The Caldecott Medal for Best Illustrated Children's Book

Awarded annually by the American Library Association to the illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

See Caldecott winners, 1938-1969

See all book awards

2008

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by written and illustrated by Brian Selznick--Winner!
Honor Books
Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine
First the Egg written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain written and illustrated by Peter Sís
Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity written and illustrated by Mo Willems

Flotsam illustrated by David Wiesner--Winner!
Honor Books
Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet written and illustrated by David McLimans
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Carole Boston Weatherford

The Hello, Goodbye Window illustrated by Chris Raschka, written by Norton Juster--Winner!
Honor Books
Rosa illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Nikki Giovanni
Zen Shorts written and illustrated by Jon J Muth
Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride written and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems illustrated by Beckie Prange, written by Joyce Sidman

Kitten's First Full Moon illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes--Winner!
Honor Books
The Red Book illustrated and written by Barbara Lehman
Coming On Home Soon illustrated by E. B. Lewis, written by Jacqueline Woodson
Knuffle Bunny illustrated and written by Mo Willems

The Man Who Walked Between The Towers illustrated and written by Mordicai Gerstein--Winner!
Honor Books
Ella Sarah Gets Dressed illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? illustrated by Steve Jenkins, written by Robin Page
Don't Let the Pigeon Ride the Bus! illustrated and written by Mo Willems

My Friend Rabbit illustrated and written by Eric Rohmann--Winner!
Honor Books
The Spider and the Fly illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi
Hondo & Fabian illustrated and written by Peter McCarty
Noah's Ark illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner--Winner!
Honor Books
Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. illustrated by Bryan Collier
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins illustrated by Brian Selznick
The Stray Dog by Marc Simont

So You Want to Be President? illustrated by David Small--Winner!
Honor Books
Casey at the Bat illustrated by Christopher Bing
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Olivia by Ian Falconer

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback--Winner!
Honor Books
Sector 7 by David Wiesner
The Ugly Duckling illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
A Child's Calendar illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry... by Molly Garrett Bang

Snowflake Bentley illustrated by Mary Azarian--Winner!
Honor Books
No, David! by David Shannon
Snow by Uri Shulevitz
Tibet: Through the Red Box by Peter Sís
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky--Winner!
Honor Books
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback
Harlem: A Poem by Walter Dean Myers

Golem by David Wisniewski--Winner!
Honor Books
The Graphic Alphabet by David Pelletier
Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho
The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey
Starry Messenger by Peter Sís

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann--Winner!
Honor Books
Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss
Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson
The Faithful Friend by Robert San Souci

Smoky Night by David Diaz (text by Eve Bunting)--Winner!
Honor Books
Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs
Time Flies by Eric Rohmann
John Henry by Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say--Winner!
Honor Books
Peppe the Lamplighter by Elisa Bartone and Ted Lewin
In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming
Owen by Kevin Henkes
Raven by Gerald McDermott
Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka

Mirette on the High Wire by Emily McCully--Winner!
Honor Books
Working Cotton by Sherley Anne Williams and Carole Byard
Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

Tuesday by David Wiesner--Winner!
Honor Book
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

Black & White by David Macaulay--Winner!
Honor Books
More More More Said the Baby: 3 Love Stories by Vera B. Williams
Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault & Malcolm Arthur and Fred Marcellino

Lon Po Po by Ed Young (translator)--Winner!
Honor Books
Bill Peet: An Autobiography by Bill Peet
Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel and Trina Schart Hyman
The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci and Jerry Pinkney

Song & Dance Man by Stephen Gammell (text by Karen Ackerman)--Winner!
Honor Books
The Boy of the Three-Year Nap by Dianne Snyder and Allen Say
Free Fall by David Wiesner
Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall
Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia C. McKissack and Jerry Pinkney

Owl Moon by John Schoenherr (text by Jane Yolen)--Winner!
Honor Books
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale by John Steptoe

Hey, Al by Richard Egielski (text by Arthur Yorinks)--Winner!
Honor Books
Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald
Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky
The Village of Round and Square Houses by Ann Grifalconi

Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg--Winner!
Honor Books
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood and Don Wood
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant and Stephen Gammell

Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges and Trina S. Hyman--Winner!
Honor Books
Hansel and Gretel by Rika Lesser and Paul O. Zelinsky
Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri
The Story of Jumping Mouse by John Steptoe

The Glorious Flight by Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen--Winner!
Honor Books
Little Red Riding Hood by Trina Schart Hyman
Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Garrett Bang

Shadow by Blaise Cendrars and Marcia Brown--Winner!
Honor Books
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant and Diane Goode

Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg--Winner!
Honor Books
On Market Street by Arnold Lobel
Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak
A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard, Alice Provensen, and Martin Provensen
Where the Buffaloes Begin by Olaf Baker and Stephen Gammell

Fables by Arnold Lobel--Winner!
Honor Books
The Bremen-Town Musicians by Ilse Plume
The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher by Molly Bang
Mice Twice by Joseph Low
Truck by Donald Crews

Ox Cart Man by Barbara Cooney (text by Donald Hall)--Winner!
Honor Books
Ben's Trumpet by Rachel Isadora
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris Van Allsburg
The Treasure by Uri Shulevitz

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble--Winner!
Honor Books
Freight Train by Donald Crews
The Way to Start a Day by Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall

Noah's Ark by Peter Spier--Winner!
Honor Books
Castle by David Macaulay
It Could Be Worse by Margot Zemach

Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Leo Dillon, Diane Dillon (illustrator), and Margaret W. Musgrove--Winner!
Honor Books
The Amazing Bone by William Steig
The Contest by Nonny Hogrogian

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Tale by Verna Aardema, Leo Dillon, and Diane Dillon (illustrator)--Winner!
Honor Books
The Desert Is Theirs by Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall
Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola

Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale by Gerald McDermott--Winner!
Honor Books
Jambo Means Hello by Muriel Feelings and Tom Feelings

Duffy and the Devil by Harve Zemach--Winner!
Honor Books
Cathedral by David Macaulay
Three Jovial Huntsmen by Susan Jeffers

The Funny Little Woman by Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent (illustrator)--Winner!
Honor Books
Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott
Hosie's Alphabet by Leonard Baskin
Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs by Nancy Eckholm Burkert (illustrator)
When Clay Sings by Byrd Baylor and Tom Bahti

One Fine Day by Nonny Hogrogian--Winner!
Honor Books
Hildilid's Night by Cheli Durán Ryan and Arnold Lobel
If All the Seas Were One Sea by Janina Domanska
Moja Means One by Muriel Feelings and Tom Feelings

A Story, a Story: An African Tale by Gail E. Haley--Winner!
Honor Books
The Angry Moon by William Sleator and Blair Lent
Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig--Winner!
Honor Books
Alexander and the Wind-up Mouse by Leo Lionni
Goggles by Ezra Jack Keats
The Judge by Harve Zemach and Margot Zemach
Pop Corn & Ma Goodness by Edna Mitchell Preston and Robert Andrew Parker
Thy Friend, Obadiah by Brinton Turkle