BIG Curators
Germany – Internationale Jugendbibliothek / International Youth Library
The Internationale Jugendbibliothek (International Youth Library), based in Munich, is the world’s largest library for international children’s books. Its unique collection consists of more than 660,000 books in 250 languages spanning six centuries. The book holdings and historical collections are available to researchers from around the world for scholarly use. The library’s central task is to promote global children’s and youth literature of high aesthetic and literary quality and of significance for cultural literacy.
Reina Nakano, Lucia Obi, Claudia Söffner
The curating team is made up of members of the library’s team of in-house and freelance children’s literature specialists, responsible for the various language areas. Their work includes curating exhibitions, assessing books for the collection, and organising events. In addition, they select and review books for the IYL’s renowned annual “White Ravens'' list.
Philippines - Ang I.N.K.
Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK) is the Philippines' first and only organisation of illustrators committed to the creation and promotion of illustration for children. Founded in June 1991 as the offshoot of a Children's Book Illustration workshop sponsored by the PBBY (Philippine Board on Books for Young People) and the Goethe-Institiut Manila, conducted by German illustrator Reinhard Michl, Ang INK's membership has grown from 21 workshop participants to more than 300 members.
Dani Go
Daniela Go is an illustrator and cartoonist from Manila. She illustrates stories and creates characters for books and animation. She finished her MFA in Illustration Practice at the Maryland Institute College of Art and is an active member of Ang INK (the first and only children’s illustration organization in the Philippines). She has collaborated with numerous local creative agencies and has published books with Adarna House and Kado Publishing.
Danielle Florendo
Danielle Florendo is an illustrator and Fine Arts instructor based in Baguio City Philippines. She is a member of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan or Ang INK. As an advocate of promoting children’s reading literacy and education, she pursues creating visual materials for children in her country.
Nina Martinez
Nina Martinez is an award-winning illustrator in Makati City. She holds a BFA in Visual Communication from the University of the Philippines. She draws for children’s books, video, and podcasts, and makes original comics. Her illustration has been published by Adarna House and Bad Student. She is a member of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan. Find more at
Singapore – illo picto
Founded on the premise of bringing ideas to life through illustration and experience making, illo picto is a multi-disciplinary studio specialising in connecting through storytelling.
illo picto is a creative trio comprising Darel, Paula and Ben, who were brought together by their common love of picture books.
They bring design expertise from the gaming, animation, education and publishing industry together to infuse the power of storytelling in everything they create.
Ben Lai
Ben Lai is a multidisciplinary designer in the toy, publishing and entertainment industry, a picture bookmaker and an advocate of play. He draws inspiration from things that enable people to appreciate their relationships with our surroundings and people and he is always curious about how play can make a difference.
Darel Seow
Darel Seow is a visual storyteller who illustrates the tales of the natural world through his unique brand of wry wit and whimsy. He believes in the draw of storytelling as a means of engagement, creating experiences that simultaneously excite and educate. Particularly interested in museums and culture, he has worked with art, cultural and educational institutions to encourage learning through the power of imagination and play.
Paula Pang
Paula Pang is an illustrator based in Singapore. She draws to make new discoveries, to tell a story and to connect with people. She gathers muse from her curiosity about life and weaves it together with her quiet, whimsical and mischievous nature to create a world where the impossibilities are made possible. Her works have been told to be whimsical and witty with a touch of softness. She chanced upon a chance to illustrate her first children’s book Chocolate Bunny in 2011, which led to other publishing opportunities.
South Korea - Korea national section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY KOREA)
To fulfill IBBY’s mission, KBBY works as a network of professionals from both home and abroad, collecting and sharing information on children’s and juvenile literature. KBBY also works in close partnership with the other national sections of IBBY to contribute to promoting cross-cultural exchange in children’s literature.
KBBY organizes international book exhibitions in collaboration with library networks, in efforts to share with the Korean audience the information on global books generated through the awards and activities of IBBY. Moreover, KBBY is committed to providing information on outstanding Korean children’s and juvenile literature with readers across the world.
The curating team is made up of members of children’s literature specialists who works in charge of introducing Korean picture books and artists.
Choi Hyun-kyoung
Choi Hyun-kyoung has been working as a picture book editor in Noran Sangsang Books. She also give lectures at a picture book workshop.
Lee Hyang
Lee Hyang is the children’s book editor of Kinderland Publishing. She writes a children’s nonfiction or lectures at a picture book workshop.
Noe Jeungmin
Noe Jeungmin is the director of the Hyundai Museum of Kids’ Books & Art-MOKA. She received a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa, focusing on art education.
Park Chanseok
Park Chanseok works as a chief editor in Springsunshine Publishers and has been in charge of the planning, drafting and editing of children's books for years. She has also translated several children’s books.
Thailand - Thai BBY
ThaiIBBY was first founded in 1979 by lecturers at Srinakarinwirot University under the name, The Children's Reading Development Association (CREDA). ThaiBBY’s main mission is to support Thailand’s presence in the international book market and sustain Thailand’s participation in international organizations involved in children’s book publishing. The current leadership of ThaiBBY intends to build upon its successful track record by seeking more opportunities to connect local stakeholders in the children’s book industry with international exposure, resources, and assistance.
Atchara Pradit
Atchara Pradit is a Thai expert in children’s literature. For over 20 years, she is a lecturer and former Program Chair at Children’s Literature B.A. program, Srinakharinwirot university. Atchara is passionate about developing great children’s literature for the Thai society. She also edits and translates picture books and YA literature.
Peeriya Pongsarigun
Peeriya is the ThaiBBY (Thai Board of Books for Young People) Secretary-General, a co-founder of InterThaiMedia LLC, a translator, an author, and an English lecturer at Chulalongkorn University. Peeriya has written four bilingual children’s books and translated more than 150 books, mostly from Thai to English. She also designs and implements teaching techniques to encourage critical and creative thinking.
Vipavi Chakajsongsak
Vipavi Chakajsongsak is a children’s book writer & illustrator. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. She is an editorial board member of Good Books for Thai Children by SCG. She coordinates “Passport to Reading” project to share books with children in Thailand.
Special Gallery: Female Illustrators of Asia
Bijal Vachharajani
When Bijal is not reading a children’s book, she's writing or editing one. As a commissioning editor at Pratham Books, she works with a team that dreams up picture books. As an author, her planet-friendly books include A Cloud Called Bhura, Savi and the Memory Keeper, and Kitten Trouble. She is a certified climate worrier.
Charlene Lai 賴嘉綾
Charlene Lai is a picture book reviewer and blogger. She founded The PlayGrounD, a studio that acts as a platform for everything affiliated with picture books. She has also previously curated an exhibition, The Craft of Picture Books. In 2017, Charlene was honoured by Scholastic Asia as its Picture Book Ambassador. By the end of 2021, she has had 10 books published.
Read Charlene's Essay in AFCC Stories — Wonder Women and All Their Work: Female Illustrators of Asia