LibGuides: Children's Literature: Caldecott Award

2024 Caldecott Books

My Daddy Is a Cowboy

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, 2025
Caldecott Honor, 2025

Up, Up, Ever up! Junko Tabei: a Life in the Mountains

Caldecott Honor, 2025

Home in a Lunchbox

Caldecott Honor, 2025

Caldecotts at TCU

Chooch Helped by Andrea L. Rogers; Rebecca Lee Kunz (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV PZ7.1.R645 Ch 2024

ISBN: 9781646144549

Publication Date: 2024-10-08

Caldecott Medal, 2025
A universal story of an older sibling learning to make space for a new child, told from the perspective of Sissy, the older sister. Demonstrates a Cherokee family practicing their cultural traditions.
Noodles on a Bicycle by Kyo Maclear; Gracey Zhang (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV PZ7.M2246 No 2024

ISBN: 9780593706084

Publication Date: 2024-08-27

Caldecott Honor, 2025
Children watch in amazement as the bicycle food deliverers of Tokyo stack their noodle bowls like architects, zip through the city like acrobats, and deliver delicious noodles to students, office workers, and families.
My Daddy Is a Cowboy by Stephanie Seales; C. G. Esperanza (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781419760815

Publication Date: 2024-06-11

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, 2025
Caldecott Honor, 2025
Up, Up, Ever up! Junko Tabei: a Life in the Mountains by Anita Yasuda; Yuko Shimizu (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV GV199.92.T3 Y37 2024

ISBN: 9780063242418

Publication Date: 2024-09-24

Junko Tabei dreamed of a life climbing mountains. But men refused to climb with her. Sponsors told her to stay home. And gloves were not made to fit her hands. Junko, eager and unstoppable, wouldn't let these obstacles get in her way. Instead, she planned an expedition to summit Mount Everest with an all-women team.
Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780593661345

Publication Date: 2024-06-11

Caldecott Honor, 2025

Big by Vashti Harrison
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.1.H37553 Bi 2022

ISBN: 9780316353229

Publication Date: 2023-05-02

Caldecott Medal, 2024; Coretta Scott King Author Honor, 2024; Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, 2024
Praised for acting like a big girl when she is small, as a young girl grows, "big" becomes a word of criticism, until the girl realizes that she is fine just the way she is.
In Every Life by Marla Frazee (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.F866 In 2023

ISBN: 9781665912488

Publication Date: 2023-02-07

Caldecott Honor, 2024
A picture book celebrating both the highs and lows that everyone experiences in the course of a life.
Jovita Wore Pants: the Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter by Aida Salazar; Molly Mendoza (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] F1234.V17 S25 2023

ISBN: 9781338283419

Publication Date: 2023-03-07

Caldecott Honor, 2024
Jovita didn’t want to cook and clean like her sisters, and she especially didn’t want to wear the skirts her abuela gave her. She wanted to race her brothers and climb the tallest mesquite trees in Rancho Palos Blancos, ride horses, and wear pants! When her father and brothers joined the Cristeros War to fight for the right to practice religion, she wanted to help. She wasn’t allowed to fight, but that didn’t stop her from observing how her father strategized and familiarizing herself with the terrain. When tragedy struck, she did the only thing that felt right to her--cut her hair, donned a pair of pants, and continued the fight, commanding a battalion who followed her without question.
There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds; Jerome Pumphrey (Illustrator); Jarrett Pumphrey (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.R33593 Th 2023

ISBN: 9781534439443

Publication Date: 2023-10-03

Caldecott Honor, 2024; Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, 2024
A celebration of Langston Hughes and African American authors he inspired, told through the lens of the party held at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in 1991.
The Truth about Dragons by Julie Leung; Hanna Cha (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781250820587

Publication Date: 2023-08-15

Caldecott Honor, 2024; Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, 2024
Guided by his mother’s bedtime storytelling, a young child begins a search, with help from his two wise grandmothers, to learn of a revelation surrounding the realms of two types of dragons: the ones that breathe fearsome fires of red and those that rule the clear azure skies and tranquil rivers. These two blended worlds ultimately open his heart to a greater understanding of his own integrity.

Hot Dog by Doug Salati
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.1.S2476 Ho 2022

ISBN: 9780593308431

Publication Date: 2022-05-24

Caldecott Medal, 2023
A summery picture book about mindfulness, featuring an overheated--and overwhelmed-- canine in need of sea, sand, and fresh air.
Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds; Jason Griffin (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.R33593 Ai 2022

ISBN: 9781534439467

Publication Date: 2022-01-11

Caldecott Honor Book, 2023
Berry Song by Michaela Goade
ISBN: 9780316494175

Publication Date: 2022-07-19

Caldecott Honor Book, 2023
American Indian Youth Lit Picture Book Honor, 2024
As a young Tlingit girl collects wild berries over the seasons, she sings with her Grandmother as she learns to speak to the land and listen when the land speaks back.
Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy; Janelle Washington (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781250220950

Publication Date: 2022-09-06

Caldecott Honor Book, 2023
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.D41496 Kn 2022

ISBN: 9780316310628

Publication Date: 2022-03-15

Caldecott Honor Book, 2023
After achieving his dream of becoming a knight, a small owl protects the castle from a hungry dragon.

