The Kate Greenaway Medal was established in 1955, for distinguished illustration in a book for children. It is named after the popular nineteenth century artist known for her fine children's illustrations and designs.
The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded annually for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people. The winner receives a golden medal and £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice.
Since 2000, the winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal has also been awarded the £5000 Colin Mears Award. Colin Mears, a Worthing based accountant and children's book collector, left a bequest providing every Greenaway winner with a cash award as well as the coveted Medal. The medal is awarded by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.
eds note: A mark of how loved a book is, is how long it stays in print. The vast majority of the Greenaway medal winners are still available via Blackwells. Quality resonates. My wife and I have many Greenaway books in our collection, many inherited, that are beloved our young children. Love it. KJP
2009 | Past Winners 1955 to present
2009 Kate Greenaway Medal Winner & Shortlist
Winner: Rayner, Catherine Harris Finds His Feet 
Publisher: Little Tiger Press ISBN: 9781845065898Little Tiger Press (Age range: 3+)
ISBN: 9781845065898
Harris, a very small hare with very big feet goes out with his Grandad and finds out not only how to hop high into the sky, climb to the tops of the mountains and run very fast, but also about the importance of finding his own feet. More
Judges comments:Harris is a triumph from the way he moves and his expressions to his velvety fur and his hands and feet. His relationship with his Grandad is beautifully evoked as are the times of day and the textures of the exquisite landscapes around him.
Other 2009 Shortlisted
Barrett, Angela (illustrator) Gallico, Paul (author) The Snow Goose (Age range: 10+)
Publisher: Hutchinson ISBN: 9780091893828
Paul Gallico’s classic tale set in the years running up to the evacuation of Dunkirk during the Second World War, tells of Fritha a young girl who finds a wounded snow goose, and Rhayader, the recluse who nurses it back to health. More
Judges comments: The muted tones and painterly style Barrett uses to illustrate this classic tale work wonderfully well throughout, and convey a phenomenal sense of place. She beautifully captures the emotions of the story whilst retaining an element of steel so that her illustrations never descend into sentimentality
Docherty, Thomas The Little Boat
Publisher: Templar ISBN: 9781840118261Templar (Age range: 3+)
ISBN: 9781840118261
“The ocean is a big place and I am just a little boat. But I chart my own course and I drop my own anchor”. Little Boat is an independent and determined small vessel who sails bravely on, whatever dangers he may face. More
Judges comments: Docherty perfectly captures the emotions of a little traveller, with a great sense of movement and perspective, and a limited but highly effective colour palette. You really get the feel of the huge ocean in all its moods
Graham, Bob How to Heal a Broken Wing
Publisher: Walker ISBN: 9781406307160 (Age range: 3+)
When a fallen bird lies injured on the crowded city pavement, Will is the only one to notice. He stops and looks – and reaches down to help, and before long he is learning how to heal a broken wing. More
Judges comments: A beautifully understated book which makes fantastic use of perspective and of a simple but highly expressive line to convey the emotions of the story. Ideal for sharing with the non-reading child, it has a filmic quality as Graham pans in and out of this delightful tale.
Jeffers, Oliver The Way Back Home
One day, a small boy finds himself stuck on the moon. And he is not alone. What is he to do, especially as he suspects there is an alien creature nearby, ready to eat him up? But when the alien turns out to be friendly, things change completely: maybe, just maybe they can help each other get back home?
Judges comments: Jeffers somehow manages to convey a whole host of emotions and moods with his stick figures. His style is so clever with its surreal and amusing details, and there is some great variation in the spreads both in terms of illustration and colour. Lovely metallic endpapers too!
McKean, Dave (illustrator) Almond, David (author) The Savage
Publisher: Walker ISBN: 9781406308150 Walker (Age range: 10+)
“There was a wild kid living in Burgess Woods…”. Blue Baker is writing a story – not all that stuff about wizards and fairies and happily ever after – a real story about blood and guts and adventure, because that’s what life’s really like. More
Judges comments:McKean’s illustrations add immensely to David Almond’s prose, reflecting its quality via a subdued colour palette and a variety of styles and framing. The cover image is particularly powerful, and the whole an utterly contemporary but timeless book you can’t ignore
Craste, Marc (text by Helen Ward) Varmints: Part one
Te9781840113235
“There was once only the sound of bees and the wind in the wiry grass, the low murmuring of moles in the cool dark earth and the song of birds in the high blue sky. It touched and warmed the hearts of those few who paused and cared to listen. Then one day OTHERS came, and the sound of bees was lost”. More
Judges comments: breathtaking and magical piece of work, that is wholly original and allows your imagination space to work. Craste makes outstanding use of light to haunting and often poignant effect.
