The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of 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.
The Caldecott Medal has been given out annually since 1938, and many of the recipients have been favorites ever since!
Here is the seventh set winners, from 2000-2009. Do you recognize any of them?
2000 — "Joseph Had a Little Overcoat" illustrated and written by Simms Taback
Joseph had a little overcoat, but it was full of holes — just like this book! When Joseph's coat got too old and shabby, he made it into a jacket. But what did he make it into after that? And after that?As children turn the pages of this book, they can use the die-cut holes to guess what Joseph will be making next from his amazing overcoat, while they laugh at the bold, cheerful artwork and learn that you can always make something, even out of nothing.
2001 — "So You Want to Be President?" illustrated by David Small and written by Judith St. George
This version of the Caldecott-winning classic by illustrator David Small and author Judith St. George was updated with current facts and new illustrations to include the forty-second president, George W. Bush. There are now three Georges in the catalog of presidential names, a Bush alongside the presidential family tree, and a new face on the endpaper portraiture. Hilariously illustrated by Small, this celebration by St. George shows us the foibles, quirks, and humanity of forty-two men who have risen to one of the most powerful positions in the world.
2002 — "The Three Pigs" illustrated and written by David Wiesner
This Caldecott Medal-winning picture book begins placidly (and familiarly) enough, with three pigs collecting materials and going off to build houses of straw, sticks, and bricks. But the wolf’s huffing and puffing blows the first pig right out of the story . . . and into the realm of pure imagination. The transition signals the start of a freewheeling adventure with characteristic David Wiesner effects — cinematic flow, astonishing shifts of perspective, and sly humor, as well as episodes of flight.
2003 — "My Friend Rabbit" illustrated and written by Eric Rohmann
Rabbit saves the day in a most ingenious way. When Mouse lets his best friend, Rabbit, play with his brand-new airplane, trouble isn't far behind... a brand-new picture book about friends and toys and trouble, illustrated in robust, expressive prints.
2004 — "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers" illustrated and written by Mordicai Gerstein
From a highly-respected picture book author/illustrator comes a lyrical evocation of Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers.
2005 — "Kitten's First Full Moon" illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes
From one of the most celebrated and beloved picture book creators working in the field today comes a memorable new character and a suspenseful adventure just right for reading and sharing at home and in the classroom. It is Kitten's first full moon, and when she sees it she thinks it is a bowl of milk in the sky. And she wants it. Does she get it? Well, no . . . and yes. What a night!
2006 — "The Hello, Goodbye Window" illustrated by Chris Raschka and written by Norton Juster
Little girl 6-7 visits grandparents Nanna and Poppy (one lighter skin than other) and waves greetings through their magical window. They lovingly watch stars, play games, work garden, and listen to Poppy play harmonica. Bright simple illustrations.
2007 — "Flotsam" illustrated and written by David Wiesner
A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam — anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there's no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share . . . and to keep.
2008 — "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" illustrated and written by Brian Selznick
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
2009 — "The House in the Night" illustrated by Beth Krommes and written by Susan Marie Swanson
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.
Some of these books are available at the Swanton Public Library. If you are interested in reading one that we don't have, we can definitely order a copy!
We'll continue rounding up the Caldecotts by decade until we reach today. Stay tuned!
Descriptions adapted from GoodReads and Amazon.