A Sick Day for Amos McGee illustrated by Erin E. Stead
2010 The Lion & the Mouse illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
2009 The House in the Night illustrated by Beth Krommes
2008 The Invention of Hugo Cabret illustrated by Brian Selznick
2007 Flotsam illustrated by David Wiesner
2006 The Hello, Goodbye Window illustrated by Chris Raschka
2005 Kitten's First Full Moon illustrated by Kevin Henkes
2004 The Man Who Walked Between the Towers illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein
2003 My Friend Rabbit illustrated by Eric Rohmann
2002 The Three Pigs illustrated by David Wiesner
2001 So You Want to Be President? illustrated by David Small
2000 Joseph Had a Little Overcoat illustrated by Simms Taback
1999 Snowflake Bentley illustrated by Mary Azarian
1998 Rapunzel illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
1997 Golem illustrated by David Wisniewski
1996 Officer Buckle and Gloria illustrated by Peggy Rathmann
1995 Smoky Night illustrated by David Diaz
1994 Grandfather's Journey illustrated by Allen Say
1993 Mirette on the High Wire illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully
1992 Tuesday illustrated by David Wiesner
1991 Black and White illustrated by David Macaulay
1990 Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China illustrated by Ed Young
1989 Song and Dance Man illustrated by Stephen Gammell
1988 Owl Moon illustrated by John Schoenherr
1987 Hey, Al illustrated by Richard Egielski
1986 The Polar Express illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
1985 Saint George and the Dragon illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
1984 The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen
1983 Shadow illustrated by Marcia Brown
1982 Jumanji illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
1981 Fables illustrated by Arnold Lobel
1980 Ox-Cart Man illustrated by Barbara Cooney
1979 The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses illustrated by Paul Goble
1978 Noah's Ark illustrated by Peter Spier
1977 Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
1976 Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
1975 Arrow to the Sun illustrated by Gerald McDermott
1974 Duffy and the Devil illustrated by Margot Zemach
1973 The Funny Little Woman illustrated by Blair Lent
1972 One Fine Day illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
1971 A Story a Story illustrated by Gail E. Haley
1970 Sylvester and the Magic Pebble illustrated by William Steig
1969 The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship illustrated by Uri Shulevitz
1968 Drummer Hoff illustrated by Ed Emberley
1967 Sam, Bangs & Moonshine illustrated by Evaline Ness
1966 Always Room for One More illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
1965 May I Bring a Friend? illustrated by Beni Montresor
1964 Where the Wild Things Are illustrated by Maurice Sendak
1963 The Snowy Day illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats
1962 Once a Mouse illustrated by Marcia Brown
1961 Baboushka and the Three Kings illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov
1960 Nine Days to Christmas illustrated by Marie Hall Ets
1959 Chanticleer and the Fox illustrated by Barbara Cooney
1958 Time of Wonder illustrated by Robert McCloskey
1957 A Tree Is Nice illustrated by Marc Simont
1956 Frog Went A-Courtin' illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky
1955 Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper illustrated by Marcia Brown
1954 Madeline's Rescue illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans
1953 The Biggest Bear illustrated by Lynd Ward
1952 Finders Keepers illustrated by Nicolas Mordvinoff
1951 The Egg Tree illustrated by Katherine Milhous
1950 Song of the Swallows illustrated by Leo Politi
1949 The Big Snow illustrated by Berta and Elmer Hader
1948 White Snow, Bright Snow illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
1947 The Little Island illustrated by Leonard Weisgard
1946 The Rooster Crows illustrated by Maud and Miska Petersham
1945 Prayer for a Child illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones
1944 Many Moons illustrated by Louis Slobodkin
1943 The Little House illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton
1942 Make Way for Ducklings illustrated by Robert McCloskey
1941 They Were Strong and Good illustrated by Robert Lawson
1940 Abraham Lincoln illustrated by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
1939 Mei Li illustrated by Thomas Handforth
1938 Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop

About the Caldecott Medal

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.

Awarded by
American Library Association
First awarded
1938
Country
United States
Winner receives
A medal rather than money

When it is announced

Announced in January with the rest of the association's youth media awards. See the full announcement calendar.

How to enter

There is no entry. A committee of librarians considers picture books published in the United States during the previous year, and the medal goes to the illustrator.

Official prize site. Checked August 2026. Dates move year to year, so confirm on the official site before entering.

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