2023 IBBY Selection of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities
Category 1 - Accessible Books
Books using different systems and designs can help make reading accessible for everyone. These may include braille, sign language, large print, non-verbal communication systems or tactile formats. It can also include easy-to-read books with simplified age-appropriate concepts and shorter texts that are specifically written for young people with intellectual, developmental, neurodivergent or learning disabilities.
1 · Cronache del bambino anatra
(Chronicles of the baby duck)
Antinori, Sonia (text)
Italy: Edizioni Primavera, 2020
ISBN 978-88-8559-224-7
2 · Nicolás cociña sen lume
(Nicolás cooks without fire)
Asociación BATA (text); Suárez, Alicia (ill)
Spain: Kalandraka, 2020
ISBN 978-84-8464-470-5
3 · Monster im Dunkeln
(Monsters in the dark)
Bachmann, Karin (text)
Switzerland: da bux, 2019
ISBN 978-3-906876-08-5
4 · Les petits explorateurs tactiles au Muséum
(The little tactile explorers at the museum)
Baumann, Anne-Sophie and Natural History Museum of Toulouse (text and tactile elements)
France: Les Doigts Qui Rêvent, 2020
ISBN 978-2-36593-118-2
5 · Scritch scratch dip clapote !
(Scritch scratch dip splash!)
Crowther, Kitty (text); tactile adaptation LDQR staff (ill)
France: Les Doigts Qui Rêvent, 2021
ISBN 978-2-36593-130-4
6 · Watashi ga shogaisha ja nakunaru hi
(The day I’ll no longer be disabled: How to make a society where people paralyzed by disease can lead a normal life)
Ebihara, Hiromi (text); Shirai, Ken (ill)
Japan: Junposha, 2019
ISBN 978-4-8451-1589-1
7 · Ándate Cuco
(Go away, monster)
García, María Isabel (text); Véliz, Pablo (ill)
Chile: Recrea Libros, 2021
ISBN 978-956-9847-98-1
8 · Shigoto ni itte kimasu 1: Kukki zukuri no shigoto, Hiromi san no ichi-nichi
(I’m off to work 1: A day with Hiromi making cookies)
Kotonone (periodical); Editorial Team (text and ill)
Japan: Saitama Fukushikai, 2018
ISBN 978-4-86596-241-3
9 · Bermain di Taman Kota
(Playing in the city park)
Lizhardy, Rizka Azaria Usa (text); Jadmiko, Singgih Cahyo (ill)
Indonesia: Yayasan Semesta Rumah Kita, 2021
ISBN 978-623-7792-34-5
10 · Ringo dandan
(Apple, bit by bit)
Ogawa, Tadahiro (text and photos)
Japan: Asunaro Shobo, 2020
ISBN 978-4-7515-2961-4
11 · À fond les manettes
(Full throttle)
Scotto, Thomas (text); Rousseau, Félix (ill)
France: Benjamins Media, 2021
ISBN 978-2-37515-084-9
12 · Ashenaei Ghete-ye Gumshodeh ba Daayere-ye Bozourg
(The Missing Piece Meets the Big O)
Silverstein, Shel (text); Majidzade, Sima (trans.); Azadinamin, Sevda (creator)
Iran: Gol Aftab, 2021
No ISBN
from 20 · Adela y los calcetines desaparecidos
Category 2 - Portrayals of Disability
This section includes picture books, fiction, and nonfiction titles that depict people who are d/Deaf or have disabilities. These subjects do not include physical health issues, such as common childhood illnesses and injuries, unless they lead to chronic disability. Mental health issues such as OCD or schizophrenia may be included.
13 · Future Girl
Asphyxia (text and ill)
Australia: Allen & Unwin, 2020
ISBN 978-1-76029-437-3
14 · What Happened to You?
