Hans Christian Andersen Award short list for 2026

To write for children is to speak of truth, tenderness, and enduring hope

Maria Jose Ferrada

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children's books. Given every other year by IBBY, the Hans Christian Andersen Awards recognize lifelong achievement and are given to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature. The Winners of the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Awards will be announced at the IBBY Annual Press Conference on 13 April 2026 at the Bologna Children's Book Fair.

I am thrilled to see Timothée de Fombelle from France; Pam Muñoz Ryan from United States; and Michael Rosen from United Kingdom because I know their work and also Beatrice Alemagna from Italy nominated for illustration. Now I will dig deeper into the work of the other short-listed nominees. Our Australian nominees were Bruce Whatley and Emily Rodda (they didn't make the short list). Here is a list of all the 2026 nominees from around the world. 

Timothee de Frombelle

(This is one of my favourite books for readers aged 11+)

I read this book many years ago. Parts of the plot still linger with me. This book is a mammoth one to read but the story is so beautifully crafted. A rich reading experience.

Read my profile of Michael Rosen

Here are a few brief facts about each of the short-listed candidates.:

Ahmad Akbarpour: One of Iran’s most celebrated authors for young readers, with over fifty books to his name. He was shortlisted for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2023 and 2025.

Timothée de Fombelle: In 2006, his debut novel Tobie Lolness: La vie suspendue (Toby Alone) — the story of a boy one and a half millimeters tall fighting to save his world, a giant oak tree — became an international sensation, translated into over 30 languages and hailed as a modern classic for its moral depth and visionary worldbuilding. Other books include Captain Rosalie and Celeste My Planet.

María José Ferrada: She has since published over sixty books across genres and age groups, translated into more than twenty languages. Her work is marked by quiet precision and emotional depth — celebrating small wonders (a cloud, a word, a gesture) while confronting heavy histories: dictatorship, exile, injustice.

Lee Geum-yi: Lee’s work consistently centers marginalized voices — women, migrants, disabled individuals, non-traditional families — and challenges adult stereotypes that harm young lives.

Pam Muñoz Ryan: Ryan’s award-winning works — including The Dreamer (2010) and Echo (2015) — explore identity, social justice, and the transformative power of music and storytelling, all rendered in lyrical prose with deeply authentic characters. Her stories celebrate cultural diversity, resilience, and the human spirit — inviting empathy across borders and generations.  Here is her web page.

Michael Rosen: He has written over 200 books — for children and adults — often collaborating with illustrators like Quentin Blake, Tony Ross, and Helen Oxenbury. As Children’s Laureate (2007–2009), he championed poetry in classrooms.

Beatrice Alemagna: “Writing and drawing children’s books is a terribly political act for me,” she says — about building worlds of respect, justice, and freedom. Her art invites readers — children and adults alike — to linger, imagine, and complete the story themselves. Her books, like On a Magical Do-Nothing Day (2017), celebrate quiet wonder and emotional honesty — winning the Landerneau Prize, Grand prix de l’illustration, English Association Book Award, and a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators (USA). She was shortlisted for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award four times (2014–2017).

Read about this book here

Linda Bondestam: she is one of the Nordic region’s most distinctive and celebrated illustrators — known for her bold, evolving “Bondestamian” style: rich, dark palettes that make jewel-toned highlights pop, layered textures, and whimsical, miniature creatures that scurry through her pages. Her work thrives on contrast — visual, emotional, and narrative — blending humor, mystery, and quiet wonder. Characters are richly detailed, each hinting at hidden stories the reader is invited to imagine. Her books — over forty illustrated, several authored — are published across Finland and Sweden, and translated into more than a dozen languages, including Arabic, German, Russian, and Turkish. 

Cai Gao: Her style is richly versatile: blending Western textures, Chinese folk art’s vigor, and classical painting’s elegance.

