Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations Facts for Kids

The Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations was a special competition for artists who create amazing pictures for children's books. It was organized by a group called the Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU). This competition ran every year from 1978 until 2008.

About the Noma Concours

This competition was named after Shoichi Noma. He was the head of a Japanese publishing company called Kodansha. Shoichi Noma believed that sharing stories and art from different cultures could help people around the world understand each other better. He even gave a speech about it in 1963! Because of his ideas, several "Noma Awards" were created to encourage cultural exchange through books.

The main goal of the Noma Concours was to find new and talented illustrators. These artists came from places like Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Arab countries, and Latin America. The competition gave them a chance to show their beautiful artwork. It also encouraged them to keep creating more wonderful picture books.

Winning artworks from the Noma Concours were often shown in special exhibitions. Some places where they were displayed include the International Library of Children's Literature in Tokyo, Japan. They were also shown at the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava in Slovakia.

The Last Noma Concours (2008)

The 16th Noma Concours was the last one held. Many talented artists received awards for their amazing illustrations.

Grand Prize

Nadi & Xiao Lan by Wen Hsu (Costa Rica)

Second Prize

The Princess by Fereshteh Najafi (Iran)
An Hour that Is Neither Day nor Night by Alaeldin Elgizouli Naeim (Sudan)

Runners Up

Puppet of Rag and Paper by Vinka Grbic Segura (Chile)
The Girl and the Jungle by Edi Sarwono (Indonesia)
Yusuf and Zulaikha by Leila Fathizadeh (Iran)
Boots by Parastou Khodaparast Haghi (Iran)
The Spelled City by Parisa Arta (Iran)
Wolves and Humans by Saba Maasoumian (Iran)
Strange Interview by Kim Joo-Kyung (Republic of Korea)
The Wall by Park Soo-Hyun (Republic of Korea)
Pumla and the Chickens by Shelley Johnson (illustrator) (South Africa)
The Princess with the Binocular by Ta Huy Long (Vietnam)

Encouragement Prize

Vovó by Claudio Martins (Brazil)
Many Indigenous Stories about the Origin of the Universe and Other Things by Mauricio Negro (Brazil)
The Great Deluge by Pradyumna Kumar (India)
Zahhak by Alireza Joday (Iran)
The Singer Wolf by Atefeh Malekijoo (Iran)
The Princess who Liked to Eat Apples by Azita Arta (Iran)
Sara, Apple Jam & River by Hoda Hadadi (Iran)
I Received Your Letter Right Now by Maryam Mouliyai (Iran)
The Hero's Trick by Narges Mohammadi (illustrator) (Iran)
The Disloyal Friend by Rashin Kheyrieh (Iran)
Sansarinaga and the Beautiful Toy Buffalo by Jainal Amambing (Malaysia)
The Alebrije Origin by Diana Tiznado Palmieri (Mexico)
The Shoes Story by Rosario Román Alonso (Mexico)
Naku, Nakuu, Nakuuu! by Sergio T. Bumatay III (Philippines)
Lost and Found by Cho Seoung-Hyon (Republic of Korea)
The Baby Black Cloud by Ji Yee-Jung (Republic of Korea)
My Grandpa Is a Taxi Driver Delivering Happiness by Kim Hyo-Jin (Republic of Korea)
To Catch a Puhul Thief by Ladduwa Hettige Asanga (Sri Lanka)
Descendants-Mahouts-Elephants: The Story of Thai Elephant Part 2 by Pallop Wangborn (Thailand)
Founding of Sfax by Raouf Karray (Tunisia)

The 15th Noma Concours (2007)