Book Awards & Distinctions
for Kadir Nelson
1 Lifetime Achievement Award 101 Total Book Awards
The Undefeated (22)
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 1995-2026
Commended, 2020
CCBC Choices
Selection, 2020
Carter G. Woodson Book Award, 1974-2026
Winner, 2020
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books, 2013-2025
Selection, 2019
Coretta Scott King Book Awards, 1970-2026
Illustrator Winner, 2020
Golden Kite Awards, 1974-2026
Picture Book Text Honor, 2020
Horn Book Fanfare, 2001-2025
Selection, 2019
John Newbery Medal, 1922-2026
Honor, 2020
Junior Library Guild Selections, 2012-2026
Character Building Selection, 2019
Kid's Favorites Award, 2015-2026
Selection, 2020
Kids’ Book Choice Awards, 2008-2022
Winner, 2020
Notable Books for a Global Society, 1996-2026
Selection, 2020
Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels, 2011-2026
Selection, 2020
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2015-2026
Contemporary Concerns Selection, 2020
Publishers Weekly Best Books, 2010-2025
Picture Book Selection, 2019
Randolph Caldecott Medal, 1938-2026
Winner, 2020
Read for Empathy Collections, 2017-2026
Selection, 2021
SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2010 - 2025
Selection, 2019
Teacher Favorites Award, 2015-2026
Selection, 2020
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans (14)
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 1995-2026
Commended, 2012
CCBC Choices
Selection, 2012
Coretta Scott King Book Awards, 1970-2026
Illustrator Honor, 2012
Coretta Scott King Book Awards, 1970-2026
Illustrator Honor, 2012
Jane Addams Children's Book Awards, 1953-2026
Books for Older Children Honor, 2012
Lasting Connections, 2000 - 2020
Selection, 2011
Notable Books for a Global Society, 1996-2026
Selection, 2012
Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award, 1997-2026
Selection, 2012
Orbis Pictus Award, 2000-2026
Commended, 2012
Original Art Medal, 2002-2025
Silver Winner, 2011
Publishers Weekly Best Books, 2010-2025
Picture Book Selection, 2011
SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2010 - 2025
Selection, 2011
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball (11)
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 1995-2026
Commended, 2009
CCBC Choices
Selection, 2009
Coretta Scott King Book Awards, 1970-2026
Illustrator Honor, 2009
Coretta Scott King Book Awards, 1970-2026
Illustrator Honor, 2009
Horn Book Fanfare, 2001-2025
Selection, 2008
NYT Best Illustrated Children’s Books, 1952-2025
Selection, 2008
Notable Books for a Global Society, 1996-2026
Selection, 2009
Odyssey Award, 2008-2026
Honor, 2010
Orbis Pictus Award, 2000-2026
Honor, 2009
Original Art Medal, 2002-2025
Gold Winner, 2009
Ellington Was Not a Street (7)
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 1995-2026
Commended, 2005
CCBC Choices
Selection, 2005
Coretta Scott King Book Awards, 1970-2026
Illustrator Winner, 2005
Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award, 1997-2026
Selection, 2005
Original Art Medal, 2002-2025
Gold Winner, 2005
Henry's Freedom Box (5)
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 1995-2026
Commended, 2008
CCBC Choices
Selection, 2008
Notable Books for a Global Society, 1996-2026
Selection, 2008
Original Art Medal, 2002-2025
Silver Winner, 2008
Randolph Caldecott Medal, 1938-2026
Honor, 2008
I Have a Dream (5)
Coretta Scott King Book Awards, 1970-2026
Illustrator Honor, 2013
Indies Choice Book Awards, 2009-2019
Picture Book Hall of Fame Selection, 2018
Junior Library Guild Selections, 2012-2026
Emergent Selection, 2012
Publishers Weekly Best Books, 2010-2025
Picture Book Selection, 2012
SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2010 - 2025
Selection, 2012
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom (5)
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 1995-2026
Commended, 2007
Coretta Scott King Book Awards, 1970-2026
Illustrator Winner, 2007
Horn Book Fanfare, 2001-2025
Selection, 2006
Notable Books for a Global Society, 1996-2026
Selection, 2007
Randolph Caldecott Medal, 1938-2026
Honor, 2007
A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis (5)
CCBC Choices
Selection, 2012
NYT Best Illustrated Children’s Books, 1952-2025
Selection, 2011
SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2010 - 2025
Selection, 2011
Nelson Mandela (5)
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 1995-2026
Commended, 2014
Coretta Scott King Book Awards, 1970-2026
Illustrator Honor, 2014
NYT Best Illustrated Children’s Books, 1952-2025
Selection, 2013
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2015-2026
Biography Selection, 2014
Publishers Weekly Best Books, 2010-2025
Nonfiction Selection, 2013
Blue Sky White Stars (4)
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 1995-2026
Commended, 2018
CCBC Choices
Selection, 2018
Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels, 2011-2026
Selection, 2018
Teacher Favorites Award, 2015-2026
Selection, 2018
Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2)
Thunder Rose (2)
Coretta Scott King Book Awards, 1970-2026
Illustrator Honor, 2004
Phoenix Award, 1986-2026
Picture Book Honor, 2023
The Village That Vanished (2)
Jane Addams Children's Book Awards, 1953-2026
Books for Younger Children Honor, 2003
Notable Books for a Global Society, 1996-2026
Selection, 2003
Abe's Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln (1)
Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game (1)
Junior Library Guild Selections, 2012-2026
Sports Selection, 2026
Brothers of the Knight (1)
CCBC Choices
Selection, 2000
Coretta Scott (1)
CCBC Choices
Selection, 2010
Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life (1)
Phoenix Award, 1986-2026
Picture Book Honor, 2025
If You Plant a Seed (1)
Just the Two of Us (1)
Original Art Medal, 2002-2025
Silver Winner, 2002
Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya (1)
The Real Slam Dunk (1)
Testing the Ice: A True Story about Jackie Robinson (1)
Under the Christmas Tree (1)
CCBC Choices
Selection, 2003
Zack (1)
Notable Books for a Global Society, 1996-2026
Selection, 2000







