The Caldecott and Newbery winners are in..

On Monday 27 January the American Library Association announced the winners of the most prestigious awards for American children’s books: the Newbery and Caldecott medals, which are given annually to a children’s novel and a children’s picture book, respectively. You can read all of the past and present winners here at the Library, as our collection include all of the winning titles in both categories as well as many honor books.

Since 1938, the Randolph Caldecott Medal has been awarded annually for the most distinguished American picture book for children. The award was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. Past Caldecott winners include A Sick Day for Amos McGee illustrated by Erin E. Stead, May I Bring a Friend? illustrated by Beni Montresor, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, and Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, to name just a few.

This year’s Caldecott medal went to Locomotive, which was written and illustrated by Brian Floca. Our own children’s librarian was rooting for Flora and the Flamingo, which was awarded a Caldecott honor (she also had high hopes for Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great and Hello My Name is Ruby which won absolutely nothing, but which she insists are fantastic). The children’s librarian will be reading this year’s Caldecott winners and the Coretta Scott King award winner for illustration (Knock, Knock, My Dad’s Dream for Me, by Daniel Beaty)during a Saturday program on 15 February.

The Newbery award this year went to Kate DiCamillo, (author of Because of Winn-Dixie) for her latest children’s novel Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, with honors going to Doll Bones by Holly Black, The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes, One came Home by Amy Timberlake and Paperboy by Vince Vawter. Young members of the American Library in Paris who are interested in discovering one of the Newbery honor books can join our March Bookworms group where we will be reading and discussing One Came Home by Amy Timberlake. Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures is available at the Library now, as are the 2014 honor books and past Newbery winners.

Eager to check out these award-winning reads? The American Library in Paris’s collection includes all Caldecott and Newbery medal winners, as well as a large collection of honor books in both categories. Have you ever noticed the silver and gold spine labels on some of our picture books? That’s an indication that you’ve just picked up a winner!