Gundega Muzikante: Over more than thirty years, she has illustrated over seventy children’s books, her distinctive visual language also appearing in animated features such as Cuckoo and Her 12 Husbands and on commemorative Latvian collector coins. Her illustrations are celebrated for their warmth, humor, and meticulous detail — inviting readers to return again and again, discovering new layers with each look. She was twice nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2020, 2025), and is a nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2018 and 2026.

Walid Taher: His books encourage empathy, self-awareness, and imagination — values he sees as essential to raising thoughtful readers. Taher has illustrated over ninety children’s books, more than thirty of which he authored himself. His work has been translated into multiple languages and recognized with honors including the Kaheel Lifetime Achievement Award. 

María Wernicke: Since 1981, she has worked independently as a graphic designer, and in 1994, she published her first illustrated book. Over the following decades, she has illustrated dozens of titles published across Argentina, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. in 2006, her debut as author-illustrator, One and Another, won the Outstanding Book Award for Best Picture Book from Argentina’s ALIJA and represented the country at the 2007 Biennial of Illustration Bratislava. In 2012, it was named one of Argentina’s ten best picture books and included in IFLA’s global project “The World through Picture Books.”

USBBY Outstanding International Books 2026

 

Our list is for the curious: readers who are open to going on exciting journeys through the pages of a book, educators and librarians who want to introduce young people to the world’s riches, and parents who are consciously striving to make sure their children grow up with the benefits of a global perspective.

It is always exciting to see this list each year. I look for the Australian titles of course but also I look to see if I have already read/seen any of their choices and then I compile a list of books I want to see.

I was so excited to see this Australian title on this prestigious list. I really thought Afloat would be the 2025 CBCA Picture Book of the Year - it was an Honour title

The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) announces its 2026 Outstanding International Books list, featuring 41 exceptional titles for children and young adults published in 2025 and originating from 24 countries. Since 2006, USBBY’s annual lists have introduced young readers in the U.S. to global perspectives, outstanding international creators, and stories that foster empathy, bridge cultures, and build connections. Together, these books show young people around the world seeking connection and belonging—through family, friendship, self-discovery, and engagement with their communities. Spanning diverse cultures and experiences, the stories highlight empathy, resilience, imagination, and the courage to grow. This year’s selections reflect universal themes such as identity, hope, intergenerational bonds, friendship, play, curiosity, migration, nature, and cultural heritage, showcasing the richness of international children’s literature. 

You can see past lists here. Read more details about some of the titles here.

Selection criteria include:

• Books that represent the best of children’s literature from other countries 
• Books that introduce readers in the United States to outstanding authors and illustrators from other countries 
• Books that help children in the United States see the world from other points of view 
• Books that provide a perspective or address a topic otherwise missing from children’s literature in the United States 
• Books that exhibit a distinct cultural flavor 
• Books that are accessible to readers in the United States ​

Criteria for content and presentation include:

• Artistic and literary merit 
• Originality or creativity of approach 
• Distinctiveness of topic 
• Uniqueness of origin 
• Qualities that engage and appeal to children 

​Not every book will meet every individual criterion.

Grades PreK-2 

● Andruetto, María Teresa. Clara and the Man with Books in His Window. tr. from Spanish by Elisa 

Amado. illus. by Martina Trach. Aldana Libros/Greystone Kids. (Argentina) NOTE in my blog post I talked about reading this book to senior students Grade 6 and also in a High School

● Arai, Ryōji. The Snow Theater. tr. from Japanese by David Boyd. Enchanted Lion.  (Japan) 

● Atinuke. M Is for Mango. illus. by Angela Brooksbank. Candlewick Press. (UK/Nigeria) 

● Auh, Dayeon. The Three-Year Tumble. tr. from German by Tim Mohr. NorthSouth Books. (Switzerland/South Korea) 

● Brandelius, Uje. The Playdate. tr. from Swedish by Nichola Smalley. illus. by Clara Dackenberg. 

