The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) has announced its 2026 Honour List, which includes Ukrainian author Dara Korniy, illustrator Oleksandr Shatokhin and translator Bozhena Antonyak, reports Chytomo, citing the IBBY Honour List 2026 catalogue.
In total, the 2026 list comprises 191 nominations in 52 languages from 59 countries. IBBY notes that this is the largest list in the project’s 70-year history.
In the Authors category, Dara Korniy was included on the list for her book Why the Fern Blooms, illustrated by Nataliya Shmorgun. The book was published by Ranok.
The synopsis describes it as a fantasy story about Petrus Lelechenko, who lives with his mother and aunt on the outskirts of a village and dreams of his father’s return. One day, he meets a house spirit who opens the door to the magical world of Ukrainian folklore.
In the Illustrators category, Ukraine is represented by Oleksandr Shatokhin with the book Narwhals Don’t Cry. The text was written by Oleksandr Podolyak, and the book was published by Krokus.
The book tells the story of a young narwhal who learns to overcome his fear of being different and of being called “little”. With his mother’s support, he discovers new worlds, meets various animals and gradually gains confidence in himself.
In the Translators category, Bozhena Antonyak was included on the list for her translation of Name Day by the Polish author Joanna Jagiello. The book was published by Urbino.
IBBY describes the book as a story about the fragile world of adolescence, where friendship and loneliness intertwine. Through the experiences of schoolchildren affected by exclusion, the text explores the universal need to be heard and understood.
At the same time, the 2026 IBBY Honour List also includes nominees from Russia. In the Illustrators category, Russia is represented by Alexei Dmitriev with The Little Humpbacked Horse, based on a text by Pyotr Yershov and published in Moscow. In the Translators category, Mikhail Wiesel was included on the list for his translation of a book about Federico Fellini, also published in Moscow. The list additionally features Nelly the Snail and Her Journey, written in Russian and the Komi language.
IBBY was founded in 1953 as a non-profit organisation in Switzerland with the aim of promoting children’s literature. It comprises more than 70 national sections worldwide. The organisation holds official status with UNESCO and UNICEF, and contributed to the development of the principles underpinning the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which entered into force under the auspices of the United Nations in 1990.