Caldecott Medal Winners

It is the only award that directly recognizes the quality of the illustrations. 

If you are looking for beautifully illustrated picture books, then the Caldecott Medal is a great place to start.

As you browse through award winning children's books keep in mind the qualities of a better children's book.

It is so important to get kids reading at an early age, and these beautiful books can certainly  help.

2009 Caldecott Medal Winners

The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson (Houghton Mifflin Company). Publisher Comments: A spare, patterned text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home in this bedtime book for young children. Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to preschoolers — a key, a bed, the moon — this timeless book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe.

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever written and illustrated by Marla Frazee (Harcourt, Inc.) Publisher Comments: When James and Eamon go to a week of Nature Camp and stay at Eamon's grandparents' house, it turns out that their free time spent staying inside, eating waffles, and playing video games is way more interesting than nature.  But sometimes things work out best when they don't go exactly as planned.  In this moving and hilarious celebration of young boys, childhood friendships, and the power of the imagination, Marla Frazee captures the very essence of  summer vacation and what it means to be a kid. 

How I Learned Geography

The award-winning artist’s most personal work to date is based on his childhood memories of World War II and features stunning illustrations that celebrate the power of imagination. An author’s note includes a brief description of hisfamily’s experience, two of his early drawings, and the only surviving photograph of himself from that time.

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.) Publisher Comments: When he wrote poems, he felt as free as the Passaic River as it rushed to the falls. Willie's notebooks filled up, one after another. Willie's words gave him freedom and peace, but he also knew he needed to earn a living. So he went off to medical school and became a doctor; one of the busiest men in town yet he never stopped writing poetry. In this picture book biography of William Carlos Williams, Jen Bryant's engaging prose and Melissa Sweet's stunning mixed-media illustrations celebrate the amazing man who found a way to earn a living and to honor his calling to be a poet.

Past Winners of the Caldecott Medal

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Hello, Goodbye Window

Kitten's First Full Moon

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

My Friend Rabbit

The Three Pigs

So You Want to be President? Revised and Updated Edition

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

There are Caledecott Award books that go all the way back to 1938. You'll find that there are many Caldecott books that your children will love! So make sure that you do explore the Caldecott medal winners. You'll be glad that you did!

Caldecott Medal Winners to Award Winning Childrens Books

Caldecott Medal Winners to Childrens Books