This annual award given by the American Library Association to "the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the United States during the preceding year" was established in 1937, and named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott.

Caldecott Medal Winners

1938 Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop.
1939 Mei Li, by Thomas Handforth.

1940 Abraham Lincoln, by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire.
1941 They Were Strong and Good, by Robert Lawson.
1942 Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey.
1943 The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton.
1944 Many Moons, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin; written by James Thurber.
1945 Prayer for a Child, illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones; written by Rachel Field.
1946 The Rooster Crows, by Maude and Miska Petersham.
1947 The Little Island, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard; written by Golden MacDonald (pseudonym of Margaret Wise Brown).
1948 White Snow, Bright Snow, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin; written by Alvin Tresselt.
1949 The Big Snow, by Berta and Elmer Hader.

1950 Song of the Swallows, by Leo Politi.
1951 The Egg Tree, by Katherine Milhous.
1952 Finders Keepers, illustrated by Nicolas (pseudonym of Nicholas Mordvinoff); written by Will (pseudonym of William Lipkind).
1953 The Biggest Bear, by Lynd Ward.
1954 Madeline's Rescue, by Ludwig Bemelmans.
1955 Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper, illustrated by Marcia Brown; translated from Charles Perrault by Marcia Brown.
1956 Frog Went A-Courtin', illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky; retold by John Langstaff.
1957 A Tree Is Nice, illustrated by Marc Simont; written by Janice Udry.
1958 Time of Wonder, by Robert McCloskey.
1959 Chanticleer and the Fox, illustrated by Barbara Cooney; adapted from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by Barbara Cooney.

1960 Nine Days to Christmas, illustrated by Marie Hall Ets; written by Marie Hall Ets and Aurora Labastida.
1961 Baboushka and the Three Kings, illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov; written by Ruth Robbins.
1962 Once a Mouse, retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown.
1963 The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats.
1964 Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak.
1965 May I Bring a Friend? illustrated by Beni Montresor; written by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers.
1966 Always Room for One More, illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian; written by Sorche Nic Leodhas (pseudonym of Leclair Alger).
1967 Sam, Bangs & Moonshine, by Evaline Ness.
1968 Drummer Hoff, illustrated by Ed Emberley; text adapted by Barbara Emberley.
1969 The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz; retold by Arthur Ransome.

1970 Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by William Steig.
1971 A Story A Story, retold and illustrated by Gail E. Haley.
1972 One Fine Day, retold and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian.
1973 The Funny Little Woman, illustrated by Blair Lent; retold by Arlene Mosel.
1974 Duffy and the Devil, illustrated by Margot Zemach; retold by Harve Zemach.
1975 Arrow to the Sun, by Gerald McDermott.
1976 Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon; retold by Verna Aardema.
1977 Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon; written by Margaret Musgrove.
1978 Noah's Ark, by Peter Spier.
1979 The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, by Paul Goble.

1980 Ox-Cart Man, illustrated by Barbara Cooney; written by Donald Hall.
1981 Fables, by Arnold Lobel.
1982 Jumanji, by Chris Van Allsburg.
1983 Shadow, translated and illustrated by Marcia Brown; original text in French, by Blaise Cendrars.
1984 The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot, by Alice and Martin Provensen.
1985 Saint George and the Dragon, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman; retold by Margaret Hodges.
1986 The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg.
1987 Hey, Al, illustrated by Richard Egielski; written by Arthur Yorinks.
1988 Owl Moon, illustrated by John Schoenherr; written by Jane Yolen.
1989 Song and Dance Man, illustrated by Stephen Gammell; written by Karen Ackerman.

1990 Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story, translated from Chinese by Ed Young.
1991 Black and White, by David Macaulay.
1992 Tuesday, by David Wiesner.
1993 Mirette on the High Wire, by Emily Arnold McCully.
1994 Grandfather's Journey, by Allen Say; edited by Walter Lorraine.
1995 Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz; written by Eve Bunting.
1996 Officer Buckle and Gloria, by Peggy Rathmann.
1997 Golem, by David Wisniewski.
1998 Rapunzel, by Paul O. Zelinsky.
1999 Snowflake Bentley, illustrated by Mary Azarian; written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.

2000 Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, by Simms Taback.
2001 So You Want to Be President? illustrated by David Small; written by Judith St. George.
2002 The Three Pigs, by David Wiesner.
2003 My Friend Rabbit, by Eric Rohmann.
2004 The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, by Mordicai Gerstein.
2005 Kitten's First Full Moon, by Kevin Henkes.
2006 The Hello, Goodbye Window, illustrated by Chris Raschka; written by Norton Juster.
2007 Flotsam, by David Wiesner.
2008 The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick.
2009 The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson.

2010 The Lion & the Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney.
2011 A Sick Day for Amos McGee, illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead.
2012 A Ball for Daisy, by Chris Raschka.
2013 This Is Not My Hat, by Jon Klassen.
2014 Locomotive, by Brian Floca.
2015 The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, by Dan Santat.

American Library Association

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