Caldecott Award Winners Page 1
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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.
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Ezra Jack Keats.
This selection is about a young boy named Peter who has a day of adventures out in the snow. He plays in the snow,
makes a snow man and snow angels, and pretends to be a mountain climber.
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David Wisniewski (Illustrator - Lee Salsbery).
This selection is about the legend of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel and the Golem that he made to protect the Jews
because of the Blood Lie that some Gentiles were spreading about the Jews. Set in 16th century Prague, it explains
some of the happenings of the time. The Golem did protect the Jews from the angry mob that tried to attack their
ghetto, but once the Golem had completed his task, the Rabbi had to return him back to the clay from which he came.
The Golem did not want this to happen because life was precious to him. The lesson of this story is that humans
need to be careful when creating and unleashing something of great power.
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Gail E. Haley.
This selection is a retelling of an African folktale about Kwaku Ananse, the "spider man." He is called a spider man
because he spun a web up to the sky and bargained with the sky God, Nyame, for his stories. The price of the stories
was that Ananse had to catch Osebo, the leopard-of-the-terrible-teeth, Mmboro the hornet-who-stings-like-fire, and
Mmotia the fairy-whom-men-never-see. Ananse pays the price and receives the Sky God's golden box of stories. When
he opens the box, all the stories scattered to the corners of the world. Many African stories are called "spider
stories" because they tell of how small, defenseless man or animals that outwit others and succeed against great
odds.
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John Langstaff (Illustrator - Feodor Rojankovsky)
This selection is based upon the song that was composed in Scotland more than 400 years ago and then brought to
America. The selection is comprised of the different versions sung in many parts of America and other countries.
At the end of the book, one of the earliest tunes associated with the ballad is written out.
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Virginia Lee Burton.
This story is about a little house that was built in the country. It was built strong and sturdy because it was
meant to last for the great-great-great grandchildren of the owner's great-great-great grandchildren. Time went by
and the children of the house grew up and moved to the city. The little house liked living in the country but
wondered what it would be like in the city. Over time, the city grew up around the little house. After a while, no
one lived in the little house anymore and the house grew sad. Then one day, the great-granddaughter of the owners
came by and recognized the house. She and her husband moved the sturdy little house out to the country--on top of
a hill, in the middle of a field.
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Marcia Brown.
This selection is about the African storytellers' and shamans' view of shadow. It is an eerie depiction of what
shadow is and does.
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Retold by Margaret Hodges (Illustrator - Trina Schart Hyman).
This is the tale of Saint George, the Red Cross Knight, and Princess Una who came to find someone to rescue her
people from a horrible dragon. Princess Una and St. George travel back and St. George fights the dragon several
days' in a row and defeats him. The king is grateful and gives St. George riches, which St. George gives to the
poor. The king also gives Princess Una to St. George in marriage. Saint George serves the Fairy Queen for 6 more
years.
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Arnold Lobel.
This book is a collection of twenty original fables. They are humorous and contain morals that are often unexpected.
The fables include The Crocodile in the Bedroom, The Ducks and the Fox, King Lion and the Beetle, The Lobster and
the Crab, The Hen and the apple Tree, The Baboon's Umbrella, The Frogs at the Rainbow's End, The Bear and the Crow,
The Cat and His Visions, The Ostrich in Love, The Camel Dances, The Poor Old Dog, Madame Rhinoceros and Her Dress,
The Bad Kangaroo, The Pig at the Candy Store, The Elephant and His Son, The Pelican and the Crane, The Young Rooster,
The Hippopotamus at Dinner, and The Mouse at the Seashore.
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retold by Arthur Ransome (Illustrator - Uri Shulevitz).
This selection is about a young Russian boy called the Fool of the World, who is the youngest and least-liked son in
his family. His parents do not care for him much because he is not very smart. One day, the Czar sends out
messengers to announce that he will give his daughter in marriage to anyone that can bring him a flying ship. The
two clever brothers set off to try to build a flying ship. The Fool of the World wants to give it a try also. On
his journey, the Fool shares his meal with an old man. The old man gives the Fool a magic hatchet that turned a
tree into a flying ship. On the way to the palace, the Fool picks up a bunch of talented strangers who end up
helping him win the hand of the Princess from the reluctant Czar.
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Sorche Nic Ledohas (Illustrator - Nonny Hogrogian).
This selection is about a Scottish family whose father always says there is room for one more traveler in their home.
But he lets so many people in at one time that the house collapses. All the travelers help the family raise a new
home that is twice as big as the first. This selection is derived from an old Scottish nursery tale.
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Chris Van Allsburg.
This selection is about a brother and a sister who are left alone while their parents go to the opera. Their parents
warn them to keep the house in order. Judy and Peter get bored, though, so they decide to go to he park. There,
they find a board game called Jumanji with a note saying that it's free, but to read all the instructions carefully.
Judy and Peter do read the instructions that explain that they cannot stop playing the game until they reach Jumanji
at the end of the board, but they think that it's just like any other board game. They realize that it is not a
normal game when a lion, a snake, an explorer, monkeys, and a bunch of rhinoceri escape from the game upon each turn.
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Thomas Handforth.
This selection is about Mei Li, a young Chinese girl who wants to go to the city with her older brother, San Yu, to
take part in the New Year's celebration. She sneaks away with her brother and has many adventures at the
celebration in the city. A fortune that the fortune teller told her even came true.
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Caldecott Award Winners Page | 1 |
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