Announcing The David C Cook Legacy Award for Children’s Book of the Year

We are delighted to introduce The David C Cook Legacy Award for Children’s Book of the Year, a special recognition honouring the remarkable contribution of David C Cook to Christian publishing and children’s discipleship worldwide.

For generations, David C Cook has contributed to equipping churches, families, teachers, and ministry leaders with Christian literature, biblical learning resources, and Sunday school curricula that help children know God and grow in their faith.

Through this Legacy Award, the African Christian Authors Book Award (ACABA), an initiative of CLC Kenya, celebrates that enduring commitment while recognising African authors who are using the power of books to raise a generation grounded in biblical truth, godly values, and a love for reading.

Why the David C Cook Legacy Award?

Children’s books are never small books. They are seed books.

They find their way into homes, classrooms, Sunday schools, libraries, and bedtime conversations. Long after a child has forgotten a lesson or a speech, a well-told story can remain in their imagination, influencing their choices, shaping their character, and strengthening their understanding of God.

The legacy of David C Cook reminds us that children are not merely the Church of tomorrow. They are part of the Church today, deserving of excellent Christian literature that speaks to their hearts, nurtures their faith, and helps them discover their identity and purpose in Christ.

Christian children’s publishing is therefore more than an opportunity to entertain young readers. It is an investment in discipleship, literacy, imagination, and the spiritual formation of generations.

By establishing this award, ACABA seeks to encourage African authors, illustrators, and publishers to recognise children’s literature as an important ministry assignment and to develop books that speak meaningfully to African children, families, and communities.

The Legacy Award for Children’s Book of the Year

This distinguished award celebrates an outstanding Christian children’s book that demonstrates excellence in biblical content, storytelling, creativity, age-appropriate language, visual appeal, and relevance to young readers.

Unlike other ACABA awards that recognise only adult authors, the David C Cook Legacy Award welcomes books written by both children and adults, recognising that young people can be powerful storytellers while also celebrating adults who intentionally write to nurture the next generation.

The winning book should communicate Christian values, encourage a love for reading, strengthen godly identity, and contribute meaningfully to children’s spiritual and character development.

Presented annually through ACABA, the award seeks to inspire a growing collection of excellent African Christian children’s books that can serve homes, schools, churches, libraries, and children’s ministries across the continent and beyond.

The Prize

The David C Cook Legacy Award is proposed with an annual sponsorship of $2,000, supporting the recognition and empowerment of the winning author or book project.

The award support will be structured around publishing, printing, distribution, visibility, author development, and other ministry-aligned opportunities, as agreed between David C Cook and ACABA.

Beyond recognising one outstanding book, the award seeks to strengthen Christian children’s publishing in Africa and open opportunities for quality African stories to reach more young readers.

Investing in the Next Generation

The greatest legacy of Christian publishing is not simply the number of books produced, but the lives influenced through those books.

A book placed in a child’s hands today may nurture the faith of a future parent, teacher, pastor, missionary, author, or leader. A story that introduces a child to God’s truth may continue bearing fruit long after its pages have been turned.

Through the David C Cook Legacy Award, we celebrate those who recognise the eternal value of investing in children through Christian literature.

May this award inspire a new generation of African Christian authors to write with excellence, creativity, and biblical conviction, remembering that every child deserves stories that help them know God, understand His Word, and grow into the person He created them to be.

Children matter. Their faith matters. Their stories matter. And their books matter.