Young Black Author’s “Beautiful Dreams” Becoming a Reality as Books Earn International Awards

Nationwide — Open Hearts Big Dreams (OHBD) – Open Hearts Big Dreams (OHBD) started because a little girl named Leyla Angelidis dreamed of a world where kids from her birth country of Ethiopia could get access to lots of beautiful books, just like she had living in the United States. Recently, one of the books that now-teenage Leyla Angelidis coauthored with her mother, Ellenore Angelidis—Beautiful Dreams, illustrated by Nahosenay Negussie—has been nominated for inclusion on the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) 2026 Honour List of outstanding books for young people globally.

Beautiful Dreams, which was nominated for “Best Illustration,” is part of the OHBD Fine Art series, featuring fine artists from Ethiopia and other parts of the world. The book’s message is that little girls can dream about becoming anything they want to be—a dream that Leyla Angelidis holds for children everywhere.

As Leyla Angelidis says, “I am thrilled that more kids in Ethiopia are getting to enjoy quality books with gorgeous art like Nahosenay’s and more kids around the world are getting to learn about Ethiopia.”

As IBBY’s website relates, “Important considerations in selecting the Honour List titles are that the books are representative of the best in children’s literature from the country and that the books are suitable for publication throughout the world. The selection provides insight into the diverse cultural, political and social settings in which children live and grow.” The books will be circulated at international exhibitions and housed in several major cities. This is only the second time that Ethiopia has been included in this list, only the second time four of the five official Ethiopian languages, and the first time the fifth, Afar Af, are represented.

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Young Black Author's "Beautiful Dreams" Becoming a Reality as Books Earn International Awards