Wormell, Chris, Molly and the Night Monster
Publisher: Jonathan Cape ISBN: 9780224070737
Jonathan Cape (Age range: 3+)
ISBN: 9780224070737
When Molly wakes up in the middle of the night and hears the sound of a step on the stair, her imagination runs absolutely wild. Is it a bear? Is it a crocodile? Is it a huge hippopotamus? Or some other night monster? Molly must be very brave in order to find out. More
Judges comments:A tour de force in monochrome. The blue is perfect to convey the night-time action and Wormell’s use of light is fabulous. The proportions of the animals are absolutely right and not at all anthropomorphical. And Molly is a great role model!
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Please note that before 2007 the year refers to when the book was published rather than when the medal was awarded i.e. the 2005 winner was announced and the medal presented in July 2006.
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2008 Emily Gravett, Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears, Macmillan - A picture book that contains details andnovelty elements including flaps, die-cuts and a hilarious fold-out map. It features a little mouse who documents his fears - from loud noises and the dark, to being sucked down the plughole. More
2007 Mini Grey, The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon, Jonathan Cape - Hey Diddle Diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon, the little dog laughed, to see such fun, and the Dish ran away with the spoon. That's the bit we know - but have you ever wondered what happened next? Mini Grey, the creator of such favourites as Biscuit Bear and The Pea and the Princess, has this brilliantly funny and wonderfully inventive suggestion, narrated by one of the principal players - the Spoon himself. More
2005 Emily Gravett, Wolves, Macmillan - Rabbit borrows a book about wolves from the library. Straightforward enough. But it's not long before a sinister figure with sharp claws and a bushy tail starts to creep right off the pages. You won't believe your eyes especially if you're a rabbit. More
2004 Chris Riddell, Jonathan Swift's “Gulliver”Walker -First published in 1726, this magnificent edition of Jonathan Swift's classic adventure story contains all four of Gulliver's extraordinary voyages. Award-winning author Martin Jenkins has skilfully adapted the original novel, remaining true to... More
2003 Shirley Hughes, Ella's Big Chance, The Bodley Head -In this story for children from the age of five, the Cinders family is invited to a grand ball given by the Duchess of Arc for her handsome son. Ella's vain stepsisters spend hours getting ready but poor Ella is left behind with only the cat for... More
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2002 Bob Graham, Jethro Byrde- Fairy Child, Walker Books - Annabelle's dad says she'll never find fairies in cement and weeds. But Annabelle does. She finds a tiny fairy child, Jethro Byrde, and his family, who are on their way to the Fairy Travellers' Picnic. And together, they spend a magical afternoon. More
2001 Chris Riddell, Pirate Diary, Walker Books - Adventure! History! Pirate Diary reveals life on the high seas in the eighteenth century--through the eyes of a nine-year-old boy. Curious about life on a pirate ship? Climb aboard this account of adventure on the high seas as told by a feisty nine-year-old carpenter's apprentice, circa 1716. Historically accurate illustrations of ship and crew, a map of Jake's travels, and a detailed glossary and index vividly reveal the fascinating -- and harsh ---life of a pirate in the eighteenth century. Ships ahoy! More
2000 Lauren Child, I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato, Orchard Books -There are many foods which Lola doesn't like, so one day Charlie decides to play a trick on her... Charlie's little sister Lola does not eat a lot of things - and she absolutely will not never ever eat a tomato - until one day Charlie plays a good... More
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1999 Helen Oxenbury, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Walker Books - A highly-illustrated edition of Lewis Carroll's classic story. With pictures by Helen Oxenbury, its approach seeks to be contemporary and accessible: Alice herself is a child of today - casually dressed, personable and spirited. A multi-award... More
1998 Helen Cooper, Pumpkin Soup, Doubleday - Cat, Duck and Squirrel live in an old white cabin, with a pumpkin patch in the garden. Every day Cat slices up some pumpkin, Squirrel stirs in some water and Duck tips in some salt to make the perfect pumpkin soup; until the day Duck wants to do... More
