Caldecott Medal, in full the Randolph Caldecott Medal, annual award given to the artist of the book voted the most distinguished picture book for children published in the United States during the previous year. The medal is awarded by the 15-member Caldecott Committee, which is appointed by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) of the American Library Association (ALA). The winner is announced at the ALA's midwinter convention, held in January or February. In addition, each year the ALSC names an unspecified number of honor books and presents the illustrators of these books with certificates.

The committee's criteria for choosing the winning book include originality and excellence of the illustrations, and the creation of a work that presents children with a noteworthy visual experience. The ALSC does not require the artist to be the author of the winning book but maintains that the pictures rather than the text must be the book's main focus. The Caldecott Medal is awarded to artists who are citizens or residents of the United States.

The Caldecott Medal was established in 1937 at the suggestion of Frederic G. Melcher, coeditor of Publishers Weekly and founder of Children's Book Week. Melcher named the award for the 19th-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, and a depiction of Caldecott's artwork adorns the medal itself. The first Caldecott Medal was awarded in 1938 to Dorothy P. Lathrop for her black-and-white illustrations in Animals of the Bible, a Picture Book. Melcher also established the Newbery Medal in 1921 to honor distinguished literature for children.