If you’re looking for a book you can sink your teeth into, you might want to check out some Newbery and Caldecott Medal winners. Each January, the American Library Association (ALA) gives these prizes to the best children’s book (Newbery) and best picture book (Caldecott) of the previous year. The latest Newbery and Caldecott winners were announced on January 22, 2024, taking their place among some of the greatest kids’ books of all time.

The 2024 Newbery selection is The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers. The story is about a dog named Johannes who roams freely through a city park. Johannes is both the narrator and the “eyes” of the book. With help from some of the park’s other animal residents, he watches over the park to make sure the balance between people and nature is maintained. When the park is thrown off balance, it looks as if the only home Johannes knows could change forever.

The Caldecott Medal went to Big, by author and illustrator Vashti Harrison. The book explores how the words a young girl hears as she grows up affect the way she feels about herself. Like all Caldecott winners, Big has beautiful illustrations that help tell the story. Some of the pages have no words at all—but the pictures show the young girl’s emotions.

“For me, this story was really about the words we give and share with children, and I wanted to make a story that followed a child on a journey towards self-love,” Harrison told National Public Radio (NPR).