Award Winning Books
A guide for exploring award books..
The Caldecott Medal was named in Honor of the nineteenth-century English illustrator, Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
This Year's Medal Winner
Big (Caldecott Medal Winner and Coretta Scott King Honor Title) by Call Number: E HARRISONISBN: 9780316353229Publication Date: 2023-05-02Winner of the Caldecott Medal! A Coretta Scott King Award Author and Illustrator Honor book, a National Book Award finalist, and a New York Times bestseller! This deeply moving story shares valuable lessons about fitting in, standing out, and the beauty of joyful acceptance, from an award-winning creator. The first picture book written and illustrated by award-winning creator Vashti Harrison traces a child's journey to self-love and shows the power of words to both hurt and heal. With spare text and exquisite illustrations, this emotional exploration of being big in a world that prizes small is a tender portrayal of how you can stand out and feel invisible at the same time.
Caldecott Honor Books
In Every Life by
A simple and profound meditation on the many wonders of life from two-time Caldecott Honor recipient Marla Frazee. In every life, there is love and loss, hope and joy, wonder and mystery. With glowing art and spare, powerful text, Caldecott Honor-winning creator Marla Frazee celebrates the moments, feelings, and experiences, both big and small, that make up a life.
Call Number: E FRAZEEISBN: 9781665912488Publication Date: 2023-02-07
Jovita Wore Pants: the Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter by
**A CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK** The remarkable true story of Jovita Valdovinos, a Mexican revolutionary who disguised herself as a man to fight for her rights! * "Graceful . . deft . . . mesmerizing. . . . Bravery and determination prevail in this inspiring tale." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review * "Gorgeous...hits the perfect balance of lively and lyrical...outstanding." -- School Library Journal, starred review * "Exquisite prose. . . . stunning spreads." -- BookPage, starred review Jovita dreamed of wearing pants! She hated the big skirts Abuela made her wear. She wanted to scale the tallest mesquite tree on her rancho, ride her horse, and feel the wind curl her face into a smile When her father and brothers joined the Cristero War to fight for religious freedom, Jovita wanted to go, too. Forbidden, she defied her father's rules - and society's - and found a clever way to become a trailblazing revolutionary, wearing pants! This remarkable true story about a little-known maverick Mexican heroine is brought vividly to life by her great-niece and Américas Award-winner Aida Salazar, and Eisner Award-honoree Molly Mendoza.
Call Number: J BIO VALDOVINISBN: 9781338283419Publication Date: 2023-03-07
There Was a Party for Langston by
A Caldecott Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds's debut picture book is a snappy, joyous ode to Word King, literary genius, and glass-ceiling smasher Langston Hughes and the luminaries he inspired. Back in the day, there was a heckuva party, a jam, for a word-making man. The King of Letters. Langston Hughes. His ABCs became drums, bumping jumping thumping like a heart the size of the whole country. They sent some people yelling and others, his word-children, to write their own glory. Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, and more came be-bopping to recite poems at their hero's feet at that heckuva party at the Schomberg Library, dancing boom da boom, stepping and stomping, all in praise and love for Langston, world-mending word man. Oh, yeah, there was hoopla in Harlem, for its Renaissance man. A party for Langston.
Call Number: E REYNOLDSISBN: 9781534439443Publication Date: 2023-10-03
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Previous Winners
For a complete list of Past Caldecott Medal Winners, please check the Association for Library Services to Children's Website.
Hot Dog by
WINNER OF THE 2023 CALDECOTT MEDAL * This glowing and playful picture book features an overheated--and overwhelmed--pup who finds his calm with some sea, sand, and fresh air. Destined to become a classic! NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post * Publishers Weekly * Kirkus Reviews * New York Public Library "An utter joy from beginning to end!" --Sophie Blackall, two-time Caldecott Medal winner This hot dog has had enough of summer in the city! Enough of sizzling sidewalks, enough of wailing sirens, enough of people's feet right in his face. When he plops down in the middle of a crosswalk, his owner endeavors to get him the breath of fresh air he needs. She hails a taxi, hops a train, and ferries out to the beach. Here, a pup can run! With fluid art and lyrical text that have the soothing effect of waves on sand, award-winning author Doug Salati shows us how to find calm and carry it back with us so we can appreciate the small joys in a day.
Call Number: E SALATIISBN: 9780593308448Publication Date: 2022-05-24
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Watercress by
Gathering watercress by the side of the road brings a girl closer to her family's Chinese Heritage. New England Book Award Winner A New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. Grabbing an old paper bag and some rusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the muddy, snail covered watercress as they can. At first, she's embarrassed. Why can't her family get food from the grocery store? But when her mother shares a story of her family's time in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Together, they make a new memory of watercress. Andrea Wang tells a moving autobiographical story of a child of immigrants discovering and connecting with her heritage, illustrated by award winning author and artist Jason Chin, working in an entirely new style, inspired by Chinese painting techniques. An author's note in the back shares Andrea's childhood experience with her parents. A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of the Year A Boston Globe Best Children's Book of the Year A Washington Post Best Children's Book of the Year A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year Named a best book of the year by Publishers Weekly, BookPage, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Lunch, Shelf Awareness, and more! An NPR 'Book We Love!' A Horn Book Fanfare Title A CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Book of the Year A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!
Call Number: E WANGISBN: 9780823446247Publication Date: 2021-03-30
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We Are Water Protectors by
Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America,We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth's water from harm and corruption--a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade. Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all . . . When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth And poison her people's water, one young water protector Takes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource.
ISBN: 9781250203557Publication Date: 2020-03-17
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The Undefeated by
The Newbery Award-winning author of THE CROSSOVER pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time Caldecott Honoree. Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.
Call Number: J 811.6 ALEXANDEISBN: 9781328780966Publication Date: 2019-04-02
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Finding Winnie by
A #1 New York Times Bestseller and Winner of the Caldecott Medal about the remarkable true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war. Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey--from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England... And finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin. Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie. And she was a girl!
Call Number: E MATTICKISBN: 9780316324908Publication Date: 2015-10-20
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Radiant Child by
Winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City. Now, award-winning illustrator Javaka Steptoe's vivid text and bold artwork echoing Basquiat's own introduce young readers to the powerful message that art doesn't always have to be neat or clean--and definitely not inside the lines--to be beautiful.
Call Number: J BIO BASQUIATISBN: 9780316213882Publication Date: 2016-10-25
Hello Lighthouse by
Winner of the 2019 Caldecott Medal A beloved picture book from two-time Caldecott Medal award-winner Sophie Blackall that transports readers to the seaside in timeless, nautical splendor! Watch the days and seasons pass as the wind blows, the fog rolls in, and icebergs drift by. Outside, there is water all around. Inside, the daily life of a lighthouse keeper and his family unfolds as the keeper boils water for tea, lights the lamp's wick, and writes every detail in his logbook. Step back in time and through the door of this iconic lighthouse into a cozy dollhouse-like interior with the extraordinary award-winning artist Sophie Blackall.
Call Number: E BLACKALLISBN: 9780316362382Publication Date: 2018-04-10
Wolf in the Snow by
Winner of the 2018 Caldecott Medal A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home? Paintings rich with feeling tell this satisfying story of friendship and trust. Here is a book set on a wintry night that will spark imaginations and warm hearts, from Matthew Cordell, author ofTrouble GumandAnother Brother.
Call Number: E CORDELLISBN: 9781250076366Publication Date: 2017-01-03
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