When I was in elementary school, I remember two awards always being mentioned in reference to the popular books we were reading: the Newbery Medal and the Caldecott Medal. The first was for the authors of children's literature and the latter was given to outstanding illustrators of children's literature.

Since we are currently discussing picture books, I thought it would be appropriate to do a little research on the Caldecott medal for this blog posting. The award was developed in 1937, and was named after the nineteenth century English illustrator named Randolph J. Caldecott. The Caldecott Medal website says, "His illustrations for children were unique to their time in both their humor, and their ability to create a sense of movement, vitality, and action that complemented the stories they accompanied." The first award was given in 1938 to Dorothy P. Lathrop for Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book.

The most recent winner of the Caldecott medal was awarded to Brian Selznick for his illustrations in The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

If you would like more information on the Caldecott medal, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.cfm with the American Library Association.

Also, if you are curious about other literary awards, visit http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/awards.htm for a comprehensive list of children and adult literary awards.