English - IFLA

By Annie Everall OBE
annie@alannie.demon.co.uk
Introduction
The Programme
the world through picture books • foreword and introduction • 7
the
world
through
picture
books
Children’s Librarians all over the world understand how important picture books in both
traditional and digital formats are for children: for their development, their cultural identity,
as a springboard into learning to read for themselves; for their visual skills, and because of the
closeness of sharing them with an adult. It is then very important to promote picture books
and to ensure access to them. The idea behind the World Through Picture Books is to create
a list of picture books from around the world that have been recommended by librarians,
as a tool for building bridges and developing understanding between countries. The project
is led by IFLA Children’s and Young Adults section with support from partners IFLA Literacy
and Reading section and IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People).
Aims of the programme
To create lists of picture books from around the world that have been recommended
by librarians and which can then be used:
– As a way of celebrating and promoting the languages, cultures and quality of children’s
publishing around the world
– By countries wishing to purchase books from other countries and looking for ‘favourite’ titles
– By Sister Libraries as a way of exploring the children’s literature of their ‘Sister Library’ country
Criteria for inclusion in the list
Each country is asked to submit ten picture book titles:
– Suitable for children aged between 0 – 11
– Books that are ‘favourites’, that have lasted or will last the test of time, and are seen
as classics, representing the best in picture books from that country
– Must have been published by the country submitting them
– Are available in the original language
– Are of a good quality and a high standard of publishing
– Have text and illustrations that work very well together
– Reflect a positive message
– Are excellent for reading aloud and sharing with children
– Are in print and therefore still available for purchase
Information required for each title
Each country is asked to provide the following information for each of the titles included
in their list:
– Name of the author
– Name of the illustrator
– Title of the book in the original language and its meaning in English
– Date of publication
– ISBN
– A colour image of the front cover
– A brief review of the book (in English and in the original language of the book)