This is the list of Caldecott Medal winners from 1938-present. The award is given annually to the illustrator of the "most distinguished American picture book for children" by the Association for Library Service to Children; runners up are given the Caldecott Honor. These books have generally stood the test of time, and most are now considered classics. There are many truly wonderful books on this list; however, some of these books contain content that will not be appropriate for all readers.
View the Caldecott Honor Books list here.
A
Abraham Lincoln by Ingri & Edgar Parin d'Aulaire (1940)
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat (2015)
Always Room for One More by Sorche Nic Leodhas, illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian (1966)
Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book by Helen Dean Fish, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop (1938)
Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott (1975)
Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Margaret Musgrove, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon (1977)
B
Baboushka and the Three Kings by Ruth Robbins, illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov (1961)
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka (2012)
The Big Snow by Berta & Elmer Hader (1949)
The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward (1953)
Black and White by David Macaulay (1991)
C
Chanticleer and the Fox by Barbara Cooney (1959)
Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper by Marcia Brown (1955)
D
Drummer Hoff by Barbara Emberley, illustrated by Ed Emberley (1968)
Duffy and the Devil by Harve Zemach, illustrated by Margot Zemach (1974)
E
The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous (1951)
F
Fables by Arnold Lobel (1981)
Finders Keepers by Will, illustrated by Nicolas (1952)
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (2016)
Flotsam by David Wiesner (2007)
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Arthur Ransome, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz (1969)
Frog Went A-Courtin' by John Langstaff, illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky (1956)
The Funny Little Woman by Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent (1973)
G
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble (1979)
The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot by Alice & Martin Provensen (1984)
Golem by David Wisniewski (1997)
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say (1994)
H
The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster, illustrated by Chris Raschka (2006)
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall (2019)
Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks, illustrated by Richard Egielski (1987)
Hot Dog by Doug Salati (2023)
The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes (2009)
I
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (2008)
J
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback (2000)
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg (1982)
K
Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (2005)
L
The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (2010)
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (1943)
The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard (1947)
Locomotive by Brian Floca (2014)
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young (1990)
M
Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans (1954)
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (1942)
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein (2004)
Many Moons by James Thurber, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin (1944)
May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, illustrated by Beni Montresor (1965)
Mei Li by Thomas Handforth (1939)
Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully (1993)
My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann (2003)
N
Nine Days to Christmas by Marie Hall Ets and Aurora Labastida, illustrated by Marie Hall Ets (1960)
Noah's Ark by Peter Spier (1978)
O
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann (1996)
Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown (1962)
One Fine Day by Nonny Hogrogian (1972)
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr (1988)
Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall, illustrated by Barbara Cooney (1980)
P
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (1986)
Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field, illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones (1945)
R
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe (2017)
Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky (1998)
The Rooster Crows by Maud & Miska Petersham (1946)
S
Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (1985)
Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness (1967)
Shadow by Marcia Brown (1983)
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead (2011)
Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, illustrated by David Diaz (1995)
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Mary Azarian (1999)
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (1963)
So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George, illustrated by David Small (2001)
Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman, illustrated by Stephen Gammell (1989)
Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi (1950)
A Story A Story by Gail E. Haley (1971)
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (1970)
T
They Were Strong and Good by Robert Lawson (1941)
This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (2013)
The Three Pigs by David Wiesner (2002)
Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey (1958)
A Tree Is Nice by Janice Udry, illustrated by Marc Simont (1957)
Tuesday by David Wiesner (1992)
U
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (2020)
W
Watercress by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin (2022)
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade (2021)
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1964)
White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin (1948)
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon (1976)
Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell (2018)