Jef Aerts facts for kids
Jef Aerts was born on May 26, 1972. He is a Belgian writer. He writes amazing books for children and young adults.
About Jef Aerts
Jef Aerts started writing for young readers in 2012. Before that, he wrote novels, poems, and plays.
He worked with illustrator Marit Törnqvist on the picture book Bigger than a Dream. This book won the Book Lion award in 2014. The Book Lion (Boekenleeuw) is a top prize for Dutch children's books.
Jef Aerts has won four Zilveren Griffel awards. These awards are for his books Bigger than a Dream, Fish don’t Melt, The Blue Wings, and Robber's Cub. Martijn van der Linden illustrated Robber's Cub.
His books for children and young adults are very popular. They have been translated into over 18 languages. You can find his books in English, German, Chinese, and many other languages.
Jef Aerts' work was nominated for the international Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2026. This is a very important award for children's literature.
He lives and writes on a small farm. His farm is located near the city of Leuven.
Books by Jef Aerts
Here are some of the books Jef Aerts has written:
- The Little Paradise (Het kleine paradijs, 2012)
- Bigger than a Dream (Groter dan een droom, 2013)
- Fish don’t Melt (Vissen smelten niet, 2013)
- Horse in Boots (Paard met laarzen, 2015)
- Cherry Blossom and Paper Planes (Kersenhemel, 2017)
- The Blue Wings (De blauwe vleugels, 2018)
- Every Day Someone Else (Elke dag iemand anders, 2020)
- Ronke's Night (De nacht van Ronke, 2021)
- Robber's Cub (Roversjong, 2024)
Awards and Recognitions
Jef Aerts has received many awards for his wonderful books:
- 2014: Zilveren Griffel for Groter dan een droom
- 2014: White Raven for Groter dan een droom
- 2014: Boekenleeuw for Groter dan een droom
- 2014: Zilveren Griffel for Vissen smelten niet
- 2018: Vlag en Wimpel for Kersenhemel
- 2019: Zilveren Griffel for De blauwe vleugels
- 2020: Laureate IBBY Honour List for De blauwe vleugels
- 2024: Finalist for the Premio Strega Ragazze e Raggazi for Groter dan een droom
- 2025: Zilveren Griffel for Roversjong
- Nomination for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026
