Writing: The Boy Lost in the Maze, written by Joseph Coelho (Otter-Barry Books, 2022)

A spellbinding novel told in verse, blending the ancient myth of the Minotaur with the quest of a modern-day teenage boy to find his biological father. Joseph Coelho brilliantly blends Greek myth with a 21st century quest. In Ancient Greece, Theseus makes a dangerous and courageous journey to find his father, finally meeting the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. While Theo, a modern-day teenage boy in London, finds himself on a maze-like quest to find his own father. Each story tells of a boy becoming a man and discovering what true manhood really means. The path to self-discovery takes Theo through ‘those thin spaces where myth, magic and reality combine’. Doubts, difficulties and dangers must be faced as Theo discovers the man he will become. Every word is carefully wrought in these astonishing narrative poems which reward reading, re-reading and reflection.

Illustration: Adoette, written and illustrated by Lydia Monks (Andersen Press, 2023)

Changes in a city street over a period of a hundred years are envisioned as though seen by a tree that has been growing there all that time. Adoette – a French word for a big tree – sees families grow and people come and go in a microcosm of social and political history depicted in telling details. A woman walks holding a suffragette flag, people and pets are rescued from a ruined house during World War 2, a Black couple arrive in the street and are watched with suspicion by a group of white youths. A time comes when Adoette’s presence is considered to a problem and plans are hatched to chop her down. The local community gathers together in protest but what will be the result? The setting is specifically British and the book was inspired by a real situation in the city where the author/illustrator lives. However, this picture book has a wider resonance, drawing on environmental concerns, especially consideration of the importance of trees, and demonstrating the power of people and community.

Translation:  Me and the Robbersons, translated from Finnish by Ruth Urbom, written by Siri Kolu (Stripes Publishing, 2021)

‘I was stolen the first week in June …’ – Maisie on the way to what promises to be the worst family day out ever, is suddenly snatched from the car and finds herself travelling into an amazing summer of heists, mayhem, friendship – and sweets! She has been taken by the Robbersons – yes, a family of highway bandits who travel the summer roads on their way back to the great Summer Shindig. Maisie has to work out how to get back home. It is a journey that is full of surprises and self-discovery. There is plenty of action – and lessons to be learned. Maisie, and the reader, emerge from their eventful summer with an appreciation of consequences – and a real enjoyment of life.

IBBY UK members and publishers put forward a wide range of exciting books for consideration. The selection process included a number of very animated zoom discussions and the nominations panel was impressed with the high quality. It was particularly impressive to have such a wide range of translated titles to consider, the
first time that this has been the case. The books will become part of the 2024 collection alongside works from more than seventy member countries. These will be introduced at the IBBY Congress to be held in Trieste, Italy, in August 2024 when diplomas will be presented to the nominated authors, illustrators and translators. A catalogue of the collection will also be produced.
The IBBY Honour List is a biennial selection of outstanding, recently published books, honouring writers, illustrators and translators from IBBY member countries.

The IBBY Honour List, established in 1956, is one of the most widespread and effective ways of furthering IBBY's objective of encouraging international understanding through children’s literature. Seven parallel sets of the books circulate around the world at exhibitions during conferences and book fairs, including the Bologna Book Fair. Permanent collections of the IBBY Honour List books are kept at the International Youth Library in Munich, the Swiss Institute for Child and Youth Media in Zurich, the Bibiana Research Collection in Bratislava, at IBBY in Tokyo and Northwestern University Library at Evanston, Illinois.

Further information: from info@ibby.org.uk
Website: www.ibby.org.uk

Full details of the Honour List and pdf copies of previous catalogues http://www.ibby.org/awards-activities/awards/ibby-honour-list/?L=0