Caldecott Medal 2009: Complete list of winners

The 2009 Caldecott Medal went to Beth Krommes for her stunning illustrated picture book The House in the Night, a work that captures the magic of nighttime through masterful printmaking and design. The Caldecott Medal, awarded annually by the American Library Association to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children, has long been the gold standard in children’s literature illustration. Krommes’s win marked a celebration of traditional artistic technique in an era when picture books were increasingly exploring diverse visual styles and mediums.

What made Krommes’s victory particularly striking was her innovative use of scratchboard illustration—a technique where artists scratch away dark ink to reveal the white paper beneath—creating a striking interplay of light and shadow that perfectly suited her book’s nighttime narrative. The House in the Night tells a deceptively simple story that unfolds across the pages with a cumulative, almost meditative quality, and Krommes’s illustrations elevate the text into something genuinely haunting and beautiful. Her win demonstrated the continued strength of the Caldecott Medal’s commitment to recognizing exceptional artistic craftsmanship alongside compelling storytelling.

The 2009 Caldecott Medal announcement reinforced what many in children’s literature already knew: that picture books remain a vital art form, capable of reaching children and adults alike with their visual poetry. Below, explore the complete list of this year’s honorees and runners-up.

Picture Books

• The House in the Night by Beth Krommes