When exploring new Spanish-language books to read with my child, one of the places I love to look for inspiration is the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) biennial Honour List. The Honour List recognizes the top children’s books from authors, illustrators, and translators from IBBY member countries. According to IBBY,
“The selection provides insight into the diverse cultural, political and social settings in which children live and grow.”
Although nowadays there are more books published in Spanish in the U.S. market than there have been in the past, looking to other countries opens up a world of stories and perspectives that we might not otherwise ever read. These books reflect the diversity of the Spanish language and Spanish-speaking countries around the world. And, of course, they give us an opportunity to peek into a culture outside of our own.
This year, IBBY honored 184 authors, illustrators, and translators from around the world. While I encourage you to check out the full list of winners for 2024, I’ve listed all the Spanish-language honorees below for those of you who are interested in books in Spanish specifically. Unfortunately tracking down copies of a particular title can be difficult if you are not based in a country where the book has been published or is distributed. However, I still like to have these authors, illustrators, and books on my radar in case they get picked up by a North American publisher, or in case I can find a read-aloud on YouTube or a book podcast.
Spanish-language books and creators honored by IBBY
| Title | Author/Illustrator/Translator Honored | Country |
|---|---|---|
| El alumno nuevo | Cristian Turdera (Illustrator) | Argentina |
| Pájaro de invierno. Poemas | Laura Wittner (Translator) | Argentina |
| La hoguera | Gigliola Zecchin (Author) | Argentina |
| Café Conejo Hortensia Ausencia | Camila Bunster Danklefsen (Translator) | Chile |
| Paloma voló | María J. Guarda (Illustrator) | Chile |
| Un nuevo barrio | Josefina Hepp (Author) | Chile |
| Hay recuerdos que llegan volando | Julián Ariza (Illustrator) | Colombia |
| Y fue entonces | Helena Iriarte (Author) | Colombia |
| Una idea toda azul | Yolanda Reyes (Translator) | Colombia |
| La pesca del viejo señor Manzanillo | Braulio Barquero Mora (Author) | Costa Rica |
| ¿Será este un libro triste? | Álvaro Borrasé (Illustrator) | Costa Rica |
| Hogar | Sozapato (Author/Illustrator) | Ecuador |
| Canto Libre en la floresta/Free Song in the Jungle | Eduardo Castillo Vargas and Corina Salvatierra Bottger (Translators) | Perú |
| Cholito y la serpiente cósmica | Óscar Colchado Lucio (Author) | Perú |
| Sopa | Fátima Ordinola (Illustrator) | Perú |
| La increíble historia de… El monstruo supercabezón | Rita Da Costa (Translators) | Spain |
| Música entre las ramas | Ricardo Gómez (Author) | Spain |
| El berrinche de Moctezuma | Nuria Gómez Benet (Author) | Venezuela |
| El árbol de la vida. Un libro sobre la vida de Charles Darwin, naturalista, geologo y pensador | Carmen Diana Dearden (Translator) | Venezuela |
| La Caperucita criolla | Ana Palmero Cáceres and Stefano Di Cristofaro (Illustrators) | Venezuela |
Last updated August 13, 2024