Randolph Caldecott MedalBigVashti HarrisonA young Black girl grows up with a big laugh, heart, and dreams. At first, being called “big” feels positive, but the word changes as people begin commenting on her body in hurtful and cruel ways. She comes to feel judged and unseen, then moves toward self-love and acceptance. The story explores the impact of language about body size and the girl’s changing view of herself.All readersLexile Text Measure 190LATOS Book Level 1.7View book detailsRandolph Caldecott Medal and Honor Books 2024
The 2024 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.
2024 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 MedalBigVashti HarrisonA young Black girl grows up with a big laugh, heart, and dreams. At first, being called “big” feels positive, but the word changes as people begin commenting on her body in hurtful and cruel ways. She comes to feel judged and unseen, then moves toward self-love and acceptance. The story explores the impact of language about body size and the girl’s changing view of herself.All readersLexile Text Measure 190LATOS Book Level 1.7View book details
Caldecott Honor BookIn Every LifeMarla FrazeeThis reflective picture book considers experiences found across human lives, including love, loss, hope, joy, wonder, and mystery. Its words and wordless vignettes offer reasons for gratitude while showing different lives people live. The book was inspired by a call-and-response form of a Jewish baby-naming blessing, using that structure to hold both difficult and joyful parts of life together.All readersLexile Text Measure AD200LATOS Book Level 1.8View book details
Caldecott Honor BookJovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom FighterAida SalazarSet in Mexico during the Cristero War, this true story follows Jovita Valdovinos. While her father and brother fight, Jovita feels powerless at home. She disguises herself as a man so she can fight for her rights, becoming a revolutionary. The account traces her path from being unable to participate to becoming known for her role in the conflict and finally being able to wear pants.All readersLexile Text Measure 800LATOS Book Level 5.1View book details
Caldecott Honor BookThere Was a Party for LangstonJason ReynoldsInspired by a 1991 celebration at the Schomburg Center, the book honors Langston Hughes and introduces fellow poets Maya Angelou and Amiri Baraka. A photograph of Angelou and Baraka at that gathering made Jason Reynolds wonder why the poets had assembled. Its poetic prose is paired with Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey’s handmade-stamp artwork, and its opening endpapers salute other Black writers.All readersLexile Text Measure 640LATOS Book Level 4.1View book details
Caldecott Honor BookThe Truth about DragonsJulie LeungA young child listens as his mother tells bedtime stories about dragons and a powerful magic within him. The stories also connect him with grandmothers from different cultures, whose traditional tales offer distinct ways of seeing the world. Through these family storytelling traditions, the child encounters dragons, inherited stories, and ideas shaped by more than one cultural background. Detailed mixed-media illustrations accompany the journey through these tales.All readersView book details