The Kate Greenaway Medal was established by The Library Association 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 first Kate Greenaway Medal book award went to Edward Ardizzone for Tim All Alone (Little Tim). The medal is now awarded by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
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.
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001| 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 |top2009 Winner & Shortlists-
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.
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. More
Other 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.
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. More
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.
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. More
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?
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! More
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.
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. More
Craste, Marc (text by Helen Ward) Varmints
ISBN: 9781840113235
“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”.
A 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. More
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.
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! More
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001| 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 |topPast Winners
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2008
Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett published by Macmillan
This is a clever, funny and innovative book which is also extremely warm and emotionally engaging for the reader. It’s a book you can explore and spend ages over. The attention to detail is quite astonishing: every part of the book is used, and the production values are fantastic. It works on every single level. A publishing tour de force. More
2007
The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon by Mini Grey
published by Jonathan Cape
With many nods to 1920s film noir and other cinematic references throughout, this book offers so much to look at and contains great humour. There is real vitality in the drawings and the bold inky lines add drama. Grey gives amazing expression to the dish and the spoon without them having arms or mouths, and conveys beautifully the idea of villainous cutlery! There is so much to look at in this book; you see something new every time you open it. More
2005 (awarded in 2006)
Wolves by Emily Gravett published by Macmillan
A real page-turner of a book. The style is spare, but at the same time there is so much in it, and the device whereby the book becomes the book within it is brilliantly employed. The illustrator’s style is totally unique, and the love and attention to detail here is obvious, even down to her having chewed the book herself to get the right effect. More
2004 (awarded in 2005)
Jonathan Swift's “Gulliver” by Chris Riddell (Text by Martin Jenkins)
A modern day retelling of the four extraordinary voyages of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver. Riddell’s grotesque representation of Swift’s wacky worlds results in a perfect synthesis of words and pictures, and 144 pages of exuberant colour and matchless wit. A staggering achievement, beautifully produced. All this, and a memorable Tony Blair caricature too. More
2003 (awarded in 2004)
Ella's Big Chance by Shirley Hughes
published by The Bodley Head
Another inventive retelling of a traditional fairy tale: here Cinderella is transported into the 1920s, where we find talented dressmaker Ella, slaving over her sewing machine, whilst her stepsisters parade the latest fashions in her father's dress shop. Full of vibrant illustrations that leap from every page, Hughes' use of colour and brilliant expressions of body language enhance the text to give a graceful and balanced composition that is a perfect marriage of words and pictures. More
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2002 (awarded in 2003)
Jethro Byrde - Fairy Child by Bob Graham
published by Walker Books
Annabelle's dad says she'll never find fairies in cement and weeds, but he's about to be proved wrong. Wildly shifting perspectives, superb sense of scale and rainbow colour-washes transform urban landscapes, where fairies can be found in the most unlikely places if only we believe - or know where to look! More
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2001 (awarded in 2002)
Pirate Diary illustrated by Chris Riddell (author Richard Platt),
published by Walker Books
Riddell's meticulously researched illustrations, use of perspective and variety of design capture the different moods and tempos of this tale of pirate life. Every character's face is expressive and the pictures continue and extend the narrative making this book such fun, with a wealth of information and historical detail. More
2000 (awarded in 2001)
I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
published by Orchard Books
Child's innovative solution to the problem of fussy eating is mirrored in her equally innovative mixture of photography, collage and drawing. Every element of the design complements the deceptively simple story creating a totally integrated experience. A book with immediate impact. More
1999 (awarded in 2000)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
published by Walker Books
An 'Alice' for the new millennium, this book is a triumph of design and rare quality. Helen Oxenbury perfectly captures the dream-like qualities suggested in Carroll's famous classic. The well-known characters are brilliantly realised with consistency and child appeal. This fresh approach modernises this novel in an original way that will appeal to a new generation of readers. More
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1998 (awarded in 1999)
Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper
published by Doubleday
A wonderfully humorous but thoughtful look at sharing - a duck, a squirrel and a cat begin to realise what friendship is all about through a disagreement about pumpkin soup! The interplay between the sumptuous illustrations and the text is stunning. The pictures create a seasonal mood - it's Autumn and time for pumpkins. They draw you into the book, support the storyline, and show the darker side of friendship but always with warmth. More
1997 (awarded in 1998)
When Jessie Came Across the Sea by P J Lynch
published by Walker Books
The book, written by Amy Hest, is set in the late 19th century and tells the story of a 13 year old Jewish girl who leaves the security of life with her beloved grandmother to travel to America P.J. Lynch's emotive paintings convey the intensity of human feeling that run through the story. The carefully observed character studies capture every emotional nuance, and are a perfect match for the universal human themes of the story: separation and sadness, the wonder and difficulty of growing up, respect for age and experience, and life's uplifting moments of intense happiness. More
1996 (awarded in 1997)The Baby Who Wouldn't go to Bed by Helen Cooper
published by Doubleday
The book tells the story of a small and stubborn little boy who is determined to stay up all night. He revs up his car and sets off on a journey into his imagination, each page plunging him into life-size encounters with the toys from his bedroom. Just as he begins to feel lonely and frightened, his mother, who has been searching for him, arrives, and he can settle down to sleep. Helen Cooper has created the ultimate reassuring bedtime picture book. With warm, subtle colours and lyrical text, she beautifully captures the surreal, twilight world of a sleepy child. More
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