Randolph Caldecott Medal

About the Randolph 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.

Administered by:

Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) logo

2023 Winner(s)

Hot Dog

Illustrated and written by Doug Salati. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.

City sounds and heat, brought to life with searing oranges, give way to cool, tranquil greens and blues, as a dog and its human sojourn to the beach for fun and relaxation.


2023 Honor(s)

Ain’t Burned All the Bright

Illustrated by Jason Griffin, written by Jason Reynolds. Published by Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

An interplay of poetry and art showcases a Black family during the first summer of COVID. In three breaths, the teen narrator describes how his family copes with the challenges of that time. 


Berry Song

Illustrated and written by Michaela Goade. Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Featuring informative back matter, this picture book follows a Tlingit grandmother and granddaughter as they gather berries like their ancestors before them. 


Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement

Illustrated by Janelle Washington, written by Angela Joy and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

Accompanied by striking cut-paper illustrations, this moving picture book biography illuminates Mamie Till-Mobley’s life and the ways in which the murder of her son affected her activism during the civil rights era. 


Knight Owl

“Knight Owl,” illustrated and written by Christopher Denise and published by Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

A young owl achieves his dream of becoming a knight, but his bravery and cleverness are quickly put to the test in this charming and humorous picture book.