IN THE Reading Library

The Caldecott Medal: 75 Years of Distinguished Illustration

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal, The Carle is mounting a special exhibition of high quality prints in the Reading Library.At the end of the 1930s, the American Library Association created a highly welcomed award, to recognize the artistry of illustration in children’s picture books. It was conceived to parallel the Newbery Award, established in 1922 to honor a book with outstanding literary qualities. The Randolph Caldecott Medal honored a picture book featuring “the most distinguished illustration of the year.” Its namesake, Randolph Caldecott, was a noted British illustrator of the mid 1800s, who had charmed children with his energetic interpretations of nursery rhymes. In 1938, the first Caldecott Medal was presented to Dorothy Lathrop for Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book. To mark the 75th anniversary of this award, the curator has included a little over one-third of the honorees in the display. The exhibition is grouped into four categories: snow; husband and wife teams; folklore; and long loved, long remembered. Additionally, nearly all of the books are shelved in the bookcase dedicated to the memory of Lori Schilder, and we are grateful to her family for funding to enable this and future exhibitions.

This exhibition is curated by Barbara Elleman.