The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award was announced on Tuesday. With a prize of half a million dollars, it’s one of the biggest literary prizes in the world. This year, it went to Swedish illustrator Eva Lindström. The award has been recognizing international children’s authors since 2002, and this time drew submissions from 71 countries, ranging from Colombia to Iran to South Korea. As The World’s Lucía Benavides reports, children’s literacy advocates say the award plays a critical role in expanding the range of voices young readers are exposed to and broadening their worldview.
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