
| 2007 | Wiesner, David | Flotsam |
| 2006 | Juster, Norton | The Hello, Goodbye Window |
| 2005 | Henkes, Kevin | Kitten's First Full Moon |
| 2004 | Gerstein, Mordicai | The Man Who Walked Between the Towers |
| 2003 | Rohmann, Eric | My Friend Rabbit |
| 2002 | Wiesner, David | The Three Pigs |
| 2001 | St. George, Judith | So You Want to Be President |
| 2000 | Taback, Simms | Joseph Had a Little Overcoat |
| 1999 | Martin, Jacqueline Briggs | Snowflake Bentley |
| 1998 | Zelinsky, Paul O. | Rapunzel |
| 1997 | Wisniewski, David | Golem |
| 1996 | Rathmann, Peggy | Officer Buckle and Gloria |
| 1995 | Bunting, Eve | Smoky Night |
| 1994 | Say, Allen | Grandfather's Journey |
| 1993 | McCully, Emily Arnold | Mirette on the High Wire |
| 1992 | Wiesner, David | Tuesday |
| 1991 | Macaulay, David | Black and White |
| 1990 | Young, Ed | Lon Po Po |
| 1989 | Ackerman, Karen | Song and Dance Man |
| 1988 | Yolen, Jane | Owl Moon |
| 1987 | Yorinks, Arthur | Hey, Al |
| 1986 | Van Allsburg, Chris | The Polar Express |
| 1985 | Hodges, Margaret | Saint George and the Dragon |
| 1984 | Provensen, Alice | The Glorious Flight Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot, July 25, 1909 |
| 1983 | Cendrars, Blaise | Shadow |
| 1982 | Van Allsburg, Chris | Jumanji |
| 1981 | Lobel, Arnold | Fables |
| 1980 | Hall, Donald | Ox-Cart Man |
| 1979 | Goble, Paul | The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses |
| 1978 | Spier, Peter | Noah's Ark |
| 1977 | Musgrove, Margaret | Ashanti to Zulu |
| 1976 | Aardema, Verna | Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears |
| 1975 | McDermott, Gerald | Arrow to the Sun |
| 1974 | Zemach, Harve | Duffy and the Devil |
| 1973 | Mosel, Arlene | The Funny Little Woman |
| 1972 | Hogrogian, Nonny | One Fine Day |
| 1971 | Haley, Gail E. | A Story, A Story |
| 1970 | Steig, William | Sylvester and the Magic Pebble |
| 1969 | Ransome, Arthur | The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship |
| 1968 | Emberley, Barbara | Drummer Hoff |
| 1967 | Ness, Evaline | Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine |
| 1966 | Leodhas, Sorche Nic | Always Room for One More |
| 1965 | DeRegniers, Beatrice Schenk | May I Bring a Friend? |
| 1964 | Sendak, Maurice | Where the Wild Things Are |
| 1963 | Keats, Ezra Jack | The Snowy Day |
| 1962 | Brown, Marcia | Once a Mouse... |
| 1961 | Robbins, Ruth | Baboushka and the Three Kings |
| 1960 | Ets, Marie Hall | Nine Days to Christmas |
| 1959 | Chaucer, Geoffrey | Chanticleer and the Fox |
| 1958 | McCloskey, Robert | Time of Wonder |
| 1957 | Udry, Janice May | A Tree is Nice |
| 1956 | Langstaff, John | Frog Went A-Courtin' |
| 1955 | Perrault, Charles | Cinderella |
| 1954 | Bemelmans, Ludwig | Madeline's Rescue |
| 1953 | Ward, Lynd | The Biggest Bear |
| 1952 | Lipkind, William | Finders Keepers |
| 1951 | Milhous, Katherine | The Egg Tree |
| 1950 | Politi, Leo | Song of the Swallows |
| 1949 | Hader, Berta | The Big Snow |
| 1948 | Tresselt, Alvin | White Snow, Bright Snow |
| 1947 | MacDonald, Golden | The Little Island |
| 1946 | Petersham, Maud Fuller | The Rooster Crows |
| 1945 | Field, Rachel | Prayer for a Child |
| 1944 | Thurber, James | Many Moons |
| 1943 | Burton, Virginia Lee | The Little House |
| 1942 | McCloskey, Robert | Make Way for Ducklings |
| 1941 | Lawson, Robert | They Were Strong and Good |
| 1940 | Aulaire, Ingri d' | Abraham Lincoln |
| 1939 | Handforth, Thomas | Mei Li |
| 1938 | Animals of the Bible |