Caldecott Medal 1991: Complete list of winners

The 1991 Caldecott Medal went to David Macaulay for his ingeniously designed picture book Black and White, marking a significant moment in children’s literature history. Macaulay’s work arrived at a time when the Caldecott was increasingly recognizing books that challenged conventional storytelling, and Black and White did exactly that—presenting four seemingly unrelated narratives that ultimately weave together in unexpected ways. The book’s bold design, with its striking black and white illustrations and multiple narrative threads running across the same pages, demanded active participation from young readers, treating them as sophisticated visual thinkers rather than passive consumers of a straightforward story.

What made Macaulay’s win particularly noteworthy was the Caldecott committee’s clear signal that children’s picture books could be wonderfully complex and experimental. The award, established in 1938 and given annually by the American Library Association to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children, has always pushed boundaries, but Black and White represented an especially bold assertion that children’s literature need not simplify to engage. Macaulay, already celebrated for his meticulously detailed architectural illustrations in earlier works, proved here that visual sophistication and playful narrative complexity could coexist in books designed for young audiences.

Discover more about this year’s honorees and what made the 1991 Caldecott Medal selections so influential:

Picture Books

• Black and White by David Macaulay