KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards facts for kids

The KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards are really important awards given out every year in Ireland. They celebrate amazing writers and illustrators who create books for kids and young people, just like you! These awards used to be called the CBI Book of the Year Awards and before that, the Bisto Book of the Year Awards.

The awards are organized by an group called Children's Books Ireland (CBI). To win, authors and illustrators must have been born in Ireland or live there. Books can be written in either English or Irish. Many famous authors, like Eoin Colfer and John Boyne, have won these awards. Kate Thompson has even won several times!

The awards started in 1990. Back then, they were sponsored by a company called Bisto.

Award Categories

There are currently seven different awards given out each year:

• The KPMG Children's Books Ireland Book of the Year Award: This is the top prize for the best children's book.
• Honour Award for Fiction: This award celebrates excellent writing in a children's story.
• Honour Award for Illustration: This award recognizes amazing artwork in a children's book.
• Eilís Dillon Award: This special award is for a writer's very first children's book. It's named after the famous writer Eilís Dillon.
• The Judges' Special Award: The judges give this award for something truly unique or outstanding.
• The Junior Juries' Award: Kids from all over Ireland choose the winner of this award! It used to be called the Children’s Choice Award.
• The Reading Hero Award: Started in 2020, this award goes to a young reader who shows a huge passion for books.

In the past, the winner of the Book of the Year received a special trophy and €10,000. Other winners shared smaller prize amounts. Now, the Children’s Book of the Year winner gets €6,000. The winners of the Honour Award for Fiction, Honour Award for Illustration, Eilís Dillon Award, Judges' Special Award, and Junior Juries' Award each receive €2,000.

The Children's Choice award (now the Junior Juries' Award) was first given in 2010. This was to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the awards. It was chosen by 10 groups of young readers from all over Ireland. The first winner was Jane Mitchell for her book Chalkline.

Past Winners

Here are some of the amazing books that have won the top award and other special prizes over the years.

Book of the Year Award

Merit Awards

These awards recognize books for their excellent writing or illustrations.

Éilís Dillon Award for a First Children's Book

This award celebrates new authors writing their first children's book.

Awards in Discontinued Categories

Over the years, some award categories have changed. Here are a few from the past:

• Best Emerging Author (1991) – Brian Boru by Morgan Llywelyn, O'Brien Press
• Book for Young Readers (1991) – Grandma's Bill by Martin Waddell, Simon & Schuster
• Illustration (1991) – Fairy Tales of Ireland by P. J. Lynch, Collins
• Historical Fiction (1992) – Wildflower Girl by Marita Conlon-McKenna, O'Brien Press
• Picture Book (1992) – The Sleeping Giant by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, Brandon Books
• First Children's Novel (1992) – The Secret of the Ruby Ring by Yvonne MacGrory, Children's Press
• Information Book (1993) – Tamall sa Chistin by Mairin Uí Chomain, An Gúm
• Teenage Fiction (1993) – Put a Saddle on the Pig by Sam McBratney, Methuen
• Historical Fiction (1993) – Strongbow by Morgan Llywelyn, O'Brien Press

Bisto Children's Book of the Decade (1980–1990)

In 1990, special awards were given to celebrate the best books from the previous decade.

• Fiction: Run with the Wind; Run to Earth; Run Swift; Run Free by Tom McCaughren, Jeanette Dunne (Wolfhound Press)
• Information Books: Exploring the Book of Kells: Brendan the Navigator by George Otto Simms, David Rooney (O'Brien Press)
• Books for Young Readers: Grandma's Bill by Martin Waddell, illus. Jane Johnson (Simon & Schuster)
• Irish Language: An Chanáil by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, transl. Bernadine Nic Ghiolla Phádraig An Gúm

Authors with Multiple Awards

Some authors and illustrators have won many awards over the years!

• Most Book of the Year Awards: Kate Thompson (4), Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick (4), Siobhán Dowd (2), Chris Haughton (2)
• Most Merit Awards: Oliver Jeffers (9), Kate Thompson (3), P. J. Lynch (3)
• Most Awards (total): Oliver Jeffers (10), Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick (10), Kate Thompson (7), P. J. Lynch (5), Gerard Whelan (4), Siobhán Dowd (4), Chris Haughton (4), Siobhán Parkinson (3), Éilis Ni Dhuibhne/Elizabeth O'Hara (3)