Caldecott Medal
The award is named for Randolph Caldecott, a nineteenth-century English illustrator. Rene Paul Chambellan designed the Medal in 1937. The obverse scene is derived from Randolph Caldecott's front cover illustration for "The Diverting History of John Gilpin" (Routledge, 1878, an edition of the 1782 poem by William Cowper), which depicts Gilpin astride a runaway horse. The reverse is based on "Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie", one of Caldecott's illustrations for the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence".
Caldecott Medal
The committee that decides on the Caldecott Award winner comprises fifteen members. Eight are elected by the entire ALSC membership and seven including the chairperson are appointed by the ALSC President. Many publishers send copies of books to the committee; 2009 members each received more than 700. To help identify possible contenders, the chairperson generally asks for committee members to identify strong contenders each month. In the fall each member of the committee may formally nominate seven books. Publications late in the year should receive equal consideration. /2010 each committee member must nominate three and no more books in October, two in November, two in December, and January identification of worthy December publications is solicited.