Bologna honors Rosen and Cai Gao
On April 13 the Bologna Children’s Book Fair announced Michael Rosen and Cai Gao as winners of the Hans Christian Andersen Awards for 2026 (publishersweekly.com). The awards were presented on the fair’s opening day, naming Rosen and Cai Gao specifically as this year’s author and illustrator laureates (publishersweekly.com).
Michael Rosen and Cai Gao received the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Awards in Bologna on April 13, the top international prize for children’s book creators. (ibby.org) The International Board on Books for Young People gave Rosen the writing award for the United Kingdom and Cai the illustration award for China at the opening of the 62nd Bologna Children’s Book Fair. (ibby.org) The award is given every two years for lifetime achievement, not for a single book. The 2026 round drew 78 candidates from 44 countries, and the shortlist of six authors and six illustrators was announced in January. (ibby.org) That puts Rosen and Cai in a small group of writers and artists whose full body of work is judged to have made a lasting contribution to children’s literature. The International Board on Books for Young People says the prize has been awarded since 1956 and is its highest distinction. (ibby.org) Rosen, a former United Kingdom children’s laureate, has written or edited more than 200 books and is widely known for titles including *We’re Going on a Bear Hunt* and *Michael Rosen’s Sad Book*. The Guardian reported that passport rule changes after Brexit kept him from attending the Bologna announcement in person. (theguardian.com) Cai’s win is a first for China in the illustration category, according to Chinese state media reports published after the ceremony. Jury president Shereen Kreidieh said Cai’s work stood out for its artistry and emotional force. (chinadailyasia.com) The Bologna fair is one of the publishing industry’s main international marketplaces for children’s books, so the announcement landed in front of editors, agents and rights sellers already gathered to buy and sell books across languages. Publishers Weekly said the prizes were presented on the fair’s opening day. (publishersweekly.com) For Rosen, the medal adds an international career honor to a public profile that already spans poetry, picture books and school visits. For Cai, it marks a new milestone for Chinese illustration on one of children’s publishing’s biggest stages. (thebookseller.com)
