According to the ALA, the Newbery Medal is awarded annually for the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year. The award was proposed on June 22, 1921 by Frederic G. Melcher. He suggested that the award be named for the 18th century English bookseller John Newbery. The Newbery was the first children’s book award in the world. The winner of the very first Newbery Award in 1922 was The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon. The 2010 Newbery Medal winner is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. The Newbery Medal is an award for the text of a book and honors books that make a distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
The idea for an award for illustrations in children’s books also came from Frederic G. Melcher in 1937. According to the ALA, the Caldecott Medal "shall be awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the United States during the preceding year. The award shall go to the artist, who must be a citizen or resident of the United States, whether or not he be the author of the text.” The medal was designed in 1937 by René Paul Chambellan. It is made of bronze, with the name of the winner and the date engraved on the back of the medal. The award is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the ALA. The Caldecott Medal is named after Randolph Caldecott, who was an influential illustrator of children’s books in English during the 19th century. He is noted for his unique illustrations that complemented stories with humor and movement. The winner of the very first Caldecott Medal Award in 1938 was Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop. The 2010 Caldecott Medal winner is The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney. The Caldecott Medal is an award for artwork / illustrations in children’s books.
Since the Newbery and Caldecott Medals were awarded, the selection committees often named “runners-up”. In 1971, the “runners-up” were officially declared to be “honor books”. While only one Medal Award winner is selected each year, as few as one or as many as five Honor books may be named.
One award is not better than the other. The awards are designed to recognize different aspects of children’s literature. The Newbery is an indication of the quality of the actual text of the book, while the Caldecott is an indication of the quality of the artwork of a book.
References
American Library Association. (2010). Book and Media Awards. Retrieved March 20, 2010 from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/index.cfm.
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