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1997 P J Lynch, When Jessie Came Across the Sea, Walker Books - Set at the turn of the 19th century, this is the story of Jessie who lives with her grandmother in a poor village. Their life is simple, but happy. Then one day, the village rabbi receives a ticket to America and decides that Jessie should be the... More
1996 Helen Cooper, The Baby Who Wouldn't Go To Bed, Doubleday - By the author of "The Bear under the Stairs" and "Little Monster Did It!". This is a story about a little boy who won't go to bed. At first it's fun staying up, but gradually the drowsy world nods off all around him, and the baby finds himself alone. More
1995 P J Lynch, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, Walker Books - Jonathan Toomey is the best woodcarver in the valley. He is a gruff, cold man - but no one is aware of the grief he has for the family he lost years ago. Then one day in early winter, the widow McDowell comes to call. Would Mr Toomey carve a set of nativity figures for her son Thomas in time for Christmas? When he agrees, Christmas miracle begins. More
1994 Gregory Rogers, Way Home, Andersen Press - Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, this book features Shane who lives rough on the streets of an Australian city. One night he comes across a lost kitten and takes the animal into the warmth of his jacket. Amidst the poverty and squalor Shane... More
1993 Alan Lee, Black Ships Before Troy, Frances Lincoln - Features Homer's epic poem "The Iliad". This title includes images that recreate the age of heroes. Homer's epic poem "The Iliad" is brought to life by Rosemary Sutcliff with all the skill of a master storyteller. Alan Lee's dramatic images... More
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1992 Anthony Browne, Zoo, Julia MacRae - Two brothers and their parents spend a day at the zoo, looking at the animals in the cages - or is it that the animals are watching the visitors? This winner of the 1993 Kate Greenaway Medal is a teasing examination of the relationship between man... More
1991 Janet Ahlberg, The Jolly Christmas Postman, Heinemann - It's Christmas Eve and the Jolly Postman is delivering greetings to various fairy-tale characters - there's a card for Baby Bear, a game appropriately called 'Beware' for Red Riding Hood from Mr Wolf, a get-well jigsaw for hospitalized Humpty... More
1990 Gary Blythe, The Whales' Song, Hutchinson - Enthralled by her grandmother's story of seeing and hearing whales singing in the sea long ago, Lilly hopes to see them herself and to hear their mysterious songs. Enthralled by her grandmother's story of seeing and hearing whales singing in the... More
1989 Michael Foreman, War Boy: a Country Childhood, Pavilion - Features the author's tale of growing up on the Suffolk frontline during World War II. This work tells how he and his friends and family coped with bombing raids and deadly doodlebugs, how gas masks were great for making rude noises... More
1988 Barbara Firth, Can't You Sleep Little Bear?, Walker Books - "The most perfect children's book ever written or illustrated... It evaporates and dispels all fear of the dark." The Sunday Times; "Wonderfully reassuring for small children. I cannot praise this picture book too highly. It will delight reader and listener alike." The Sunday Telegraph" More
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1987 Adrienne Kennaway, Crafty Chameleon, Hodder & Stoughton - Presents the story of why Crafty Chameleon changes colour and hides when he hears you coming. Tormented every morning by leopard and bullied by crocodile, the clever little chameleon decides to play a trick on them. He manages to get the better of... More
1986 Fiona French, Snow White in New York, OUP - Pulsating with the rhythm and vibrancy of the Jazz Age, this dazzling picture book is set in New York City in the 1920s. The story may be familiar, but the cast of characters will surprise you. Snow White is a beautiful jazz baby, protected by... More
1985 Juan Wijngaard, Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady, Walker Books
1984 Errol Le Cain, Hiawatha's Childhood, Faber -
1983 Anthony Browne, Gorilla, Julia MacRae - Hannah loves gorillas but has never seen one. Her father's too busy to take her to the zoo - or for anything else come to that. For her birthday, Hannah asks her father for a gorilla - but is disappointed when she discovers that the gorilla she's... More
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1982 Michael Foreman, Long Neck and Thunder Foot and Sleeping Beauty and Other Favourite Fairy Tales, Kestrel and Gollancz
Long Neck and Thunder Foot Winner of the Kate Greenaway medal, this is the story of Long Neck, a quiet and gentle dinosaur whose peace is shattered by the arrival of a huge new dinosaur called Thunder Foot. Can they ever overcome their fear and suspicion of each other and... More