Lantana. (Sweden) 

● Flett, Julie. My Friend May. Greystone Kids. (Canada) 

● Guarda, María J. Paloma Flies Away. tr. from Spanish by Melanie Córdova. Candlewick Press. (Chile) 

● Kim, Hye-Eun. Pencil. TOON Books/Astra Books for Young Readers. (South Korea) 

● Kim, Jihyun. Blue Sky Morning. tr. from Korean by Polly Lawson. Floris Books. (South Korea) 

● Lam, Thao. Everybelly. Groundwood/House of Anansi. (Canada) 

● Liu, Hao. Wrestlers of the Grasslands. tr. from Chinese by Clavis Publishing. Clavis  (China) 

● López, Azul. Croco. tr. from Spanish by Kit Maude. Tapioca Stories. (Mexico) 

● Ohnari, Yuko. Downpour: Splish! Splash! Ker-Splash! tr. from Japanese by Emily Balistrieri. illus. by 

Koshiro Hata. Red Comet Press. (Japan) 

● Perella, Eugenia. My Home Is In My Backpack. tr. from Spanish by Sally Polson. illus. by Angela 

Salerno. Floris Books. (Chile) 

● Saunders, Kirli. Afloat. illus. by Freya Blackwood. Levine Querido. (Australia) 

● Schuff, Nicolás. How to Reach the Moon. tr. from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel. illus. by Ana Sender. Amazon Crossing Kids. (Argentina) 

● Tallec, Olivier. Is It Asleep? tr. from French by Antony Shugaar. Gecko Press. (France) 

● Xiong, Liang. Take a Walk with the Wind. tr. from Chinese by Chloe Garcia Roberts. Elsewhere Editions. (China) 

● Xu Bin. Picking Tea with Baba. tr. from Chinese by Shan Chen. illus. by Yu Yin. Charlesbridge. 

(China) 

Grade 3-5 

● Dautremer, Rébecca. The Ordinary Life of Jacominus Gainsborough. tr. from French by 

Charis Ainslie. illus. by author. Post Wave. (France) 

● Djupvik, Laura. My Brother. tr. from Norwegian by Martin Aitken. illus. by Øyvind Torseter. 

Elsewhere Editions. (Norway) 

● Fadeeva, Olga. Sound: Discovering the Vibrations We Hear. tr. from Russian by Lena Traer. illus. by 

author. Eerdmans. (Russia) 

● Kashiwaba, Sachiko. The Village Beyond the Mist. tr. from Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa. 

illus. by Miho Satake. Yonder/Restless Books. (Japan) 

● Krishnaswami, Uma. The Sunshine Project. illus. by Julianna Swaney. Groundwood/House of Anansi. 

(Canada/India) 

● McQuoid, Judith. Giant. Little Island. (Ireland/UK) 

● Muñoz Toro, Juliana. Journey of the Humpbacks. tr. from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel. illus. by 

Dipacho. Eerdmans. (Colombia) 

● Naïr, Karthika. Electric Birds of Pothakudi. illus. by Joëlle Jolivet. Abrams. (France/India) 

Grades 6-8  

● Åstot, Moa Backe. Butterfly Heart. tr. from Swedish by Agnes Broomé. Levine Querido. (Sweden) 

● Bjerkeland, Ingvild. Beasts. tr. from Norwegian by Rosie Hedger. Levine Querido. (Norway) 

● Dzotap, Alain Serge. Adi of Boutanga: A Story from Cameroon. tr. from French by author. illus. by 

Marc Daniau. Eerdmans. (France/Cameroon) 

● Go, Jung-soon. Okchundang Candy. tr. from Korean by Aerin Park. illus. by author. Levine Querido. 

(South Korea) 

● Lessore, Nathanael. Dropping Beats. Little, Brown. (UK) 

● Mansour, Vivian. Pilgrim Codex. tr. from Spanish by Carlos Rodríguez Cortez. illus. by Emmanuel 

Valtierra. Levine Querido. (Mexico) 

● Marsol, Manuel. Astro. tr. from Spanish by Lizzie Davis. illus. by author. Transit Books. (Spain) 

● Rundberg, Johan. Biggest Fake in the Universe. tr. from Swedish by Eva Apelqvist. Amazon Crossing 

Kids. (Sweden) 

● Said, SF. Tyger. illus. by Dave McKean. Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House. (UK)

View the High School list here. We also have a title on this list: The Hidden Girl by Louise Bassett (Walker Books)

Past posts about the outstanding lists - 2022; 2023; 2025.

100 Outstanding Picture Books 2025 Bologna Children's Book fair

 

Nearly all of the books on this list are not yet translated into English and many most probably will not make our Australian market but I found all the different covers, titles and subjects fascinating and in some cases these were books I wish I could read right now! Visitors at the recent Bologna Children's Book Fair are sure to have seen many of these books. Here is the link to the list of 100.  I have put a few examples below. I stumbled across this list because Britta Teckentrup posted photos from Bologna where she was proudly showing her book written by the Hans Christian Andersen award winning author Cao Wenxuan from China. 

Skimming through the100 Outstanding Picture Books page (luckily the titles are presented in English) you will see some BIG names - Julie Flett; Eva Lindstrom; Armin Greder; and Serge Bloch. Do you see any other names you recognise?

Here are four of the books that I hope I can see some time in the future. I asked Britta Teckentrup (on Instagram) about this book and she said the rights were being negotiated. The world of book rights in a mystery to me.

The Little Cicada and the Old Ox (China)

by Cao Wenxuan and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup

Publisher blurb (German site): When a cicada saves the life of an old, stubborn ox, a lifelong friendship takes its beginning, as from that day on, the two are inseparable. Often, the cicada rests on an apple tree but even more often, it lands on one of the horns of the old ox or on his back and accompanies him to the meadow on the bank of the river. They spend all of their time together until the cicada has to leave this world … The old ox promises to watch over the cicada’s children. After the larva’s have gone underground (like cicadas are known to do), the old ox stands guard by the apple tree, day and night, year after year. And one night, the little cicadas finally emerge from the earth and climb up the apple tree, one by one. The old ox watches them and marvels and can’t get enough of them. But at some point, his eyes close. Perhaps he has fallen asleep. Or maybe he is already on his way to heaven, looking for his little cicada …

For a Thousand Blouses a Day (Italy)

Text: Serena Ballista

Illustrations: Sonia Maria Luce Possentini

The jury said: Deeply emotional and personal historical account of New York’s worst ever industrial accident. Evocative storytelling using the garment as a narrative voice to guide the reader through themes of migration, workers’ rights, the oppression of women and the exploitation of human capital. The highly emotive cover image, combined with a poignant title draws the reader in, the artwork combines witness statements, archive references and exploits a graphic novel/picture book format. The expressive, black and white imagery articulates the tragic and painful subject matter, evolving into a beautiful dedication to our heroine Rose.

Nobody but Me (Sweden)

Text and illustrations: Sara Lundberg

The jury said: Lyrical, magical, fantastical, dreamlike and at the same time intimate, symbolic, sentimental and universal, this book bewitched the judges. Thick with tributes to the greats of literature and art, from Matisse to Sendak, from the painting of Rousseau to contemporary illustration, Sara Lundberg’s book combines a perfect use of different compositional registers with a rich and varied page layout. The images describe an imaginative and poignant educational journey that crosses realistic and imaginary places and landscapes, encountering dangers as well as magical helpers. Floating on the surface of the river, condensing a great adventure into a short space of time, expanding the space of their own autonomy through adventure, the central character and the author invite us to witness the magic of a perfect childhood novel.

The Walk of the Field Mouse

by Nadine Robert illustrated by Valerio Vidali

Bookseller blurb: One morning, out for one of its usual walks, a field mouse discovers something rather unusual: a mysterious blue object sitting at the foot of a big rock. As a group of animals gather to carefully inspect the object, they realize that a robin's egg has rolled down from its nest all the way at the top. Wondering who will roll it back up, the field mouse quickly volunteers, only to be met with laughter and mockery from its fellow animals. The field mouse, spurred on by a determination to prove them wrong, musters all of its strength to take on the Sisyphean task-but will it succeed?

Here is the Kirkus Star review.

USBBY Outstanding International Books 2025

 

The annual Outstanding International Books list highlights exceptional books 

for children and young adults 

published or distributed in the United States that originated or 

were first published in a country other than the U.S. 

This year’s list includes 40 titles originating from 23 different countries that represent the best of 

children’s literature from around the world. USBBY’s goal is that these titles will help young 

people in the U.S. to see the world from diverse perspectives, introduce readers in the U.S. to 

outstanding artists and writers from other countries, help counteract stereotypes, bridge cultural 

gaps, build connections, and engage and prove accessible to young readers in the U.S.

Selection criteria include:

Books that represent the best of children’s literature from other countries 

Books that introduce readers in the United States to outstanding authors and illustrators from other countries 

Books that help children in the United States see the world from other points of view 

Books that provide a perspective or address a topic otherwise missing from children’s literature in the United States 

Books that exhibit a distinct cultural flavor 

Books that are accessible to readers in the United States 

​

Criteria for content and presentation include:

Artistic and literary merit 

Originality or creativity of approach 

Distinctiveness of topic 

Uniqueness of origin 

Qualities that engage and appeal to children 

We have one Australian book on the list this year but in the US it has a different title. Here is my blog post about The Letterbox Tree:

The Kirkus review said: This genre-blending book will appeal to many, including readers who love grappling with real-world problems, those who appreciate speculative fiction, and anyone seeking a thoughtful, character-driven coming-of-age story. ... A vividly rendered, evocative story about the power of connection and maintaining hope through despair.

If you want to share this with a group USBBY have created a PowerPoint. You can see all the titles here. 

The Bridge to Understanding Award formally acknowledges the work of adults who create programs that use children's books to explore cultures around the world in order to 

promote international understanding among children.

Here is my post about the list from 2023 which links to my earlier post about the 2022 list. You can see the 2024 list here. Sadly there were no Australian titles listed for 2024 but I did spy this fabulous book:

The Bear and the Wildcat

IBBY Honour List 2024

See the full list of titles here

The 2024 Honour List includes 184 nominations in 52 different languages from 59 countries. Selected for the 2024 list are 68 entries in the category of Writing; 55 in the category Illustration; and 61 in the category Translation.  Our Australian titles included in this prestigious list for 2024 are:

Tiger Daughter

My Strange Shrinking Parents

Here are some other titles from English speaking countries:

Canada (English) Kim Spencer Weird Rules to Follow. Here is the Kirkus Star review.

 United States of America (English) Lisa Yee Maizy Chen’s Last Chance

Maizy Chen's last chance

Canada Qin Leng Trèfle  (English title Clover) Here is the Kirkus review and the one from Quill and Quire

United Kingdom Lydia Monks Adoette

Adoette

United States of America Gordon C. James I Am Every Good Thing

Other titles in English (many for Young Adult readers) are:

New Zealand Donovan Bixley A Portrait of Leonardo: The Life and Times of Leonardo da Vinci

United Kingdom (English) Joseph Coelho The Boy Lost in the Maze

New Zealand (English) Philippa Werry Iris and Me

Anne Frank Pen and Inklings

Cover art by Geertje Aalders. She is an acclaimed Dutch artist who uses a cut-paper technique. 

She lives in Kampen, Netherlands.

Forty-six illustrators have contributed to this project a collaboration with illustrators around the world, to make pictures to accompany some of the funny, thoughtful, curious stories from the extraordinary mind of Anne Frank.  Anne Frank would have been 95 on June 12th. As a homage to her authorship a unique, special edition of her short stories is released, her ‘Pen-and-Inklings’ as she called them. This publication is accompanied by a new exhibition at the Anne Frank House. Anne regretted the fact that she couldn’t draw, but for this book 46 illustrators from around the world took on that task and created beautiful illustrations for each story. The Dutch edition of Pen-and-Inklings: Stories and events from the Back House is available in all Dutch bookstores and in the museum shop at the Anne Frank House. The English and German editions are only available in the museum shop. Source Sophie Blackall Instagram

Read one of the stories here. 

