The 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Jury Recommends
Something for your TBR lists!
Every two years, the IBBY Executive Committee (International Board on Books for Young People) elects the international jury of experts from nominations submitted by the IBBY Sections.
All the candidates nominated for the Hans Christian Anderson Award have made outstanding contributions to children’s literature in their countries and are selected by the IBBY Sections; a complete list of the 78 candidates to the 2026 Awards can be seen here.
I was hoping to attend the 40th IBBY Congress this year because of the theme, Listening to Other's Voices - increasingly crucial in a world of diminishing abilities to actually hear what is going on. Also because it's in Ottawa, Canada! A place of distant relatives and long-held yearnings to visit. Alas, next time ...
Meantime, I'll content myself with this Jury Recommends list chosen by the judges as recommended reading from the many nominations received for their Awards, because - The Jury feels these books are important enough to merit translation everywhere, so that children around the world could read them and expand their access to some of the very best books.
I've read and even reviewed a handful but can't wait to tuck in to more. Here's the full list for you to add to your own TBR of kids' books. Enjoy!
1. BombayWritten by Sandra Siemens, illustrated by Isol
Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina: Fondo de Cultura Económica de Argentina, 2023, ISBN 978-9-8771-9392-3
2. adouk s’en va [Padouk goes away]
Written by Thomas Lavachery
Paris, France: L’école des loisirs, 2011, ISBN 978-2-2112-0583-2
3. Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story
Written by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Scott B. Henderson & Donovan Yaciuk
Winnipeg, Canada: HighWater Press (Portage & Main Press), 2011,
ISBN 978-1-5537-9975-7
4. Kai Kai De Men 开开的门 [An open door]
Written by Jin Bo
Tianjin, China: New Buds Publishing House, 2011, ISBN 978-7-5307-5313-2
5. Jeg fortæller en krig [I’ll tell you a war]
Written by Kim Fupz Aakeson, illustrated by Anna Margrethe Kjærgaard
Copenhagen, Denmark: Gyldendal, 2024, ISBN 978-8-7023-9822-9
6. Die Mitte der Welt [The centre of the world]
Written by Andreas Steinhöfel
Hamburg, Germany: Carlsen Verlag, 1998, ISBN 978-3-5515-8395-6
7. Divas Almas [Two almas]
Written by Inese Zandere, illustrated by Anete Bajāre-Babčuka
Rīga, Latvia: Liels un mazs, 2021, ISBN 978-9-9345-7464-1-7
8. Tonje Glimmerdal [Astrid the unstoppable]
Written by Maria Parr, illustrated by Åshild lrgens
Oslo, Norway: Samlaget, 2009, ISBN 978-8-2521-9681-8
9. Rahalat Ajeeba fi al-Bilad al-Ghareeba رحلات عجيبة في البلاد الغريبة
[Wonderous journeys in strange lands]
Written by Sonia Nimr, illustrated by Rauf al- Karai
Ramallah, Palestine: Tamer Institute, 2013, ISBN 978-9-9502-6010-8
10. Het eiland van Olifant [Elephant island]
Written and illustrated by Leo Timmers
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Querido, 2020, ISBN 978-9-0451-2495-7
11. Poiss ja papa [Papa and the boy]
Written by Triinu Laan, illustrated by Anne Pikkov
Tallinn, Estonia: Päike ja pilv, 2024, ISBN 978-9-9166-3059-4
12. oi grand et moi petit [You big and I small]
Written and illustrated by Grégoire Solotareff
Paris, France: L’école des loisirs, 1996, ISBN 978-2-2110-3857-7
13. Marina
Written and illustrated by Nikolaus Heidelbach
Weinheim, Germany: Beltz & Gelberg, 2022 , ISBN 978-3-407-75632-9
14. To kotsíphi Το κοτσύφι [The blackbird]
Written and illustrated by Photini Stephanidi
Athens, Greece: Kaleidoscope, 2023, ISBN 978-9-6047-1253-3
15. Chiknik Choon
Written by Sushil Shukla, illustrated by Atanu Roy
Bhopal, India: Eklavya, 2016, ISBN 978-9-3852-3605-1
16. Jabe-ye khaterat جعبه خاطرات [My Box of memories]
Written by Babak Saberi, illustrated by Alireza Goldouzian
London, United Kingdom: Candle & Fog Publishing, 2025, ISBN 978-622-6560-79-5
17. Dobutsuen gaido どうぶつえんガイド [First book of zoo guide for small children]
Written and illustrated by Hiroshi Abe
Tokyo, Japan: Fukuinkan Shoten, 1995, ISBN 978-4-8340-1288-0
18. Jal ga, annyeong 잘 가, 안녕 [Farewell]
Written and illustrated by Kim Dong-soo
Paju-si, Rep. of Korea: Borim Press, 2016, ISBN 978-8-9433-1050-9
19. Mulegutten [Mule boy]
Written and illustrated by Øyvind Torseter
Oslo, Norway: Cappelen Damm, 2015, ISBN 978-8-2024-7700-4
20. Os sete cabritinhos [The seven little goats]
Written by Tareixa Alonso, illustrated by Teresa Lima
Pontevedra, Spain: QO Editora, 2008, ISBN 978-8-4987-1600-9
21. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear
Written by Lindsay Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
New York, USA: Little, Brown and Company, 2015, ISBN 978-0-3163-2490-8
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