The Cărturino Awards return for their third edition, celebrating Romanian children’s literature and the people behind it

The third edition of the Cărturino Awards brings readers the 10 shortlisted titles in the main categories: Illustrated Book of the Year and Children’s Fiction Book of the Year. Until the winners are announced at the awards gala on May 14 at Cărturești Carusel, we invite you to discover these books and to enjoy, together with young readers, some of the most remarkable titles written and illustrated by Romanian authors and illustrators in 2025!

Finalists for Children’s Fiction Book of the Year:

• Anxionauții: Pierduți prin Cosmos, by Iv cel Naiv, illustrated by Vali Petridean, Humanitas Junior Publishing
• Consulatul lunii sau Adelina și crocodilii de mlaștină, by Matei Vișniec, illustrated by Joèla Vișniec, Humanitas Junior Publishing
• Klikel si furnicuțele multicolore, by Matei Vișniec, illustrated by Andra Bădulescu, Polirom Junior Publishing
• Pădurea Vrăjitoarei Mici, by Mihai Buzea, illustrated by Ioana Pârvan, Frontiera Publishing
• Ultima provocare, by Adina Rosetti, Arthur Publishing

Finalists for Illustrated Book of the Year:

• Cartea de plastilină, by Ionela Hadârcă, illustrated by Maxim Bivol, Cartier Publishing
• Lumea lui Baltazar, by Alex Moldovan, illustrated by Ștefan Georgescu, Vlad și Cartea cu Genius Publishing
• Petrecere cu unicorn, written and illustrated by Adela Maria Calistru, Vlad și Cartea cu Genius Publishing
• Unde e Șosețica?, by T.O. Bobe, illustrated by Alexandra Mîrzac, Frontiera Publishing
• Ziua când a muncit lenea, by Victoria Pătrașcu, illustrated by Keszeg Ágnes, Univers Publishing

The Three Juries of the Cărturino Awards

The third edition of the Cărturino Awards is evaluated by three distinct juries, each bringing a different perspective to Romanian children’s literature.

The Main Jury

The jury selecting the five finalists in each of the two main categories — Illustrated Book of the Year and Children’s Fiction Book of the Year — is made up of five women, three returning from previous editions and two joining for the first time.

Georgiana Chițac is an illustrator and occasional author of children’s books who has spent fifteen years championing illustration as an art form in its own right.

Carla Duschka specialises in book design, from art books to illustrated children’s titles, and is a co-founding member of Atelierul de grafică (The Graphics Studio).

Oana Purice is a literary agent and founder of Book Industry, a platform dedicated to interviews with publishing professionals. She also occasionally translates and edits books.

Carmen Tiderle writes playful, imaginative poetry for children of all ages and is the author of ten collections.

Monica Anghel has been an avid reader of children’s books for over a decade and has been part of the Cărturino jury since its second edition.

The Booksellers’ Jury

Five booksellers from Cărturești and partner bookshops around Romania make up the Booksellers’ Jury — people who spend their days talking to readers of all ages and recommending children’s books with enthusiasm and expertise. This edition’s members are Cornel Bucur (Cărturești AFI Ploiești), Crina Cristea (Humanitas Cișmigiu), Mădălina Ivoniciu (Book Corner Librarium, Cluj-Napoca), Adina Mitroi (Cărturești Carusel), and Luciana Sima (AFI Brașov).

The Children’s Jury

The Children’s Jury takes the form of a reading circle: the “Unde fugim de-acasă?” (“Where Do We Run From Home?”) club, a group of students from School No. 7 in Botoșani, guided by their teacher and reading adviser, Loredana Carcea. The club brings children together for reading and creative writing workshops, author meetings, and other literary activities — approaching literature with curiosity and empathy, free from the pressure of the school curriculum.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.