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The worst Caldecott winning book — Rumpelstiltskin

Ellsworth Toohey
Jul 03, 2026
∙ Paid

Jure Divich/shutterstock.com

Andrew Judson has read every Caldecott Medal winner and honor book his local library owns, mostly out loud to his daughter, and ranked the worst ones by their words, not their art — since the Caldecott is awarded “based solely on the art,” even the most troubling books look gorgeous.

His pick for worst: the 1996 picture-book v…

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