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      The KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards are recognised as the most prestigious awards for children's books in Ireland, north and south and celebrate the best of Irish writing and illustration for young readers, while championing the importance of reading in every child’s life.

      The Awards have been running for over thirty years and offer a total prize fund of €16,000 across six categories. 

      At the 2026 awards, Irish author and playwright Neil Sharpson and illustrator Dan Santat were named winners of the KPMG Book of the Year Award for their debut picturebook Don’t Trust Fish!

      It is truly inspiring to see the comfort, creativity and sense of possibility that reading can bring to young people’s lives.
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      Tom Woods

      Head of Clients

      KPMG in Ireland

      KPMG Reading Hero Award

      The Reading Hero Award celebrates a young person who demonstrates a remarkable passion for reading and inspires others to discover the joy of books. This year's winner Caoilfhionn Carlin (age 11) from Gaelscoil na Daróige in Derry demonstated her love of storytelling and her commitment to sharing that enthusiasm with others is a powerful reminder of how reading can comfort, inspire and open up new worlds.

      Speaking on the award, Caoilfhionn said “Books transport me to other worlds where I experience other places and people. When I was sick, and listening to the hospital machines and crying babies, I could escape to another world in a book.”

      As Tom Woods, Head of Clients at KPMG in Ireland, noted, Caoilfhionn’s story reflects the transformative power of reading and the sense of creativity and possibility it can unlock for young people.

      Pictured: Elaina Ryan, CEO of Children’s Books Ireland, Caoilfhionn Carlin, Reading Hero 2026, Tom Woods, Head of Clients at KPMG Ireland

      Junior Juries volunteer morning

       

      As part of the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards, children across the country take part in Junior Juries, where their votes decide the winner of the annual Junior Juries’ Award. This island-wide programme invites schools, libraries, and book clubs to read, discuss and evaluate shortlisted books, giving young readers a meaningful voice in the awards process. 

      Every spring, KPMG volunteers go out to schools across the country to take part in our annual Junior Juries volunteer morning. Volunteers lead fun, book‑based activities, spark conversations about what students enjoyed most, and help build confidence and enthusiasm around reading.

      This year's shortlist and winners

      Letters to a Monster - written by Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde and illustrated by Sarah Warburton (Bloomsbury Children’s Books) 

      The Doomsday Club - written by Kevin Moran (The O’Brien Press) WINNER

      Solo - written by Gráinne O’Brien (Little Island Books) WINNER

      Puisín na mBróg - written by Fearghas Mac Lochlainn and illustrated by Paddy Donnelly (Futa Fata)

      My Name is Jodie Jones - written by Emma Shevah (David Fickling Books) WINNER

      The Waters and the Wild - written by Eilish Fisher and illustrated by David Rooney (Puffin)

      This That What - written by Katy Ashworth and illustrated by Colleen Larmour (Puffin) WINNER

      Stealing Happy - written by Brian Conaghan (Bloomsbury YA)

      Don’t Trust Fish! - written by Neil Sharpson and illustrated by Dan Santat (Andersen Press)

      Skipshock - written by Caroline O’Donoghue (Walker Books) WINNER

      Pictured are Claire Browne, Partner in KPMG Belfast, Chloe Clugston (Year 9) and Jenny Finney (Year 9), Pupils from Victoria College, Belfast Pictured are Claire Browne, Partner in KPMG Belfast, Chloe Clugston (Year 9) and Jenny Finney (Year 9), Pupils from Victoria College, Belfast

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