Given to the artist who has created the most distinguished picture book of the year, this award was originally proposed in 1937 by Fredric G. Melcher, representing a general concern that the Newbery Medal did not appropriately address the role of illustrators in the children's book arena. The award is named in honor of Randolph J. Caldecott, the 19th century English illustrator. Officially, it is awarded to the "artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the United States during the preceding year." The artist must be a citizen or resident of the United States and does not have to be author of the text.
