An Evanston librarian will serve on the selection committee for the Caldecott Award, widely considered the most prestigious award for American children’s picture books.

Brian Wilson, a children’s librarian at EPL, will serve on the 2017 Caldecott Award selection committee, the library announced Thursday.

First awarded in 1938, the Caldecott is an annual medal presented by the Association for Library Service to Children. The award recognizes the illustrator of an American children’s picture book published in the previous year.

Karen Danczak Lyons, EPL’s library director, praised Wilson’s dedication to children’s literature.

“This national recognition by his peers underscores Brian’s talent, his commitment and his expertise in picture books,” Lyons said in a news release.

Caldecott recipients are chosen based on the artist’s technical execution and illustrative interpretation of the text or theme of the story, among other criteria.

The selection committee typically reviews several hundred books during the selection process, choosing a winner in January 2017, the library said.

“It’s a humbling privilege to be a part of this award’s great history and tradition of honoring such distinguished books,” Wilson said in the release. “This has been a career dream of mine because this award brings together my lifelong admiration for art, and love for illustrated books for young people.”

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