Watercress by Andrea Wang; Jason Chin (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.1.W3645 Wat 2021

ISBN: 9780823446247

Publication Date: 2021

Caldecott Medal Winner, 2022
Newbery Honor Book, 2022
Embarrassed about gathering watercress from a roadside ditch, a girl learns to appreciate her Chinese heritage after learning why the plant is so important to her parents.
Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.1.A728 Wo 2021

ISBN: 9780593109649

Publication Date: 2021

Caldecott Honor Book, 2022
Two curious children go for a walk, asking imaginative questions about the natural beauty that surrounds them
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford; Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] F704.T92 W43 2021

ISBN: 1541581202

Publication Date: 2021

Coretta Scott King Award, 2022
Caldecott Honor Book, 2022
Texas Bluebonnet Selection, 2023
Have You Ever Seen a Flower? by Shawn Harris (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781452182704

Publication Date: 2021

Caldecott Honor Book, 2022
Redefines what it means to be a flower, what it means to be a human - what it means to be alive.
Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.1.T29 Me 2021

ISBN: 9780062878014

Publication Date: 2021-02-02

Caldecott Honor Book, 2022
TLA 2x2, 2022
Follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith.

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom; Michaela Goade (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781250203557

Publication Date: 2020-03-17

Caldecott Award, 2021
Water is the first medicine.It affects and connects us all.Water is sacred. My people talk of a black snake that will destroy the land, Spoil the water, wreck everything in its path.They foretold that it wouldn't come for many, many years.Now the black snake is here.Told from the perspective of a Native American child, this bold and lyrical picture book written by Ojibwe/Métis author Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Tlingit artist Michaela Goade is a powerful call to action to defend Earth's natural resources--inspired by the Dakota Access Pipeline protests and similar movements led by Indigenous tribes all across North America.
Outside In by Deborah Underwood; Cindy Derby (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781328866820

Publication Date: 2020-04-14

Caldecott Honor Book, 2021
Outside is waiting, the most patient playmate of all. The most generous friend. The most miraculous inventor. This thought-provoking picture book poetically underscores our powerful and enduring connection with nature, not so easily obscured by lives spent indoors.
Me and Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781534454217

Publication Date: 2020-08-25

Caldecott Honor Book, 2021
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book, 2021
Mama's love is brighter than the sun, even on the rainiest of days. This celebration of a mother-daughter relationship is perfect for sharing with little ones! On a rainy day when the house smells like cinnamon and Papa and Luca are still asleep, when the clouds are wearing shadows and the wind paints the window with beads of water, I want to be everywhere Mama is.
The Cat Man of Aleppo by Karim Shamsi-Basha; Irene Latham; Yuko Shimizu (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.L3476 Cat 2020

ISBN: 9781984813787

Publication Date: 2020-04-14

Caldecott Honor Book, 2021
Alaa loves Aleppo, but when war comes his neighbors flee to safety, leaving their many pets behind. Alaa decides to stay -- he can make a difference by driving an ambulance, carrying the sick and wounded to safety. One day he hears hungry cats calling out to him on his way home. They are lonely and scared, just like him. He feeds and pets them to let them know they are loved. The next day more cats come, and then even more! There are too many for Alaa to take care of on his own. Alaa has a big heart, but he will need help from others if he wants to keep all of his new friends safe. (The true story of Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, founder of animal sanctuary Ernesto’s House in Aleppo.)

Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris; LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780316464475

Publication Date: 2019-06-04

Caldecott Honor Book, 2020
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander; Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781328780966

Publication Date: 2019-04-02

Caldecott Medal, 2020
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, 2020
Newbery Honor Book, 2020
Double Bass Blues by Andrea J. Loney; Rudy Gutierrez (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781524718527

Publication Date: 2019-10-22

Caldecott Honor Book, 2020

2010s Caldecotts

Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.B5319 Hel 2018

ISBN: 9780316362382

Publication Date: 2018-04-10

Caldecott Medal Winner, 2019
Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.1.M3745 Alm 2018

ISBN: 9780763693558

Publication Date: 2018-04-10

Caldecott Honor Book, 2019
Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
ISBN: 9780316431248

Publication Date: 2018-10-02

Caldecott Honor Book, 2019
The Rough Patch by Brian Lies (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.L618 Rou 2018

ISBN: 9780062671271

Publication Date: 2018-08-14

Caldecott Honor Book, 2019

Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.C815343 Wol 2017

ISBN: 1250076366

Publication Date: 2017-01-03

Caldecott Medal Winner, 2018
Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.C784737 Bi 2017

ISBN: 9781626723719

Publication Date: 2017-03-14

Caldecott Honor Book, 2018
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin
Call Number: [Juv.] F788 .C485 2017

ISBN: 9781596439504

Publication Date: 2017-02-21

Caldecott Honor Book, 2018

Radiant Child by Javaka Steptoe
Call Number: [Juv.] N6537.B233 S84 2016

ISBN: 9780316213882

Publication Date: 2016-10-25

Caldecott Medal Winner, 2017
Leave Me Alone! by Vera Brosgol (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.1.B788 Le 2016