Catchpole, James (text); George, Karen (ill)
UK: Faber & Faber, Ltd., 2021
ISBN 978-0-571-35831-1
15 · Mi hermana no es rara
(My sister is not weird)
Chadwick, Cathy (text); Frank, Marianela (ill)
Chile: Ediciones RB, 2020
ISBN 978-956-8694-72-2
16 · Il était une fois la différence : les archéologues racontent le handicap
(Once upon a time, there was a difference: archaeologists tell the story of disability)
Delattre, Valérie (text); Bergier, Vincent (ill)
France: Actes Sud junior and Inrap (Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives) 2020
ISBN 978-2-330-14045-8
17 · JarrebBtikdar
(Try, you can)
Espanioly, Nabila (text); Qawariq, Abdullah (ill)
Israel: Altufula Center NNI, 2021
SBN 978-965-528-218-4
18 · Somos buenos amigos
(What good friends do)
Fondeur, Sarah Sibel and Fondeur, Maria Puig (text); Almodóvar, Taína (ill)
Dominican Republic: Book Corner & Club de Peques, 2020
ISBN 978-9945-09-530-2
19 · Living with Viola
Fung, Rosena (text and ill)
Canada: Annick, 2021
ISBN 978-1-77321-548-8
20 · Adela y los calcetines desaparecidos
(Adela and the missing socks)
Herrera, Florencia (text); Ojeda, Bernardita (ill)
Chile: Editorial Amanuta, 2018
ISBN 978-956-364-057-1
21 · The Amazing Edie Eckhart
Jones, Rosie (text); Smillie, Natalie (ill)
UK: Hodder & Stoughton, 2021
ISBN 978-1-444-95834-8
22 · V vrtincu črk
(In the vortex of letters)
Kermauner, Aksinja (text); Lubi, Maja (ill)
Slovenia: Morfemplus, 2022
ISBN 978-961-7067-87-3
23 · Isanghajido apeujido anh-eun ai
(A child who is neither strange nor sick)
Kim, Yewon (text); Jeong, Jinhui (ill)
Republic of Korea: Woori School Co., 2020
ISBN 979-11-90337-41-0
24 · The Disability Experience: Working Toward Belonging
Leavitt, Hannalora (text); Wuthrich, Belle (ill)
Canada: Orca Book Publishers, 2021
ISBN 978-1-4598-1928-3
25 · The Degenerates
Mann, J. Albert (text)
USA: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2020
ISBN 978-1-53441-936-0
26 · Mi Lazarilla, Mi Capitán
(My guide, my captain)
Moure, Gonzalo (text); Girón, Maria (ill)
Spain: Kalandraka Editora, 2020
ISBN 978-84-1343-031-7
27 · Oneul-eun dongaseu kalelaiseu
(Today’s meal is tonkatsu! Curry rice!)
Oh, Seungmin (text and ill)
Republic of Korea: Hanulim Publishing Co., Ltd., 2021
ISBN 978-89-93143-94-2
28 · A Sky-Blue Bench
Rahman, Bahram (text); Collins, Peggy (ill)
Canada: Pajama Press, 2021
ISBN 978-1-77278-222-6
29 · Tystheten
(Mute)
Rendel, Emma (text and ill) and Ringler, Jan (text)
Sweden: Tala om tystnad, 2021
ISBN 978-91-986509-1-4
30 · Up and Down Mum
Robbins, Maggie (creator); Child’s Play (text); Macon, Summer (ill)
UK: Child’s Play Int. Ltd., 2019
ISBN 978-1-78628-339-9
31 · Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea
Roxborogh, TK (text); Morris, Phoebe (ill)
Aotearoa-NZ: Huia Publishers, 2020
ISBN 978-1-77550-397-2
32 · L'île de Victor
(Victor’s island)
Sellier, Marie (text); Louis, Catherine (ill)
Switzerland: Éditions Loisirs et Pédagogie LEP, 2020
ISBN 978-2-6060-1719-4
33 · A Walk in the Words
Talbott, Hudson (text and ill)
USA: Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin), 2021
ISBN 978-0-399-54871-0
34 · Chispas. Amigos por igual
(Chispas. Friends Alike)
Valdizán, Luigi (text); Sejuro, Natalí (ill)
Peru: Polifonía Editora, 2019
ISBN 978-612-4781-98-8
35 · Pourquoi pas ?
(Why not?)
Viens, Mylène (text)
Canada: Les Éditions David, 2018
ISBN 978-2-89597-659-2
36 · #Kirinblog
(#Kira's Blog)
Volkova, Nataliya (text); Oranovskaya, Maria (ill)
Russia: Detskaya literatura, 2021
ISBN 978-5-08-006793-8
37 · Sensitive
Webster, Allayne L. (text)
St. Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press, 2019
ISBN 978-0-7022-6048-3
38 · De tunnel
(The tunnel)
Woltz, Anna (text)
The Netherlands: Em. Querido's Uitgeverij, 2021
ISBN 978-90-451-2508-4
39 · Dongye Shuoshuren
(The storytellers of winter nights)
Xu Lu (text); Wang Zumin and Wang Ying (ill)
China: Tomorrow Publishing House, 2018
ISBN 978-7-5332-9586-8
40 · Plan de rescate
(Rescue plan)
Yáñez, Antía (text); Teimoy, Xiana (ill)
Spain: Edicións Xerais de Galicia, 2020
ISBN 978-84-9121-728-2
from 11 · À fond les manettes
from 26 · Mi Lazarilla, Mi Capitán