The Book Illustrators Gallery (BIG) is a key feature of the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC).
Since its inception in 2010, the Book Illustrators Gallery (BIG) has been a key feature of the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). It showcases the best picture book illustrations by illustrators and artists from Southeast Asia, those based in Asia and in the global Asian diaspora.
For 2026, the Open Submissions category received more than 650 illustration submissions across 20 countries and territories.
Of these, more than 330 illustrations by 68 artists have been selected to become part of the Open Submissions gallery. Featured illustrators come from Australia, China, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

At the 53rd Golden Pen of Belgrade, the 18th International Biennial of Illustration, held in November 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia, Salimeh Babakhan was selected among the featured artists for her illustrations created for the book “Dreams, Whether Far or Near” by Hadi Mohammadi.

The exhibition, one of the oldest and most prestigious events dedicated to illustration in the Balkan region, is organized under the auspices of ULUPUDS (the Association of Applied Artists and Designers of Serbia) and brings together illustrators from around the world. The official opening ceremony took place on November 3, 2025, at the Parobrod Cultural Center in Belgrade, where the selected works were exhibited alongside other outstanding illustrations chosen for the Biennial.

The contest ”Image of the Book” – Annual Contest for Book Illustration and Design was founded by the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications together with the Association of Book Illustrators and Designers of Moscow in 2008. In 2017 it became international. During these years about 1000 artists were awarded.

The Book Illustrators Gallery (BIG) is a key feature of the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). Since its inception in 2010, the Book Illustrators Gallery (BIG) has been a key feature of the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). It showcases the best picture book illustrations by illustrators and artists from Southeast Asia, those based in Asia and in the global Asian diaspora.

Hadi Mohammadi’s book “The Color of the Crow’s Dream”, illustrated by Salimeh Babakhan, was selected for the 2025 Book Illustrators Gallery (BIG), organized by the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). The exhibition was held from 22 to 25 May 2025 at the National Library Building in Singapore, showcasing outstanding illustration works from artists around the world.

A cross-cultural project aimed at creating high-quality picture books for the “Read with Me” program, fostering a dialogue between two diverse cultures. Launched in 2015, the project is led by the renowned Dutch-Swedish illustrator Marit Törnqvist in collaboration with the prominent Iranian reading advocate Zohreh Ghaeni.

“The Color of the Crow’s Dream”, written by Hadi Mohammadi and illustrated by Salimeh Babakhan, was published in January 2025 by the esteemed Dutch publishing house Querido. Since its release, the book has received widespread acclaim from critics and children’s literacy organizations in the Netherlands.

The Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustration Exhibition is one of the world’s most prestigious platforms for discovering emerging talent in illustration. In 2025, 4,374 illustrators from 89 countries and regions submitted 21,870 works, from which an international jury selected 324 finalists.
Among the finalists was Iranian illustrator Salimeh Babakhan, whose illustrations for “Dreams, Whether Far or Near” by Hadi Mohammadi were selected for the 2025 finalist. This achievement places her among the outstanding illustrators recognized by one of the leading international events in children’s publishing and illustration.

The contest ”Image of the Book” – Annual Contest for Book Illustration and Design was founded by the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications together with the Association of Book Illustrators and Designers of Moscow in 2008. In 2017 it became international. During these years about 1000 artists were awarded.

The Book Illustrators Gallery (BIG) is a key feature of the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). Since its inception in 2010, the Book Illustrators Gallery (BIG) has been a key feature of the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). It showcases the best picture book illustrations by illustrators and artists from Southeast Asia, those based in Asia and in the global Asian diaspora.

Hadi Mohammadi’s book “Li li li li Hozak”, illustrated by Salimeh Babakhan, was selected for the 2025 Book Illustrators Gallery (BIG), organized by the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). The exhibition was held from 23 to 26 May 2024 at the National Library Building in Singapore, showcasing outstanding illustration works from artists around the world.

The Bologna Children’s Book Fair has always aimed to build bridges between countries and cultures, pursuing a single and important goal – to promote the quality of children’s illustration and literature and to provide a space for dialogue and exchange of experience. 61 years now!
The jury of the “Illustrators Exhibition of Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2024” consisting of Marco Ghidelli (designer, Italy), Lee Ho-baek (author, designer and journalist, South Korea), Xiaoyan Huang (founder of the Macmillan Group branch, China), Dyvind Torseter (author and illustrator, Norway) had the difficult task of selecting the finalists from among 3520 artists with 21725 works from 81 countries and regions around the world.
This year’s long list includes 344 names, among which we see Salimeh Babakhan.

This text introduces the 2023 edition of “The White Ravens”, an annual catalogue published by the International Youth Library in Munich. It explains that the selection includes 200 notable children’s and young adult books written in 37 languages from 57 countries. The aim of the catalogue is to promote high-quality, innovative, and diverse children’s literature worldwide. Books are selected by a team of experts based on literary quality, illustration, originality, and global relevance.
The text also highlights the collaborative work behind the catalogue, including publishers, researchers, and international advisors, and mentions that the books are showcased at major events such as the Frankfurt and Bologna Children’s Book Fairs.

At the end, the book “Sunlight and moonlight, how bright!” by Parvin Dowlatabadi, illustrated by Salimeh Babakhan, is included—meaning her work was selected for the White Ravens 2023 catalogue.

The contest ”Image of the Book” – Annual Contest for Book Illustration and Design was founded by the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications together with the Association of Book Illustrators and Designers of Moscow in 2008. In 2017 it became international. During these years about 1000 artists were awarded.

The Book Illustrators Gallery (BIG) is a key feature of the Asian Festival of Children’s Content. It showcases the best picture book illustrations by illustrators and artists from Southeast Asia, those based in Asia and in the global Asian diaspora.
This year, the gallery is divided into two main sections: one, the Open Submissions gallery that features more than 270 illustrations by 62 illustrators from 16 countries; and two, a specially curated gallery that features close to 250 illustrations from AFCC Country of Focus Vietnam.
The BIG exhibition will be available online, as well as a physical exhibition at the National Library Building.

In addition, Salimeh Babakhan’s illustrations for the book “Sunlight and Moonlight, How Bright!” by Parvin Dowlatabadi were also included in the exhibition.

The contest ”Image of the Book” – Annual Contest for Book Illustration and Design was founded by the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications together with the Association of Book Illustrators and Designers of Moscow in 2008. In 2017 it became international. During these years about 1000 artists were awarded.

In 2020, the illustrations of the book “18 + 2 Woodpeckers” , written by Hadi Mohammadi and illustrated by Salimeh Babakhan, was selected for the COW International Design & Illustration Biennale, Ukraine.

The contest ”Image of the Book” – Annual Contest for Book Illustration and Design was founded by the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications together with the Association of Book Illustrators and Designers of Moscow in 2008. In 2017 it became international. During these years about 1000 artists were awarded.

Salimeh Babakhan received an Honorary Diploma at the Image of the Book competition for her illustrations in the book “Little Whale’s Big Dreams”. This book is the first work for which Babakhan also wrote the story herself, and it is scheduled to be published by Tuti Books Publishing in late 2021.