And just to make sure that we get enough great reading material, the ALSC gives the Caldecott Honor to a number of other great books by great illustrators, the ones that came thisclose to winning!
Some would say the Caldecott Awards are the highest honor in picture books, and I wouldn't disagree. While they're awarded for artistic merit, it's been my experience that the Caldecott Winners are the best of the best all-around...great illustrations and great storytelling.
The award dates from 1938, so I present to you all the Caldecott books below. (If I've ever neglected to update the list, please contact me!)
Caldecott Award Winners of the 1970's1979 medal winner:
The Girl Who
Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble
Honor Books:
-
Freight Train by Donald Crews
-
The Way to Start a Day, illustrated by Peter Parnall;
text: Byrd Baylor
1978 medal winner:
Noah's Ark
by Peter Spier
Honor Books:
-
Castle by David Macaulay
-
It Could Always Be Worse, retold
and illustrated by Margot Zemach
1977 medal winner:
Ashanti to Zulu:
African Traditions, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon; text:
Margaret Musgrove
Honor Books:
-
The Amazing Bone by William
Steig
-
The Contest, retold and
illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
-
Fish for Supper by M. B. Goffstein
-
The Golem: A Jewish Legend by Beverly Brodsky
McDermott (Lippincott)
-
Hawk, I'm Your Brother, illustrated by Peter Parnall;
text: Byrd Baylor
1976 medal winner:
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon; text:
retold by Verna Aardema
Honor Books:
-
The Desert is Theirs, illustrated by Peter Parnall;
text: Byrd Baylor
-
Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola
1975 medal winner:
Arrow to the Sun
by Gerald McDermott
Honor Books:
-
Jambo Means Hello: A Swahili Alphabet Book,
illustrated by Tom Feelings; text: Muriel Feelings
1974 medal winner:
Duffy and the
Devil, illustrated by Margot Zemach; retold by Harve Zemach
Honor Books:
-
Three Jovial Huntsmen by Susan
Jeffers
-
Cathedral by David Macaulay
1973 medal winner:
The Funny Little
Woman, illustrated by Blair Lent; text: retold by Arlene Mosel
Honor Books:
-
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, adapted
and illustrated by Gerald McDermott
-
Hosie's Alphabet, illustrated by
Leonard Baskin; text: Hosea, Tobias & Lisa Baskin
-
Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs,
illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert; text: translated by Randall
Jarrell, retold from the Brothers Grimm
-
When Clay Sings, illustrated by Tom Bahti; text: Byrd
Baylor
1972 medal winner:
One Fine Day,
retold and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
Honor Books:
-
Hildilid's Night, illustrated by Arnold Lobel; text:
Cheli Durán Ryan
-
If All the Seas Were One Sea by Janina Domanska
-
Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book, illustrated by
Tom Feelings; text: Muriel Feelings
1971 medal winner:
A Story A Story,
retold and illustrated by Gail E. Haley
Honor Books:
-
The Angry Moon, illustrated by Blair Lent; text:
retold by William Sleator
-
Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel
-
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
1970 medal winner:
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Honor Books:
-
Goggles! by Ezra Jack Keats
- Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni
-
Pop Corn & Ma Goodness,
illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker; text: Edna Mitchell Preston
-
Thy Friend, Obadiah by Brinton
Turkle
-
The Judge: An Untrue Tale,
illustrated by Margot Zemach; text: Harve Zemach
Caldecott Award Winners of the 1960's1969 medal winner:
The Fool of the
World and the Flying Ship, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz; text:
retold by Arthur Ransome
Honor Books:
-
Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky,
illustrated by Blair Lent; text: Elphinstone Dayrell
1968 medal winner:
Drummer Hoff,
illustrated by Ed Emberley; text: adapted by Barbara Emberley
Honor Books:
-
Frederick by Leo Lionni
-
Seashore Story by Taro Yashima
-
The Emperor and the Kite, illustrated by Ed
Young; text: Jane Yolen (World)
1967 medal winner:
Sam, Bangs &
Moonshine by Evaline Ness
Honor Book:
-
One Wide River to Cross, illustrated by Ed Emberley;
text: adapted by Barbara Emberley
1966 medal winner:
Always Room for