ISBN: 9781626724419

Publication Date: 2016-09-13

Caldecott Honor Book, 2017
Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford; R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] F379.N57 C667 2016

ISBN: 1499801033

Publication Date: 2016-01-05

Caldecott Honor Book, 2017
Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.E4684 Du 2016

ISBN: 9780763665302

Publication Date: 2016-10-18

Caldecott Honor Book, 2017
They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.1.W436 Th 2016

ISBN: 9781452150130

Publication Date: 2016-08-30

Caldecott Honor Book, 2017

Finding Winnie by Lindsay Mattick; Sophie Blackall (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.1.M38 Fin 2015

ISBN: 9780316324908

Publication Date: 2015-10-20

Caldecott Medal Winner, 2016
Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews; Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] ML3930.A53 A3 2015

ISBN: 9781419714658

Publication Date: 2015-04-14

Caldecott Honor Book, 2015
Waiting by Kevin Henkes (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.H389 Wai 2015

ISBN: 9780062368447

Publication Date: 2015-09-01

Caldecott Honor Book, 2016
Voice of Freedom - Fannie Lou Hamer by Carole Boston Weatherford; Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] E185.97.H35 W43 2015

ISBN: 9780763665319

Publication Date: 2015-08-04

Caldecott Honor Book, 2016

The Adventures of Beekle by Dan Santat
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.S23817 Adv 2014

ISBN: 9780316199988

Publication Date: 2014-04-08

Caldecott Medal Winner, 2015
The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock; Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] ND699.K3 R67 2014

ISBN: 9780307978486

Publication Date: 2014-02-11

Caldecott Honor Book, 2015
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett; Jon Klassen (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.B26615 Sam 2014

ISBN: 9780763662295

Publication Date: 2014-10-14

Caldecott Honor Book, 2015
The Right Word by Jen Bryant; Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] CT788.R534 B79 2014

ISBN: 9780802853851

Publication Date: 2014-09-01

Caldecott Honor Book, 2015
Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.C2687244 Nan 2014

ISBN: 9780544104433

Publication Date: 2014-09-02

Caldecott Honor Book, 2015
Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales; Tim O'Meara (Photographer)
Call Number: [Juv.] ND259.K33 M66 2014

ISBN: 9781596436039

Publication Date: 2014-09-02

Caldecott Honor Book, 2015
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki; Jillian Tamaki (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.7.T355 Thi 2014

ISBN: 9781626720947

Publication Date: 2014-05-06

Printz Honor Book, 2015
Caldecott Honor Book, 2015

Locomotive by Brian Floca (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] TJ603.2 .F56 2013

ISBN: 9781416994152

Publication Date: 2013-09-03

Caldecott Medal Winner, 2014
Journey by Aaron Becker (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.B32 Jo 2013

ISBN: 9780763660536

Publication Date: 2013-08-06

Caldecott Honor Book, 2014
Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle
ISBN: 9781452110066

Publication Date: 2013-02-05

Caldecott Honor Book, 2014
Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.W6367 Mr 2013

ISBN: 9780618756612

Publication Date: 2013-10-01

Caldecott Honor Book, 2014

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.K6781446 Th 2012

ISBN: 9780763655990

Publication Date: 2012-10-09

Caldecott Medal, 2013
Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds; Peter Brown (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.R33213 Cre 2012

ISBN: 9781442402973

Publication Date: 2012-08-21

Caldecott Honor Book, 2013
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett; Jon Klassen (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.B26615 Ext 2012

ISBN: 9780061953385

Publication Date: 2012-01-17

Caldecott Honor Book, 2013
Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue; Pamela Zagarenski (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.L8288 Sl 2012

ISBN: 9780547641027

Publication Date: 2012-10-23

Caldecott Honor Book, 2013

Blackout by John Rocco (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.R5818 Bl 2011

ISBN: 9781423121909

Publication Date: 2011-05-24

Caldecott Honor Book, 2012
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.S6538 Gr 2011

ISBN: 9781596436077

Publication Date: 2011-08-30

Caldecott Honor Book, 2012
Me... Jane by Patrick McDonnell
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ7.M478443 Me 2011

ISBN: 9780316045469

Publication Date: 2011-04-05

Caldecott Honor Book, 2012

Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill; Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] NK4210.D247 H55 2010

ISBN: 9780316107310

Publication Date: 2010-09-07

Coretta Scott King Award, Illustrator, 2011

The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
Call Number: [Juv.] PZ8.2.P456 Li 2009

ISBN: 9780316013567

Publication Date: 2009-09-01

Caldecott Medal, 2010
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon; Marla Frazee (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PS3619.C265 A79 2009

ISBN: 9781416985808

Publication Date: 2009-09-08

Caldecott Honor Book, 2010
Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman; Pamela Zagarenski (Illustrator)
Call Number: [Juv.] PS3569.I295 R43 2009

ISBN: 9780547014944

Publication Date: 2009-04-06

Caldecott Honor Book, 2010

About the Caldecott Medal

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.

From: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal