North York Central Library Blog

Every two years, the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) chooses outstanding books for and about children and young people with disabilities.

Image from ibby.org.

This biennial selection draws attention to books published around the world, in an extensive variety of languages and formats, that address special needs and situations and which encourage inclusion at every level.

For this outstanding selection, 169 books from 26 countries – including Lithuania, Cambodia, Iran and Denmark – were submitted. Of these books, 40 were chosen as outstanding works.

Books selected as 2019 outstanding titles are featured in a print catalogue that was officially launched at this year’s Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy on Monday, April 1st. The catalogue has been digitized and is available online.

Outstanding titles become part of The IBBY Collection of Books for Young People with Disabilities, a one-of-a-kind resource. Consisting of 4,000 multilingual books, the IBBY Collection is located at North York Central Library in Canada, part of the Toronto Public Library.

The 2019 IBBY Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities

Here is the list of works in the 2019 IBBY Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities.

• Papu e Filo (Papu and Filo) written and illustrated by Roberta Bridda. Fed. Nazionale delle Instituzioni pro-Ciechi onlus.
• Allra bästa kompisen (My Very Best Friend) by Helena Bross. Illustrated by Christel Rönns. Bonnier Carlsen.
• Sparnuotosios raidės: Pasakos reginčiųjų ir Brailio raštu (Winged Letters: Fairy Tales in Letters and Braille) by Leonardo Da Vinci; Gail McDowell (Italian transl.); Rasa Kliostoraityte (Lithuanian transl.); Egle Jokuzyte (Project Creator) Illustrated by Vilmas Nerecionis. Verslas ar Menas.
• Il diario di Anna Frank (The Diary of Anne Frank) original text by Anne Frank; adapted text by Coop. Accaparlante and Assoc. Arca -Comunità L’Arcobaleno onlus. La meridiana.

• Die Bunte Bande: Das gestohlene Fahrrad (The Variety Gang: The Stolen Bicycle) by Corinna Fuchs. Illustrated by Uli Velte and Igor Dolinger. Carlsen Verlag GmbH.
• Contro corrente (Upstream) by Alice Keller. Illustrated by Veronica Truttero. Sinnos Soc. Coop.
• Giyahan (Plants) by Samaneh Naderi. Samaneh Naderi.
• Quatre petits coins de rien du tout (Four Little Corners of Nothing at All) written and illustrated by Jérôme Ruillier. Les Doigts Qui Rêvent.
• Mogumogu pakkun (Open Your Mouth and Chew!) created by Tenohira no Kai (Cloth Book Group). Tenohira no Kai.
• El amor es demasiado complicado (Love is too complicated) written and illustrated by Andrés Guerrero. Loqueleo.
• Natsu ga kita (Summer Has Come) written and illustrated by Toshikado Hajiri. Asunaro Shobo.
• Inner Peace written and illustrated by Pupils of Glenveagh School. Glenveagh School Publishing.
• Kono aida ni nani ga atta? (What Happened?) written and photographed by Masahiko Sato + EUPHRATES. Fukuinkan Shoten.
• Gronouyot by Stéphane Servant. Illustrated by Simone Rea. Didier jeunesse.
• Klä på Herr H (Dress up Mr. H) written and illustrated by Emma Virke. Lilla Piratförlaget.

• Professione coccodrillo (Professional Crocodile) by Giovanna Zoboli. Illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio. Topipittori.
• Boulbol laysa kakol albalabel (A Bird Like No Other: A Special Skylark) by Najwa Al Diraawi. Illustrated by Lina Naddaf. Dar Al-Hadaek Group.
• Ridere come gli uomini (Laugh like Men) by Fabrizio Altieri. Edizioni Piemme S.p.A
• Proud to be Deaf: Discover My Community and My Language by Ava, Lilli and Nick Beese. Illustrated by Romina Martí. Photographed by James Jordan. Wayland, an imprint of Hachette Children’s Group.
• Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille by Jen Bryant. Illustrated by Boris Kulikov. Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
• Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability by Shane Burcaw. Photographed by Matt Carr. Roaring Brook Press.
• Golos (Voice) by Dar’ya Docuk. Samokat.
• On the Spectrum by Jennifer Gold. Second Story Press.
• Mríaa, Marai, María by Clara M. Granara. Illustrated by Ana Sanfelippo. Quipu.
• Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green. Pajama Press.

• Envole-moi (Fly Me) by Annelise Heurtier. Casterman.
• Laojie de Tonghua (The Fairy Tale in Hutong: My Beijing) by Nie Jun. Postwave; Beijing United Publishing.
• Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly. Greenwillow, imprint of Harper Collins.
• Barameul Gareuda (Cut the Air) by Hye-On Kim. Illustrated by Seul-Gi Shin. Samtoh.
• Paran Ai Ian (Ian, the Blue Boy) written and illustrated by So-Young Lee. Sigong Junior.
• Anomalia (Anomaly) by Dorte Lilmose. Gyldendal.
• Riki ta Dorogy (Riki and Ways) by Mark Livin. Illustrated by Yevhen Velychev. Vivat.
• The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas. Pan Macmillan.
• Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen. Andersen Press Ltd.
• El basal del rei Olaf (The Puddle of Olaf) by Mar Pavón. Illustrated by Maria Girón. Tramuntana Editorial.
• Thukpa for All by Praba Ram and Sheela Preuitt. Illustrated by Shilpa Ranade. Karadi Tales Company Pvt. Ltd.

• Caterpillars Can’t Swim by Liane Shaw. Second Story Press.
• Mulgheta. Ein Tag im Leben eines blinden Fußballspielers written and illustrated by Patricia Thoma. Jacoby & Stuart.
• Ce n’est pas toi que j’attendais (It Wasn’t You I Was Expecting) written and illustrated by Fabien Toulmé. Delcourt.
• Leaksmee min ach rot ning lot ban tae… (Leaksmee cannot run and jump, yet…) by Judit van Geystelen. Illustrated by Ung Nina. Sipar.