The
Caldecott Medal 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 published that year. It was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. Together with the
Newbery Award it is the most prestigious American children's book prize.
- 2003: My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
- 2002: The Three Pigs by David Wiesner
- 2001: So You Want to Be President?, illustrated by David Small
- 2000: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
- 1999: Snowflake Bentley, Illustrated by Mary Azarian
- 1998: Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky
- 1997: Golem by David Wisniewski
- 1996: Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
- 1995: Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz
- 1994: Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
- 1993: Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully
- 1992: Tuesday by David Wiesner
- 1991: Black and White by David Macaulay
- 1990: Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young
- 1989: Song and Dance Man, illustrated by Stephen Gammell
- 1988: Owl Moon, illustrated by John Schoenherr
- 1987: Hey, Al, illustrated by Richard Egielski
- 1986: The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
- 1985: George and the Dragon, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
- 1984: The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot by Alice & Martin Provensen
- 1983: Shadow, translated and illustrated by Marcia Brown
- 1982: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
- 1981: Fables by Arnold Lobel
- 1980: Ox-Cart Man, illustrated by Barbara Cooney
- 1979: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble
- 1978: Noah's Ark by Peter Spier
- 1977: Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
- 1976: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
- 1975: Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott
- 1974: Duffy and the Devil, illustrated by Margot Zemach; retold by Harve Zemach
- 1973: The Funny Little Woman, illustrated by Blair Lent
- 1972: One Fine Day, retold and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
- 1971: A Story A Story, retold and illustrated by Gail E. Haley
- 1970: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
- 1969: The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz
- 1968: Drummer Hoff, illustrated by Ed Emberley
- 1967: Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness
- 1966: Always Room for One More, illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
- 1965: May I Bring a Friend? illustrated by Beni Montresor
- 1964: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- 1963: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
- 1962: Once a Mouse, retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown
- 1961: Baboushka and the Three Kings, illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov
- 1960: Nine Days to Christmas, illustrated by Marie Hall Ets
- 1959: Chanticleer and the Fox, illustrated by Barbara Cooney
- 1958: Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
- 1957: A Tree Is Nice, illustrated by Marc Simont
- 1956: Frog Went A-Courtin', illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky
- 1955: Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper, illustrated by Marcia Brown
- 1954: Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans
- 1953: The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward
- 1952: Finders Keepers, illustrated by Nicolas, pseud. Nicholas Mordvinof
- 1951: The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous
- 1950: Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi
- 1949: The Big Snow by Berta & Elmer Hader
- 1948: White Snow, Bright Snow, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
- 1947: The Little Island, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard
- 1946: The Rooster Crows by Maude & Miska Petersham
- 1945: Prayer for a Child, illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones; text: Rachel Field
- 1944: Many Moons, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin; text: James Thurber
- 1943: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
- 1942: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
- 1941: They Were Strong and Good, by Robert Lawson
- 1940: Abraham Lincoln by Ingri & Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
- 1939: Mei Li by Thomas Handforth
- 1938: Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop