A childhood dream rooted in literacy, culture, and global access is now receiving international recognition. Open Hearts Big Dreams (OHBD), founded by Ellenore Angelidis, began with a simple but powerful vision inspired by her daughter, Leyla Angelidis: ensuring children in Ethiopia have access to beautiful, high-quality books in their own languages. Today, that vision has reached a major milestone.
One of the books coauthored by now-teenage Leyla Angelidis and her mother—Beautiful Dreams, illustrated by Nahosenay Negussie—has been nominated for inclusion on the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) 2026 Honour List, recognizing outstanding books for young people worldwide. The title was nominated for Best Illustration and is part of the OHBD Fine Art series, which highlights accomplished artists from Ethiopia and across the globe.
Beautiful Dreams centers on a universal message: little girls can dream of becoming anything they choose. For Leyla, that message is personal. “I am thrilled that more kids in Ethiopia are getting to enjoy quality books with gorgeous art like Nahosenay’s,” she shares, “and that more children around the world are learning about Ethiopia.”
According to IBBY, Honour List selections must represent the very best in children’s literature from each country while remaining suitable for global publication. The 2026 list is particularly historic for Ethiopia—only the second time the country has been included—marking representation of four of the nation’s five official languages, with Afar Af appearing for the first time.
IBBY Ethiopia also nominated ten additional bilingual titles for the 2026 Honour List, including:
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Watch, Listen, and Learn (Amharic)
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Hands (Tigrinya)
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White-Winged Flufftails (Afaan Oromo)
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The Language of Dance (Somali)
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The Great Rift Valley Lakes (Afar Af)
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Little Red Cape (Amharic)
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When Was I Born? (Tigrinya)
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When I Was a Child in Ethiopia (Afaan Oromo)
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The Little Snail (Somali)
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The Happiest Herder in the Land (Afar Af)
The accolades continue beyond IBBY. In 2025, two OHBD/Ready Set Go titles were honored at the International Gourmand Awards in Portugal—often compared to the Oscars of food publishing. The True Story of Teff and The Art of Cooking received multiple top placements across children’s, African, bilingual, and illustration categories, selected from more than 100,000 publications worldwide.
OHBD Founder and Executive Director Ellenore Angelidis emphasizes the broader impact: the organization champions diverse stories, art styles, and themes including conservation, peace, and inclusion. IBBY Ethiopia representative Yoseph Ayelew adds that these awards are deeply motivating for reading promoters in Ethiopia, with a national celebration planned for February 2026.
About the Organizations
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OHBD is a Seattle-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing literacy, inclusion, and leadership in Ethiopia and beyond.
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Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation, faces significant literacy challenges and a shortage of culturally relevant children’s books.
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OHBD sponsored the launch of IBBY Ethiopia as an official national section in July 2023.
Learn More
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OHBD titles: https://ohbd-rsgbooks.com/
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Global library access (OverDrive): https://openheartsbigdreams.org/impact/global-libraries/
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IBBY Ethiopia: www.ibby.org/ibby-worldwide/ibby-sections/ethiopia
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IBBY Honour List: www.ibby.org/awards-activities/awards/ibby-honour-list/
