Is there a picture book from this year you can’t stop thinking about?
The 2026 Caldecott Committee invites ALSC members to submit suggestions for the most distinguished American picture books published in 2025.
The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to the illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book for children published in the preceding year. The committee may also recognize additional Honor books.
In identifying a “distinguished American picture book for children,” the Caldecott Committee considers several key aspects of illustration, including:
- Excellence of execution in the artistic technique employed;
- Excellence of pictorial interpretation of story, theme, or concept;
- Appropriateness of style of illustration to the story, theme or concept;
- Delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting, mood or information through the pictures;
- Excellence of presentation in recognition of a child audience.
The only limitation to graphic form is that the form must be one which may be used in a picture book. The book must be a self-contained entity, not dependent on other media (i.e., sound, film or computer program) for its enjoyment.
Each book is to be considered as a picture book. The committee is to make its decision primarily on the illustration, but other components of a book are to be considered especially when they make a book less effective as a children’s picture book. Such other components might include the written text, the overall design of the book, etc.
More information on the award and criteria can be found in the Caldecott Medal Manual.
The 2026 Caldecott Award Committee encourages all ALSC members to submit standout titles from 2025 for award consideration. Please remember that only books from the 2025 publishing year are under consideration for the award. Also, please note that publishers, authors, illustrators, or editors may not nominate their own titles.
We’re excited to discover which books have stood out to you as truly distinguished.
Jewel Davis
Jewel Davis is the Chair of the 2026 Randolph Caldecott Award Selection Committee. She is a Professor and Education Librarian at Appalachian State University.