The Caldecott and Newbery Awards are both very prestigious awards that are presented annually by the American Library Association. The Newbery Award, the first children's book award in the world, is presented for the most distinguished American children's book published during the previous year. F. G. Melcher, who proposed the creation of the Newbery Awards in 1921, also proposed the Caldecott Award in order to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the illustrators of excellent children’s books. Both awards are similar due to the fact that they celebrate individuals for their outstanding talents. Additionally, books that have been nominated but do not receive the respective awards are named as Honor Books.
I was not familiar with the history of these awards or the criteria that have been established in order to determine if a book is deserving of one of these honorable awards. After researching both of the awards, my respect for both prizes has grown deeper. Both awards provide excellent opportunities for the acknowledgment of great talents in the areas of writing and illustration. In addition, the attention that the awards garner for the medal winning books exposes the authors and illustrators to individuals who may not have been aware of their work. I do not view one award as being better or greater than the other. Each award is designated for a particular aspect of the construction of a children’s book. Great art and wonderful writing are both important elements of storytelling.
References
Association for Library Service to Children. (2008). About the Newbery medal. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
Association for Library Service to Children. (2008). About the Caldecott medal. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
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