Caldecott Books

Click here for a complete list of Caldecott Medalists and Honor Books, organized by year with ratings, FLAWS, and links to book reviews.

In 1921, Frederic G. Melcher suggested the introduction of a children's book award prize. Adults had their literary prizes, he argued. Why not kids? Are not children's books worthy of serious consideration and applause? he might have urged, standing before the august assembly of the American Library Association's Executive Board, right arm flung across his chest, Hendrik Willem van Loon's The Story of Mankind clutched tightly in his left hand. What about the children?

The persons associated with the aforementioned Board thought Melcher was right and the Newbery Medal was born, but 15 years later he realized he hadn't gone far enough. What about the illustrators of children's books? he thought, snoozing at his desk late one evening. The television was not yet on to keep him awake because there was not yet television. What about the illustrators? The thought plagued him, it got into his bones, and again he took his case before the magisterial Executive Board.

Yes, they agreed, the writers are duly recognized; let also the illustrators be touted and awarded for their efforts! And so it was, in A.D. 1937 that the Caldecott Award was conceived and brought forth, an award for the best children's picture book of the year, named for famed 19th-century British illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott. Books that deserved attention but failed to attain the rank of single very best picture book of the year were to be given honorable mention.

Melcher's heroic efforts were not for naught. The Caldecott Award has consistently gone to books with beautiful, engaging, and/or very fun illustrations, even in recent years. Of course, there are plenty of wonderful picture books that are on no Caldecott list, either as winners or honorably mentioned (to whom, no one is quite sure), and the award is only given to books written and published in the United States of America. But the flame of quality diversion for children continues to burn brightly, and we thank ol' Freddy for his indefatigable efforts, and for the kindness of the Board's acceptance of them.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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52 Items found Print
Active Filters: Kindergarten (Ages 5-6), Used Books & Materials
Adventures of Beekle
by Dan Santat
from Scholastic Inc.
2015 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Black and White
by David Macaulay
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-3rd grade
1991 Caldecott Medal winner
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Black and White
by David Macaulay
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-3rd grade
1991 Caldecott Medal winner
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Color Zoo
by Lois Ehlert
1st edition from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
1990 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Emperor and the Kite
by Jane Yolen
from Putnam Juvenile
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
1968 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.94 $2.80 (1 in stock)
Fables
by Arnold Lobel
from HarperCollins
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Preschool-3rd grade
1981 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Fables
by Arnold Lobel
from HarperCollins
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Preschool-3rd grade
1981 Caldecott Medal winner
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Funny Little Woman
by Arlene Mosel & Blair Lent
Reissue from Puffin Books
1973 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.09 $2.80 (1 in stock)
Gardener
by Sarah Stewart & David Small
from Sunburst Book
Realistic fiction for Kindergarten-4th grade
1998 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Goggles!
by Ezra Jack Keats
First Printing from Macmillan
for Preschool-2nd grade
1970 Caldecott Honor Book
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Grandfather's Journey
by Allen Say
Reprint from Sandpiper Books
Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-2nd grade
1994 Caldecott Medal winner
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$8.49 $4.80 (2 in stock)
Hello, Goodbye Window
by Norton Juster
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 2nd Grade
2006 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Hosie's Alphabet
by Hosea, Tobias and Lisa Baskin, illustrated by Leonard Baskin
from Viking Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
1973 Caldecott Honor Book
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Hot Air
by Marjorie Priceman
from Atheneum
for Preschool-3rd grade
2006 Caldecott Honor Book
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Hush!
by Minfong Ho & Holly Meade
Reprint from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
1997 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.94 $3.60 (1 in stock)
In the Small, Small Pond
by Denise Fleming
from Henry Holt and Company
Word Books for Nursery-Kindergarten
1994 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.40 (2 in stock)
Journey Cake, Ho!
by Ruth Sawyer, illustrated by Robert McCloskey
from Viking Press
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
1954 Caldecott Honor Book
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Little House
by Virginia Lee Burton
from Sandpiper Books
Personification Stories for Preschool-3rd grade
1943 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Little Island
by Margaret Wise Brown, Leonard Weisgard
from Dragonfly Books
Picture Books for Preschool-2nd grade
1947 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Little Red Riding Hood
by Trina Schart Hyman, retelling Grimm
