On January 18， 2024， Beijing time， the International Board on Books for Young People （IBBY） announced the shortlist for the 2024 “Hans Christian Andersen Award” on its official website， with Chinese picture book illustrator Cai Gao being shortlisted for the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award （illustrator category）.

Ms. Cai Gao is the only Chinese illustrator among the nominees， making it to the shortlist in her first attempt to represent China at the “Hans Christian Andersen Award！” She represents China in competing for the highest honor in the world of childrens literature， showcasing to the world the remarkable achievements of Chinese artists and the art of Chinese childrens literature.

Cai Gao， born in 1946 in Changsha， Hunan， has a long history of teaching in rural primary schools and working for Hunan Juvenile & Childrens Publishing House. After retiring， she dedicated herself to picture book creation. She is the first Chinese picture book illustrator to win the Golden Apple for Biennale of Illustrations Bratislava （BIB）， served as a juror for the 34th Bologna International Childrens Book Fair Illustration Exhibition， and is a milestone figure in the history of Chinese picture book development. She was nominated for the 2022 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for China， received the 2022 Chen Bochui International Childrens Literature Award for Special Contribution， won the 2022 Hunan Publishing Government Award， and her representative works include Learning from Their Shortcomings Picture Book， Beautiful Stories of China， Moon Poops， Moon Walks， I Walk， The Story of Birth， Baoer， and others.

The “Hans Christian Andersen Award” was established by the International Board on Books for Young People （IBBY） in Switzerland in 1956. It was named after the master of fairy tales， Hans Christian Andersen， and is awarded every two years. The main awards include the Literature Award and the Illustrator Award. Because the “Hans Christian Andersen Award” is sponsored by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark， all laureates receive a medal with Andersens portrait bestowed by the Queen.

The purpose of establishing the “Hans Christian Andersen Award” is to promote childrens reading， elevate the artistic realms of literature and aesthetics， establish positive values for children， and promote world peace. The International Board on Books for Young People hopes that the award will encourage the creation of childrens books， bringing more fresh minds into the field. This highest honor in global childrens literature carries forward the spirit of Andersens fairy tales and promotes cultural exchange worldwide. All laureates have made global， historical contributions to the creation of childrens books. Each recipient of the “Hans Christian Andersen Award” can only win once in their lifetime， making it a lifetime achievement award and the highest honor in childrens literature worldwide！

In 2016， famous Chinese childrens literature author Cao Wenxuan became the first Chinese writer to win the award. And now， renowned Chinese artist Cai Gao has made history by being shortlisted for the “Hans Christian Andersen Award” on her first attempt！