1981 Charles Keeping, The Highwayman, OUP - Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal 1982, the magic of Alfred Noyes's classic poem is captured in Charles Keeping's illustrations. Alfred Noyes' award-winning poem The Highwayman is here illustrated with ethereal drawings by Charles Keeping. More
1980 Quentin Blake, Mr Magnolia, Cape - Mr Magnolia has many things including an old trumpet that goes rooty-toot, some very fat owls that are learning to hoot, a big purple dinosaur who's a magnificent brute, two sisters who play on a flute, and a swimming pool. But, he only has one boot. More
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1979 Jan Pienkowski, The Haunted House, Heinemann - Twenty-five years after first being unlocked, the door opens again on the house of petrifying pop-ups! Enjoy a tour of this spooky old house where a spine-tingling urprise lurks in every dark corner. Re- issued in its original full-size format... More
1978 Janet Ahlberg, Each Peach Pear Plum, Kestrel - The classic children's game book. Thousands ofchildren have enjoyed the Ahlbergs' pictorial guessing game--not only because the game is fun, but also because the pages contain action and humor and a sense of beauty. Full color. ALA Notable Children's Book. More
1977 Shirley Hughes, Dogger, Bodley Head - When Dave loses his favourite toy, Dogger, he is desolate. But then Dogger turns up at the school summer fair, and everything seems all right - until someone else buys him before Dave can get the money! When Dave loses his favourite toy, Dogger... More
1976 Gail E Haley, The Post Office Cat, Bodley Head
1975 Victor Ambrus, Horses in Battle and Mishka, OUP
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1974 Pat Hutchins, The Wind Blew, Bodley head - The story of a very windy day when the wind carries off a hat, an umbrella, a kite, a balloon - before finally blowing itself off to sea. This book won the 1974 Kate Greenaway Medal. More
1973 Raymond Briggs, Father Christmas, H Hamilton - A work that is awarded The Library Association's Kate Greenaway Medal. Father Christmas awoke from his dream of summer in the sun, and there it was on the calendar, December 24th, Christmas Eve - the start of his longest night's work of the year!... More
1972 Krystyna Turska, The Woodcutter's Duck, H Hamilton
1971 Jan Pienkowski, The Kingdom under the Sea, Cape - A collection of eleven fairy tales from eastern Europe and the Soviet Union retold by a noted English author. A collection of eleven fairy tales from eastern Europe and the Soviet Union retold by a noted English author. More
1970 John Burningham, Mr Gumpy's Outing, Cape - One day, Mr Gumpy decides to take a trip along the river in his boat, but the children, the rabbit, the cat, the pig and a whole host of friends decide to join him. Everyone's having a lovely time until the animals start kicking, bleating and... More
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Book links 1969 - 64 and 1963 - 1957 go to Amazon
1969 Helen Oxenbury, The Quangle Wangle's hat - The Quangle Wangle in lonely in the Crumpetty Tree, until a whole host of creatures come to live on his (very large) beaver hat. More
and The Dragon of an Ordinary Family, Heinemann
1968 Pauline Baynes, Dictionary of Chivalry, Longman
1967 Charles Keeping, Charley, Charlotte and the Golden Canary
1966 Raymond Briggs, The Mother Goose Treasury (Puffin Picture Books)
1965 Victor Ambrus, The three poor Tailors
1964 C W Hodges, Shakespeare's Theatre, OUP
1963 John Burningham, Borka: the Adventures of a Goose with No Feathers, Cape - Honk if you love Borka! Burningham's classic first picture book: Borka: The Adventures of a Goose with no Feathers. ""Once upon a time there were two geese called Mr and Mrs Plumpster."" Each Spring they returned to the marshes of their ancestors... More
1963 John Burningham, Borka: The Adventures of a Goose with No Feathers
1962 Brian Wildsmith, ABC / Brian Wildsmith's ABC
1961 Antony Maitland, Mrs. Cockle's Cat (Young Puffin Books)
1960 Gerald Rose, Old Winkle and the Seagulls
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1959 William Stobbs, Kashtanka. 
1958 Prize withheld as no book considered suitable
1957 V H Drummond, Mrs Easter and the storks
1956 Edward Ardizzone, Tim All Alone, OUP (cover shown 2006 reprint from Francis Liincoln) - Tim arrives home after a long holiday only to find his parents have vanished. The courageous Tim is determined to search the whole wide world, if necessary, to find them. Many people offer to help, but sometimes their help is the last thing he... More
1955 Prize withheld as no book considered suitable
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