On Monday, in Phoenix Arizona were announced the winners of the most important awards in children literature from America.

The main atraction every year is the Caldecott medal. The medal is it named after the 19th century american illustrator Randolf Caldecott and it is offered to the “most distinguished American picture book for children”.

Another great recognition is the Newbery Medal, offered by ALSC to the author of „the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children”.

Named after Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King, the Coretta Scott King award recognizes outstanding books for young adults and children created by African American artists that reflect the African American experience. Awards are given both to authors and to illustrators for universal human values.

Another distinguished prize is Pura Belpre Award, a recognition presented to a Latino or Latina author and illustrator whose work best portrays the Latino cultural experience in a work of literature for children or youth.

The Geisel Award recognizes the „author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year”.

The Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the writer and illustrator of the most distinguished informational book published in English during the preceding year.

The Batchelder Award recognizes the publisher of the year’s „most outstanding” children’s book translated and published in the U.S.

This year recepients were of little surprise for many. Some of the most beloved books that were published in 2024 didn’t catch the jurrors attention so much to receive a medal.

Some of the laureates were new names in the industry and for some, odd choices.

Everything seems very specific and well targeted to a certain type of public. As if beauty in children art and a beautiful book in general is it not enough anymore for all of the children. But maybe this is normal in a nation that has so many cultures and people living together, each with a different history and reality. Each with their hopes and dreams of a future that feels totally uncertain now.

I tried to put myself in the shoes of a kid or a teacher and see what kind of books, messages and art from 2024 would be most suitable to be read.

I also took some time to see as many titles that appeared in 2024 as I could and picked my favourites.

Some of those choises are in the pictures below. And also you can see who the actual winners were.

As a final note, I salute any kind of human emotion that children art still been published offers us. In a few years we might have the surprise that the AI will try and do that also instead of us.

That for an artist that works a full year to create something so magic and unique as a quality picture book, the AI would do a similar work in a few seconds. It is something to put things in perspective, of course. As well as the limitations that some face in doing what they feel doing in kids art and culture.

We are more and more told what to do, what to wear or eat, what to read or listen to. It would be a great loss for the little readers of the world not being able to read and enjoy ehat they chose, the great works from all those talented artists out there.

But now let’s just enjoy all those beautiful books that 2024 brought us!