One More, illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian; text: Sorche Nic
Leodhas, pseud. [Leclair Alger]
Honor Books:
-
Hide and Seek Fog, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin;
text: Alvin Tresselt
-
Just Me by Marie Hall Ets
-
Tom Tit Tot, retold and illustrated by Evaline Ness
1965 medal winner:
May I Bring a
Friend? illustrated by Beni Montresor; text: Beatrice Schenk de
Regniers
Honor Books:
-
Rain Makes Applesauce, illustrated by Marvin Bileck;
text: Julian Scheer
-
The Wave, illustrated by Blair
Lent; text: Margaret Hodges
-
A Pocketful of Cricket, illustrated by Evaline Ness;
text: Rebecca Caudill
1964 medal winner:
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Honor Books:
-
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
-
All in the Morning Early, illustrated by Evaline Ness;
text: Sorche Nic Leodhas, pseud. [Leclaire Alger]
-
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, illustrated by Bernarda
Bryson; text: Natalia M. Belting
-
Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present, illustrated by
Maurice Sendak; text: Charlotte Zolotow
1962 medal winner:
Once a Mouse,
retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown
Honor Books:
-
Fox Went out on a Chilly Night: An Old Song by Peter
Spier
-
Little Bear's Visit, illustrated by Maurice Sendak;
text: Else H. Minarik
-
The Day We Saw the Sun Come Up, illustrated by
Adrienne Adams; text: Alice E. Goudey
1961 medal winner:
Baboushka and
the Three Kings, illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov; text: Ruth
Robbins
Honor Book:
-
Inch by Inch, by Leo Lionni
1960 medal winner:
Nine Days to
Christmas, illustrated by Marie Hall Ets; text: Marie Hall Ets and
Aurora Labastida
Honor Books:
-
Houses from the Sea, illustrated by Adrienne Adams;
text: Alice E. Goudey
-
The Moon Jumpers, illustrated by Maurice Sendak; text:
Janice May Udry
Caldecott Award Winners of the 1950's1959 medal winner:
Chanticleer and
the Fox, illustrated by Barbara Cooney; text: adapted from
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by Barbara Cooney (Crowell)
Honor Books:
-
The House that Jack Built: La Maison Que Jacques A Batie
by Antonio Frasconi
-
What Do You Say, Dear? illustrated by Maurice Sendak;
text: Sesyle Joslin
-
Umbrella by Taro Yashima
1958 medal winner:
Time of Wonder
by Robert McCloskey
Honor Books:
-
Fly High, Fly Low by Don Freeman
-
Anatole and the Cat, illustrated by Paul Galdone;
text: Eve Titus
1957 medal winner:
A Tree is Nice,
illustrated by Marc Simont; text: Janice Udry
Honor Books:
-
Mr. Penny's Race Horse by Marie
Hall Ets
-
1 is One by Tasha Tudor
-
Anatole, illustrated by Paul Galdone; text: Eve Titus
-
Gillespie and the Guards,
illustrated by James Daugherty; text: Benjamin Elkin
-
Lion by William Pène du Bois
1956 medal winner:
Frog Went
A-Courtin', illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky; text: retold by
John Langstaff
Honor Books:
-
Play With Me, by Marie Hall Ets
-
Crow Boy by Taro Yashima
1955 medal winner:
Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper, illustrated by Marcia Brown; text: translated from Charles Perrault by Marcia Brown
Honor Books:
-
Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes, illustrated by Marguerite de Angeli
-
Wheel On The Chimney, illustrated by Tibor Gergely;
text: Margaret Wise Brown
-
The Thanksgiving Story, illustrated by Helen Sewell;
text: Alice Dalgliesh
1954 medal winner:
Madeline's
Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans
Honor Books:
-
Journey Cake, Ho! illustrated by
Robert McCloskey; text: Ruth Sawyer
-
When Will the World Be Mine? illustrated by Jean
Charlot; text: Miriam Schlein
-
The Steadfast Tin Soldier, illustrated by Marcia
Brown; text: Hans Christian Andersen, translated by M. R. James
-
A Very Special House, illustrated by Maurice Sendak;
text: Ruth Krauss
-
Green Eyes by A. Birnbaum
1953 medal winner:
The Biggest Bear
by Lynd Ward
Honor Books:
-
Puss in Boots, illustrated by Marcia Brown; text:
translated from Charles Perrault by Marcia Brown
-
One Morning in Maine by Robert
McCloskey
-
Ape in a Cape: An Alphabet of Odd Animals by Fritz
Eichenberg
-
The Storm Book, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham;
text: Charlotte Zolotow
-
Five Little Monkeys by Juliet
Kepes
1952 medal winner:
Finders Keepers,
illustrated by Nicolas, pseud. (Nicholas Mordvinoff); text: Will, pseud.