Here are some of the big names who have their work featured in this book. I have explored books by many of these illustrators on this blog. Limited edition pieces of their art are available to buy in the shop at Anne Frank's House. 

• Sophie Blackall
• Emily Sutton
• Felicita Sala
• Julie Morstad
• LeUyen Pham
• Dieter and Ingrid Schubert
• Emily Hughes
• Britta Teckentrup
• JooHee Yoon
• Axel Scheffler
• Oliver Jeffers
• Chuck Groenink
• Barroux
• Hadley Hooper
• Jan Jutte

See more of these art pieces here. 

Here is the post by Emily Sutton

I need to find someone going to Anne Frank's house so I can see/own a copy of this fabulous book.

Blurb: Anne Frank is best known for the diary she kept in the Secret Annex. What many people don't know is that Anne also wrote short stories. She calls them 'my pen children' in her diary. The stories range from events in the Secret Annex to fairy tales about fairies and gnomes and memories of her school days. Anne even starts working on a novel, in which she incorporates her father's life story. Anne regretted not being able to draw. More than forty top illustrators from all over the world have taken on this task. Moreover, they give us a glimpse into their world and show us that creativity and inspiration can turn into setbacks and obstacles. Like Anne, they continue to believe in a better and peaceful world. This unique edition is a tribute to the talented writer Anne Frank. ISBN [9789047634362]

The book is introduced by Malala Yousafzai and contains a short biography of all the illustrators and a text in which they talk about their relationship to the work of Anne Frank and their own experiences with creativity, adversity, peace and war. This special edition of Anne's 'Pennekinderen' not only provides a new perspective on Anne Frank's diverse work, but also on the connecting power of creativity and inclusivity. The common thread running through Anne Frank's stories and the illustrators' contributions is a call for tolerance, understanding and connection. Moreover, they give us a glimpse into their world and show us how they approach setbacks and obstacles with creativity and inspiration. Like Anne, they hope for a better and peaceful world. Stretto

The Empathy Lab award winners

 

Okay everyone listen up - this is one of the BEST resources you will EVER find as a source wonderful books for your library. There are lists from 2017 up to 2024 so no excuses for not identifying really amazing books you should/can/must add to your school library.  

Why read for empathy?

• The world needs more empathy: to help us all understand and connect to each other better. 
• New approaches are badly needed, with the recent rise in hate crimes. 

Without empathy children won’t thrive: 

• psychologists say it is an essential life skill. 
• you can use stories to build this skill: as you read with your child, you can build their emotional skills at the same time, because scientific evidence shows that reading builds real-life empathy. 
• and as you read you can help with identifying with book characters, children learn to see things from other points of view.

EmpathyLab’s work is based on scientific research showing that empathy is learnable, and that books help to build it: identifying with fictional characters’ feelings helps build real-life empathy.

These book lists are compiled in the UK but they contain books from all around the world including some from Australia! Under each of these brochure banners you will find a link to the pdf and the full list of annotated titles - picture books and novels and I have also added links to some of the books I have featured on this blog. After exploring all of these rich lists my own reading list has grown exponentially. Huge thanks to my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything and her wonderful library which is how I discovered this resource. As a Teacher-Librarian she has filled a display box with titles from these lists and she has added the Empathy Lab logo to the front cover of each book. Staff can also search her library catalogue for titles selected for these lists. 

