 Since its founding in 1953, IBBY has grown in the number of awards and projects it supports and in their geographical spread.All these awards and projects share the goal of encouraging quality children's literature and upholding the right of every child to become a reader.The most prestigious award in the field of children's literature, the Hans Christian Andersen Award is given biennially to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children's literature.