Randolph Caldecott MedalWe Are Water ProtectorsCarole LindstromAn Ojibwe girl describes water as part of her people’s life, spirit, and connection to ancestors. When a black snake threatens to poison the water, she and her community stand together to defend the water, the earth, and its creatures. The story was inspired by the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline and focuses on Indigenous-led protection of a community’s water supply.All readersLexile Text Measure AD510LATOS Book Level 1.9View book detailsRandolph Caldecott Medal and Honor Books 2021
The 2021 edition includes 4 Caldecott Honor Books and 1 Randolph Caldecott Medal recipient. It records one year of the Caldecott program for distinguished American picture-book illustration. The award centers on artistic technique and how the pictures convey story, theme, character, setting, mood, or information.
2021 Randolph Caldecott Medal and Honor BooksSee the original list
Selections5
Published byAssociation for Library Service to Children (ALA)
SectionsAll readers
All readers
5 selections
Randolph Caldecott MedalWe Are Water ProtectorsCarole LindstromAn Ojibwe girl describes water as part of her people’s life, spirit, and connection to ancestors. When a black snake threatens to poison the water, she and her community stand together to defend the water, the earth, and its creatures. The story was inspired by the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline and focuses on Indigenous-led protection of a community’s water supply.All readersLexile Text Measure AD510LATOS Book Level 1.9View book details
Caldecott Honor BookA Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the HeartZetta ElliottIn this verse picture book, a young Black boy experiences a changing range of feelings across a year. Summer brings skateboarding, basketball, and joy, but a police shooting wounds his community. As the seasons pass, he moves through fear, anger, pride, and peace while people around him grieve, protest, and work toward healing together.All readersView book details
Caldecott Honor BookThe Cat Man of AleppoIrene Latham, Karim Shamsi-BashaBased on Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, this lightly fictionalized account follows an ambulance driver who remains in Aleppo during the Syrian war. As people flee bombings, he rescues abandoned cats and eventually receives financial support that allows him to build them a shelter. His work expands to other animals and to a children’s playground. The story also recognizes the human cost and harsh conditions of life during the war.All readersLexile Text Measure AD610LATOS Book Level 3.6View book details
Caldecott Honor BookMe & MamaCozbi A. CabreraWritten and illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera, Me & Mama is a 2020 picture book about a mother and daughter. Their relationship is presented as a celebration of a mother’s love, including on rainy days. Simon & Schuster published the book under its Denene Millner Books imprint. The book’s focus remains the warmth and closeness between Mama and her child.All readersView book details
Caldecott Honor BookOutside InDeborah UnderwoodA young girl reflects on how people were once part of the outdoors and how outside still reaches them when they are indoors. As she travels through a wooded area and returns home, she notices flashes at the window and sounds on the roof, including chirps, rustles, and taps. The narrative follows the smells, sounds, and sights through which the outdoors continues to call attention to itself.All readersLexile Text Measure AD490LATOS Book Level 3.3View book details