from Holiday House
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1984 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Madeline
by Ludwig Bemelmans
from Viking Press
Realistic Fiction, Rhyming Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1940 Caldecott Honor Book
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Marguerite de Angeli's Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes
by Marguerite de Angeli
from Doubleday & Company
for Nursery-2nd grade
1955 Caldecott Honor Book
in Mother Goose & Nursery Rhymes (Location: PIC-MG)
$7.20 (3 in stock)
Marshmallow
by Clare Turlay Newberry
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
1943 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Mei Li
by Thomas Handforth
Reissue from Doubleday & Company
1939 Caldecott Medal winner
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$15.20 (1 in stock)
Mei Li
by Thomas Handforth
from Doubleday & Company
1939 Caldecott Medal winner
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
by John Steptoe
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
1988 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
My Friend Rabbit
by Eric Rohmann
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
Caldecott Medal
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World / I Saw the Sea Come In
by Becky Reyher, illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett; Alvin Tresselt, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
from Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
1946 Caldecott Honor Book
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Noah's Ark
by Peter Spier
from Dell Publishing
Bible Stories for Preschool-2nd grade
1978 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Olivia - Board Book
by Ian Falconer
from Atheneum
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-1st grade
2001 Caldecott Honor Book
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Once a Mouse
by Marcia Brown
2nd edition from Aladdin Paperbacks
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1962 Caldecott Medal Winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Owen
by Kevin Henkes
1st edition from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-1st grade
1994 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Owl Moon
by Jane Yolen; illustrated by John Schoenherr
from Philomel Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
1988 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.29 $6.40 (1 in stock)
Owl Moon
by Jane Yolen
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
1988 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Red Book
by Barbara Lehman
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-1st grade
2005 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Rooster Crows
by Maud & Miska Petersham
Fir from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Kindergarten-4th grade
1946 Caldecott Medal winner
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$7.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Rumpelstiltskin
by Paul O. Zelinsky
from Dutton Children's Books
1987 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Sam, Bangs & Moonshine
by Evaline Ness
from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
Allegorical and Moral Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1967 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Snowy Day
by Ezra Jack Keats
from Scholastic Inc.
Poetry for Kindergarten-2nd grade
1963 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.20 (1 in stock)
Snowy Day / Un Dia De Nieve
by Ezra Jack Keats
from Penguin Young Readers
Poetry for Kindergarten-2nd grade
1963 Caldecott Medal winner
in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Story of Jumping Mouse
by John Steptoe
from Scholastic Inc.
Native American Fable for Preschool-2nd grade
1985 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Story, A Story
by Gail E. Haley
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
1971 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.79 $3.60 (2 in stock)
Stray Dog
by Marc Simont
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
2002 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
by William Steig
from Simon and Schuster
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1970 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64 $4.00 (3 in stock)
Talking Eggs
by Robert D. San Souci
First Edition from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
1990 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Time Flies
by Eric Rohmann
from Follett Bound
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
1995 Caldecott Honor book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Tree is Nice
by Janice Udry & Marc Simont
from HarperCollins
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1957 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.79 $3.60 (2 in stock)
Umbrella
by Taro Yashima
Reprint from Puffin Books
for Nursery-1st grade
1959 Caldecott Honor book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.79 $3.20 (1 in stock)
Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
from HarperCollins
Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1964 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.61 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
by Verna Aardema, Leo & Diane Dillon
from Puffin Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1976 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
by Verna Aardema, Leo & Diane Dillon
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1976 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Yo! Yes?
by Chris Raschka
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
1994 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.60 (1 in stock)