Andersen 2010

Traditionally, the president of the Jury introduces the judging criteria before the work starts. Below are the very general criteria for evaluation, but according to the IBBY regulations each jury can discuss the criteria and works together to establish its own interpretation of the general ones mentioned here:

Outstanding values

Ÿ The aesthetic qualities of writing and illustration, which include the treatment of plot, characters, style, structure and language, should be considered.

Ÿ The books are judged by the creators' skill in building bridges between themselves and the child. The ability to see things from a child’s point of view is an indication of the skill of the creator

Ÿ We are looking for a polished and powerful use of creative imagination.

Ÿ Every culture has its own subtly different literary aesthetics, so we need to be multi-faceted in our appreciation.

Ÿ We are looking for some extra quality, something above the ‘acceptably good’ level, something with freshness and a clear mastery of the medium. We are not just looking for innovations, but for something special.

Ÿ Often we have to form our opinions through translations or summaries. Be aware that these may not capture the skill of the original writing. A candidate’s work needs to be viewed within the context of the literary tradition of his/her own culture.

A lasting contribution

We are looking for potential or already established classics. Such works often portray universal themes and lasting human values : freedom, integrity, truth, love, aggression, joy, etc. They rise above mere trivial entertainment while nevertheless remaining entertaining. They should stretch the child’s curiosity and certainly the child’s literary imagination. The work of each nominated author or illustrator should also be judged on its contribution to the development of youth literature and should, ideally, have taken that literature forwards. The world changes all the time and there is a universal increase in sophistication in both writing and illustration for children and young people.

The complete works

The impact of the complete works, particularly in the candidate’s country of origin, is as important as the number of languages his/her books have been translated into. We need to balance the contribution of those who have succeeded internationally with those whose complete contribution may be limited to within a language or culture, often for economic reasons. Nothing is more demanding than to decide what the national or international impact of a creative body of work is.

Those are the general criteria and IBBY feels that it should continually re-evaluate the criteria for judging children's books.