2011   A Sick Day for Amos McGee - Erin E. Stead and Philip C. Stead
2010   The Lion and the Mouse - Jerry Pinkney
 
2009   The House in the Night - Susan Marie Swanson and Beth Krommes
2008   The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick
2007   Flotsam - David Wiesner
2006   The Hello, Goodbye Window - Norton Juster and Chris Raschka
2005   Kitten's First Full Moon - Kevin Henkes
2004   The Man Who Walked Between the Towers - Mordicai Gerstein
2003   My Friend Rabbit - Eric Rohmann
2002   The Three Pigs - David Wiesner
2001   So You Want To Be President? - Judith St. George
2000   Joseph Had a Little Overcoat - Simms Taback

1999   Snowflake Bentley - Jacqueline Briggs Martin
1998   Rapunzel - Paul O. Zelinsky
1997   Golem - David Wisniewski
1996   Officer Buckle and Gloria - Peggy Rathmann
1995   Smoky Night - Eve Bunting
1994   Grandfather's Journey - Allen Say
1992   Tuesday - David Wiesner
1991   Black and White - David Macaulay
1990   Lon Po Po: A Red-riding Hood Story From China - Ed Young

1989   Song and Dance Man - Karen Ackerman
1988   Owl Moon - Jane Yolen
1987   Hey, Al - Arthur Yorinks
1986   The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
1985   Saint George and the Dragon - Margaret Hodges
1984   The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel With Louis Bleriot, July 25, 1909 - Alice Provensen
1983   Shadow - Blaise Cendrars
1982   Jumanji - Chris Van Allsburg
1981   Fables - Arnold Lobel
1980   Ox-cart Man - Donald Hall

1979   The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses - Paul Goble
1978   Noah's Ark - Peter Spier
1977   Ashanti To Zulu: African Traditions - Margaret W. Musgrove
1976   Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Tale - Verna Aardema
1975   Arrow To the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale - Gerald Mcdermott
1974   Duffy and the Devil - Harve Zemach
1973   The Funny Little Woman - Arlene Mosel
1972   One Fine Day - Nonny Hogrogian
1971   A Story, a Story: An African Tale - Gail E. Haley
1970   Sylvester and the Magic Pebble - William Steig

1969   The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship: Arthur Ransome - Arthur Ransome
1968   Drummer Hoff - Barbara Emberley
1967   Sam Bangs and Moonshine - Evaline Ness
1966   Always Room for One More by Sorche Nic Leodhas
1965   May I Bring a Friend? - Beatrice Schenk De Regniers
1964   Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak
1963   The Snowy Day - Ezra Jack Keats
1962   Once a Mouse... : A Fable Cut in Wood - Marcia Brown
1961   Baboushka and the Three Kings: Ruth Robbins - Ruth Robbins
1960   Nine Days To Christmas - Marie Hall Ets

1959   Chanticleer and the Fox - Geoffrey Chaucer
1958   Time of Wonder - Robert Mccloskey
1957   A Tree Is Nice - Janice May Udry
1956   Frog Went A-courtin' - John Langstaff
1955   Cinderella - Charles Perrault
1954   Madeline's Rescue - Ludwig Bemelmans
1953   The Biggest Bear - Lynn K. Ward
1952   Finders Keepers - Nicolas Will
1951   The Egg Tree - Katherine Milhous
1950   Song of the Swallows - Leo Politi

1949   The Big Snow - Berta Hader
1948   White Snow, Bright Snow - Alvin Tresselt
1947   The Little Island - Golden Macdonald
1946   The Rooster Crows: A Book of American Rhymes and Jingles - Maud Petersham
1945   Prayer for a Child - Rachel Field
1944   Many Moons - James Thurber
1943   The Little House - Virginia Lee Burton
1942   Make Way for Ducklings - Robert Mccloskey
1941   They Were Strong and Good - Robert Lawson
1940   Abraham Lincoln - Ingri D'aulaire

1939   Mei LI - Thomas Handforth
1938   Animals of the Bible: A Picture Book - Dorothy P. Lathrop