2017 list

Mirror

Welcome

One dog and his boy

The Goldfish boy

The unforgotten coat

The Journey (The picture book makers)

2018 list

Leo: A ghost story

My name is not refugee

The No. 1 car spotter

The wild robot

Ballerina Dreams

El Deafo

The Island at the end of Everything

Charlie and me

The song from Somewhere else

2019 list

Elmer

Joy

How to be a lion

A great big cuddle

The Tale of Angelino Brown

Beyond the bright sea

The boy at the back of the class

The white fox

The fox girl and the white gazelle

2020 list

The Rabbit listened

It's a no money day

No longer alone

Pie in the sky

The last human

Two sides

Planet Omar

No ballet shoes in Syria

Captain Rosalie

2021 list

The Suitcase

Ride the wind

Too Small Tola

The Faraway truth

Talking to the Moon

The star outside my window

2022 list

Last: The story of a white rhino

The invisible

My beautiful voice

Front desk

Danny Chung does not do maths

The girl who stole an elephant

The last bear

2023 list

What if, Pig?

The River

I am the subway

Sidney makes a wish

2024 list

Here are the 2024 titles for ages 3-11: 

Understanding & sharing emotions

• Be More Dog Caroline Crowe & Carlos Velez Floris Books
• Beneath Cori Doerrfeld Scallywag Press
• Blue Sarah Christou Faber
• Geoffrey Gets the Jitters Nadia Shireen Puffin
• I Will Swim Next Time Emily Joof & Matilda Ruta Floris Books
• The Spaces In Between Jaspreet Kaur, illustrated by Manjit Thapp Big Picture Press
• Victor, the Wolf with Worries Catherine Rayner Macmillan
• When I Feel Surprised Illustrator Paula Bowles Child’s Play

Picture Books

• Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf Craig Barr-Green, illustrated by Francis Martin Little Tiger
• Grandpa and the Kingfisher Anna Wilson, illustrated by Sarah Massini Nosy Crow
• I Am Nefertiti Annemarie Anang Natelle Quek Five Quills
• My Baba’s Garden Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith Walker
• Nour’s Secret Library Wafa’ Tarnowska Vali Mintzi Barefoot
• To the Other Side Erika Meza Hodder

Early Readers

• Bear and Bird –The Picnic and Other Stories Jarvis Walker
• Budgie Joseph Coelho Barrington Stoke
• Dimple and the Boo Pip Jones, illustrated by Paula Bowles Barrington Stoke
• The Girl Who Became a Fish Polly Ho Yen Illustrator Sojung Kim-McCarthy

Novels

• City of Stolen Magic Nazeen Ahmed Pathak Puffin
• Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star Laura Noakes Flavia Sorrentino HarperCollins
• Fablehouse E.L. Norry Bloomsbury
• Finding Bear Hannah Gold HarperCollins
• Glitter Boy Ian Eagleton Scholastic
• How to Be More Hedgehog Anne-Marie Conway, illustrated by Raahat Kaduji UCLan
• Jamie L.D. Lapinski Orion
• Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer Jeffrey Boakye Faber
• My Life on Fire Cath Howe Nosy Crow
• The Mystery of the Missing Mum Frances Moloney Pushkin Press 
• Until the Road Ends Phil Earle Andersen Press
• Where the River Takes Us Lesley Parr Bloomsbury

Verse Novels

• The Final Year Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton Otter-Barry
• The Way of Dog Zana Fraillon Chicken House

Poetry

• My Heart is a Poem Various Little Tiger
• What You Need to Be Warm Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Various Bloomsbury

Graphic Novels

• Finding My Voice Aoife Dooley Scholastic
• It’s Her Story: Irena Sendler Margaret Littman, illustrated by Sara Luna Sunbird

Non-fiction

• A Child Like You Na’ima B. Robert, illustrated by Nadine Kaadan Otter-Barry
• All Bodies are Wonderful Beth Cox, illustrated by Vicky Barker
• Lift-the-flap Questions and Answers about Refugees Katie Dayne & Ashe de Sousa, illustrated by Oksana Drachkovska Usborne
• Our Story Starts in Africa Patrice Lawrence, Magic Cat

There are also lists of books for High School libraries from 2017-2024 - if this is your context please take time to explore the fabulous titles.