2026 Best Children’s Publishers award announced in Bologna

The Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year (BOP) has announced its winners of 2026.

The award recognized publishers from six geographic regions around the world: Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, Central and South America, North America, and Oceania.

“What makes it so special is that the prize is given by the publishers themselves who are asked to nominate those publishing houses that have stood out in terms of their creativity, innovation, and the quality of their editorial choices.” This statement was made on the BOP website.

Another unique aspect of BOP is that the winners are chosen by the publishers themselves: from February to March, international publishers exhibiting at the fair vote for the publishing houses that, in their opinion, have distinguished themselves most clearly over the course of the year through innovation, creativity, and the quality of their editorial decisions.

These are the 2026 BOP winners:

• Africa: Senegal Saaraba Éditions

Saaraba Éditions is a Senegalese publishing house established in Dakar in 2022. It is a subsidiary of Editis, France’s second-largest publishing group. The award organizers noted that Saaraba Éditions has a high-quality editorial program, closely tied to the local context and reflects the realities of Senegalese society.

The shortlist in this category also included Narrative Landscape Press from Nigeria, Dar El Shorouk from Egypt, Éditions Akoma Mba from Cameroon, and Kacimbo Kiela from Angola.

• Asia: Japan Bronze Publishing

Bronze Publishing, a Tokyo-based publishing house, specializes in children’s picturebooks, illustrated books, and books on contemporary visual art and culture. The publisher showcases well-known Japanese authors and illustrators, with a strong focus on high-quality artwork, visual storytelling, and themes that range from everyday life to the imaginative. It is worth noting that in 2023, the publishing house released a translation of “On the move” by Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv from Agrafka art studio.

Other finalists included Tulika Publishers from India, Antares Publishing House from Armenia, Bir Publishing from South Korea, and Pratham Books from India.

RELATED: Children’s book illustration trends: 2025 Bologna Book Fair

• Caribbean, Central, and South America: Argentina Lecturita Ediciones 

Lecturita Ediciones is an independent Argentine publishing house based in Mar del Plata, and it has built a high-quality catalog with a distinct identity. Its books are designed to spark curiosity, stimulate creativity, and invite reflection, rather than offer ready-made answers.

The shortlist also includes Claraboya Ediciones from Chile, Calibroscopio from Argentina, Escrito con Tiza from Chile, and Ediciones Liebre from Chile. 

• Europe: France Éditions La Doux;

Éditions La Doux, based in Paris, was founded by Karine Leclerc and Sophie Chanourdi. The publishing house is supported by Les Nouveaux Éditeurs, a group established by Arnaud Nourry. La Doux publishes children’s books, comics, novels, and poetry, striving to create a creative, immersive, and accessible reading experience for readers of all ages.

The European shortlist also includes Luithingh-Sijthoff from the Netherlands, Gerstenberg Verlag from Germany, Pato Lógico from Portugal, and Iperborea from Italy.

• North America: Canada Tundra Books

Tundra Books, Canada’s oldest English-language children’s publisher, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. Tundra Books’ catalog includes board books, picturebooks, early reader books, graphic novels, nonfiction, and fiction for readers aged 8–12.

The finalists included Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Tra Publishing from the United States, and Orca Book Publishers and Milky Way Picture Books from Canada.

• Oceania: New Zealand Messy Press

Messy Press, founded in 2025 by Erica Harrison and Adam Thompson, is based in Auckland. The publishing house produces illustrated nonfiction, gift titles, and activity books aimed at inspiring, entertaining, and educating children worldwide.

Affirm Press, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, and Wild Dog Books from Australia, as well as Au vent des îles from Tahiti, French Polynesia were also shortlisted in the category.

The Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year is the world’s largest annual award for publishers of children’s literature. It was established in 2013 by the organizers of the Bologna Book Fair to mark the fair’s 50th anniversary.

The award’s organizers are the Bologna Book Fair, the Italian Publishers Association (AIE), and the International Publishers Association (IPA). 

RELATED: Best children’s publishing houses of the year announced at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair

Main image: Exhibition Facebook page

Copy Editing: Terra King