[William Lipkind]
Honor Books:
-
Mr. T. W. Anthony Woo by Marie
Hall Ets
-
Skipper John's Cook by Marcia Brown
-
All Falling Down, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham;
text: Gene Zion
-
Bear Party by William Pène du
Bois
-
Feather Mountain by Elizabeth
Olds
1951 medal winner:
The Egg Tree
by Katherine Milhous
Honor Books:
-
Dick Whittington and his Cat by Marcia Brown
-
The Two Reds, ill. by Nicolas, pseud. (Nicholas
Mordvinoff); text: Will, pseud. [William Lipkind]
-
If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss, pseud. [Theodor Seuss
Geisel]
-
The Most Wonderful Doll in the World, illustrated by
Helen Stone; text: Phyllis McGinley
-
T-Bone, the Baby Sitter by Clare Turlay Newberry
1950 medal winner:
Song of the
Swallows by Leo Politi
Honor Books:
-
America's Ethan Allen,
illustrated by Lynd Ward; text: Stewart Holbrook
-
The Wild Birthday Cake, illustrated by Hildegard
Woodward; text: Lavinia R. Davis
-
The Happy Day, illustrated by Marc Simont; text: Ruth
Krauss)
-
Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss, pseud.
[Theodor Seuss Geisel]
-
Henry Fisherman by Marcia Brown
Caldecott Award Winners of the 1940's1949 medal winner:
The Big Snow
by Berta & Elmer Hader
Honor Books:
-
Blueberries for Sal by Robert
McCloskey
-
All Around the Town, illustrated by Helen Stone; text:
Phyllis McGinley
-
Juanita by Leo Politi
-
Fish in the Air by Kurt Wiese
1948 medal winner:
White Snow,
Bright Snow, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin; text: Alvin Tresselt
Honor Books:
-
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
-
McElligot's Pool by Dr. Seuss, pseud. [Theodor Seuss
Geisel]
-
Bambino the Clown by Georges
Schreiber
-
Roger and the Fox, illustrated by Hildegard Woodward;
text: Lavinia R. Davis
-
Song of Robin Hood, illustrated
by Virginia Lee Burton; text: edited by Anne Malcolmson
1947 medal winner:
The Little
Island, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard; text: Golden MacDonald,
pseud. [Margaret Wise Brown]
Honor Books:
-
Rain Drop Splash, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard;
text: Alvin Tresselt
-
Boats on the River, illustrated
by Jay Hyde Barnum; text: Marjorie Flack
-
Timothy Turtle, illustrated by Tony Palazzo;
text: Al Graham (Welch)
-
Pedro, the Angel of Olvera Street by Leo Politi
-
Sing in Praise: A Collection of the Best Loved Hymns,
illustrated by Marjorie Torrey; text: selected by Opal Wheeler
1946 medal winner:
The Rooster
Crows by Maud & Miska Petersham
Honor Books:
-
Little Lost Lamb, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard;
text: Golden MacDonald, pseud. [Margaret Wise Brown]
-
Sing Mother Goose, illustrated by Marjorie Torrey;
music: Opal Wheeler
-
My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World,
illustrated by Ruth Gannett; text: Becky Reyher
-
You Can Write Chinese by Kurt
Wiese
1945 medal winner:
Prayer for a
Child, illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones; text: Rachel Field
Honor Books:
-
Mother Goose, illustrated by Tasha Tudor
-
In the Forest by Marie Hall Ets
-
Yonie Wondernose by Marguerite de Angeli
-
The Christmas Anna Angel,
illustrated by Kate Seredy; text: Ruth Sawyer
1944 medal winner:
Many Moons,
illustrated by Louis Slobodkin; text: James Thurber
Honor Books:
-
Small Rain: Verses From The Bible,
illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones; text: selected by Jessie Orton
Jones
-
Pierre Pidgeon, illustrated by
Arnold E. Bare; text: Lee Kingman
-
The Mighty Hunter by Berta & Elmer Hader
-
A Child's Good Night Book, illustrated by Jean
Charlot; text: Margaret Wise Brown
-
Good-Luck Horse, illustrated by Plato Chan; text:
Chih-Yi 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
Honor Books:
-
An American ABC by Maud & Miska Petersham
-
In My Mother's House,
illustrating by Velino Herrera; text: Ann Nolan Clark
-
Paddle-To-The-Sea by Holling C.
Holling
-
Nothing At All, by Wanda Gág
1941 medal winner:
They Were Strong
and Good, by Robert Lawson
Honor Book:
-
April's Kittens by Clare Turlay Newberry
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
Caldecott Award Winners of the 1930's1939 medal winner:
Mei Li
by Thomas Handforth
Honor Books:
-
Andy and the Lion by James
Daugherty
-
Barkis by Clare Turlay Newberry
-
The Forest Pool by Laura Adams Armer
-
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Wanda Gág
-
Wee Gillis, illustrated by
Robert Lawson; text: Munro Leaf
1938 medal winner:
Animals of the
Bible, A Picture Book, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop; text:
selected by Helen Dean Fish
Honor Books:
-
Four and Twenty Blackbirds, illustrated by Robert
Lawson; text: compiled by Helen Dean Fish
-
Seven Simeons: A Russian Tale,
retold and illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff
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