Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union (JCCU), Co-op Sapporo, the Japan CO-OP Insurance Consumers' Co-operative Federation (CO-OP Kyosai), Nippon Shuppan Hanbai (Nippan), and Ehon Navi have jointly launched the first-ever "Everyone's Read-Aloud Picture Book Award." We are pleased to announce that the grand prize has now been selected.

The Award is built on a simple concept: picture-book lovers choose the book they most want to read aloud right now. This initiative aims to highlight and celebrate picture books that will inspire and support the children who will lead the future.

Two award categories were established: "Picture Books Chosen by Children and Teachers!" and "Picture Books Chosen by Picture Book Lovers!." One grand prize winner was selected in each category.

For the Children and Teachers category, 20 picture books were sent as gifts to about 2,000 childcare facilities nationwide, including nursery schools, kindergartens, and certified childcare centers, that applied to participate. After reading the books aloud with the children, each facility voted for its favorite title.

For the Picture Book Lovers category, a total of 5,226 votes were submitted by picture book enthusiasts from across Japan.

In 2010, Co-op Sapporo created the Co-op Sapporo Childcare Fund and launched Ehon-ga-Todock, a program that delivers free picture books to families with children aged one to two. As of the August distribution this year, more than 600,000 books have been delivered. The picture books are selected by a seven-member committee of childcare support experts.

Over the past 14 years, Co-op Sapporo has increasingly heard the voices of nursery teachers, kindergarten educators, and parents regarding the importance of reading aloud and the kinds of books children enjoy. Building on these experiences and wishing to select picture books together not only with people in Hokkaido, where Co-op Sapporo is based, but also with picture-book readers and supporters nationwide, the "Everyone's Read-Aloud Picture Book Award" was created.

We remain committed to promoting the joy and value of reading picture books aloud through the "Everyone's Read-Aloud Picture Book Award."