The first Caldecott Medal was awarded in 1938.
The inaugural medal went to illustrator Dorothy P. Lathrop for Animals of the Bible, a picture book with text selected by Helen Dean Fish. The award recognizes the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published in the United States.
The medal was proposed in 1937 by Frederic G. Melcher, who wanted picture-book artists to receive recognition comparable to the Newbery Medal's recognition of children's authors. It was named for Randolph Caldecott, a highly influential nineteenth-century English illustrator.
The year can cause confusion because the award was established and approved in 1937, but the first medal was awarded in 1938. The Caldecott is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.