| 2019 | Hello Lighthouse. Illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall. |
| 2018 | Wolf in the Snow. Written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell. |
| 2017 | Radiant Child : The story of young artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Written and illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. |
| 2016 | Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall and written by Lindsay Mattick. |
| 2015 | The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. Written and illustrated by Dan Santat. |
| 2014 | Locomotive. Written and illustrated by Brian Floca. |
| 2013 | This Is Not My Hat. Written and illustrated by Jon Klassen. |
| 2012 | A Ball for Daisy. Written and illustrated by Chris Raschka. |
| 2011 | A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Illustrated by Erin E. Stead, and written by Philip C. Stead. |
| 2010 | The Lion & the Mouse. Written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. |
| 2009 | The House in the Night. Illustrated by Beth Krommes; written by Susan Marie Swanson. |
| 2008 | The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Written and illustrated by Brian Selznick. |
| 2007 | Flotsam. Written and illustrated by David Wiesner. |
| 2006 | The Hello, Goodbye Window. Illustrated by Chris Raschka, written by Norton Juster. |
| 2005 | Kitten's First Full Moon. Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes. |
| 2004 | The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. Written and Illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. |
| 2003 | My Friend Rabbit. Written and illustrated by Eric Rohmann. |
| 2002 | The Three Pigs. Written and illustrated by David Wiesner. |
| 2001 | So You Want to Be President. Illustrated by David Small, written by Judith St. George. |
| 2000 | Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. Written and illustrated by Simms Taback. |
| 1999 | Snowflake Bentley. Illustrated by Mary Azarian, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. |
| 1998 | Rapunzel. Retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. |
| 1997 | Golem. Retold and illustrated by David Wisniewski. |
| 1996 | Officer Buckle and Gloria. Written and illustrated by Peggy Rathmann. |
| 1995 | Smoky Night. Illustrated by David Diaz, written by Eve Bunting. |
| 1994 | Grandfather's Journey. Written and illlustrated by Allen Say. |
| 1993 | Mirette on the High Wire. Written and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully. |
| 1992 | Tuesday. Written and illustrated by David Wiesner. |
| 1991 | Black and White. Written and illustrated by David Macauley. |
| 1990 | Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China. Translated and illustrated by Ed Young. |
| 1989 | Song and Dance Man. Illustrated by Stephen Gammell, written by Karen Ackerman. |
| 1988 | Owl Moon. Illustrated by John Schoenherr, written by Jane Yolen. |
| 1987 | Hey, Al. Illustrated by Richard Egielski, written by Arthur Yorinks. |
| 1986 | The Polar Express. Written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. |
| 1985 | Saint George and the Dragon: A Golden Legend. Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, retold by Margaret Hodges. |
| 1984 | The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Blériot, July 25, 1909. Written and illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen. |
| 1983 | Shadow. Translated and illustrated by Marcia Brown, written by Blaise Cendrars. |
| 1982 | Jumanji. Written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. |
| 1981 | Fables. Written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. |
| 1980 | Ox-Cart Man. Illustrated by Barbara Cooney, written by Donald Hall. |
| 1979 | The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. Written and illustrated by Paul Goble. |
| 1978 | Noah's Ark. Illustrated by Peter Spier. |
| 1977 | Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, written by Margaret Musgrove. |
| 1976 | Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, retold by Verna Aardema. |
| 1975 | Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale. Written and illustrated by Gerald McDermott. |
| 1974 | Duffy and the Devil. Illustrated by Margot Zemach, retold by Harve Zemach. |
| 1973 | The Funny Little Woman. Illustrated by Blair Lent, retold by Arlene Mosel. |
| 1972 | One Fine Day. Written and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian. |
| 1971 | A Story, a Story: An African Tale. Written and illustrated by Gail E. Haley. |
| 1970 | Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Written and illustrated by William Steig. |
| 1969 | The Fool Of The World And The Flying Ship. Illustrated by Uri Shulevitz, retold by Arthur Ransome. |
| 1968 | Drummer Hoff. Illustrated by Ed Emberley, adapted by Barbara Emberley. |
| 1967 | Sam, Bangs & Moonshine. Written and illustrated by Evaline Ness. |
| 1966 | Always Room for One More. Illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian, written by Sorche Nic Leodhas. |
| 1965 | May I Bring a Friend?. Illustrated by Beni Montresor, written by Beatrice Schenk De Regniers |
| 1964 | Where the Wild Things Are. Written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. |
| 1963 | The Snowy Day. Written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats. |
| 1962 | Once a Mouse-- A Fable Cut in Wood. Written and illustrated by Marcia Brown. |
| 1961 | Baboushka and the Three Kings. Illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov, written by Ruth Robbins. |
| 1960 | Nine Days to Christmas. Illustrated by Marie Hall Ets, written by Marie Hall Ets and Aurora Labastida. |
| 1959 | Chanticleer and the Fox. Adapted and illustrated by Barbar Cooney, written by Geoffrey Chaucer. |
| 1958 | Time of Wonder. Written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. |
| 1957 | A Tree Is Nice. Illustrated by Marc Simont, written by Janice Udry. |
| 1956 | A Frog Went A-Courtin. Illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky, retold by John Langstaff. |
| 1955 | Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper. Retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown. |
| 1954 | Madeline's Rescue. Written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans. |
| 1953 | The Biggest Bear. Written and illustrated by Lynd Ward. |
| 1952 | Finders Keepers. Written and illustrated by Will and Nicolas. |
| 1951 | The Egg Tree. Written and illustrated by Katherine Milhous. |
| 1950 | Song of the Swallows. Written and illustrated by Leo Politi. |
| 1949 | The Big Snow. Written and illustrated by Berta and Elmer Hader. |
| 1948 | White Snow, Bright Snow. Illustrated by Roger Duvoisin, written by Alvin R. Tresselt. |
| 1947 | The Little Island. Illustrated by Leonard Weisgard, written by Golden MacDonald (Margaret Wise Brown). |
| 1946 | The Rooster Crows; A Book of American Rhymes and Jingles. Written and illustrated by Maud and Miska Petersham. |
| 1945 | Prayer for a Child. Illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones, written by Rachel Field. |
| 1944 | Many Moons. Illustrated by Louis Sloboken, written by James Thurber. |
| 1943 | The Little House. Written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton. |
| 1942 | Make Way for Ducklings. Written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. |
| 1941 | They Were Strong and Good. Written and illustrated by Robert Lawson. |
| 1940 | Abraham Lincoln. Written and illustrated by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. |
| 1939 | Mei Li. Written and illustrated by Thomas Handforth. |
| 1938 | Animals of the Bible. Illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop. |
