Open Hearts Big Dreams (OHBD) – Open Hearts Big Dreams (OHBD) started because a little girl named Leyla Angelidis dreamed of a world where kids from her birth country of Ethiopia could get access to lots of beautiful books, just like she had living in the United States. Recently, one of the books that now-teenage Leyla Angelidis coauthored with her mother, Ellenore Angelidis—Beautiful Dreams, illustrated by Nahosenay Negussie—has been nominated for inclusion on the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) 2026 Honour List of outstanding books for young people globally.
Beautiful Dreams, which was nominated for “Best Illustration,” is part of the OHBD Fine Art series, featuring fine artists from Ethiopia and other parts of the world. The book’s message is that little girls can dream about becoming anything they want to be—a dream that Leyla Angelidis holds for children everywhere.
New Self-Help Book “Blame It on the Feel of Pain” About Detangling From Past Pain
Get ready for a transformational journey toward inner peace as indie author Max W. Miller’s new self-help release, Blame It On The Feel Of Pain, inspires readers in a witty, down-to-earth book. Truth and compassion are foretold, using poetic frames called ‘The Wises,’ and the help of opinionated little emojis bringing laughter and thought-provoking conclusions throughout.
The author encourages her readers, whom she also calls partners, to stop wrestling with the hard knocks of the past. She expresses how voluntarily walking back into time precedes trauma healing. Confronting lingering pains is a step toward strength and hope for the future. ‘Blame It’ delves into the author’s life experiences, bringing to life the importance of using Full Circle Moments to find resolutions.
Throughout Blame It On The Feel Of Pain, the reader grows to understand through a unique interpretation that what we are destined to become grows out of the years we’ve already traveled. Further, our future hinges on how we address the pains of the past. Other expressions focus on how desires in the present are carved out of having a clear vision that old, lingering strongholds must be defeated. A history of suffering is a prerequisite for becoming fed up enough to demand enjoyment now!
To Get On the Road To Overcoming Your Trauma See Her Exclusive Interview
Order Her Book Blame It On The Feel Of Pain
As Leyla Angelidis says, “I am thrilled that more kids in Ethiopia are getting to enjoy quality books with gorgeous art like Nahosenay’s and more kids around the world are getting to learn about Ethiopia.”
As IBBY’s website relates, “Important considerations in selecting the Honour List titles are that the books are representative of the best in children’s literature from the country and that the books are suitable for publication throughout the world. The selection provides insight into the diverse cultural, political and social settings in which children live and grow.” The books will be circulated at international exhibitions and housed in several major cities. This is only the second time that Ethiopia has been included in this list, only the second time four of the five official Ethiopian languages, and the first time the fifth, Afar Af, are represented.
IBBY Ethiopia also nominated ten other titles to the IBBY’s 2026 Honour List, all available in bilingual additions that feature official Ethiopian languages, including:
Watch, Listen, and Learn (Amharic)
Hands (Tigrinya)
White-Winged Flufftails (Afaan Oromo)
The Language of Dance (Somali)
The Great Rift Valley Lakes (Afar Af)
Little Red Cape (Amharic)
When Was I Born? (Tigrinya)
When I was a Child in Ethiopia (Afaan Oromo)
The Little Snail (Somali)
The Happiest Herder in the Land (Afar Af)
Additionally in 2025, two OHBD/Ready Set Go books received honors at the 30th International Gourmand Awards in Portugal (for “Best of the Year 2024”). The True Story of Teff was listed as First in “Food Books for Children/Africa” and Fourth in “Bread Books.” The Art of Cooking was First in “Fund Raising,” Second in both “Illustrations/Books” and “Bilingual with English,” and Fourth in “African Books.” Founded in 1995, the Gourmand Awards are selected each year from over 100,000 publications from 230 countries and regions around the world. The awards have been compared to the Oscars for film.
OHBD Founder and Executive Director Ellenore Angelidis notes, “We are thrilled to have more writers, illustrators, translators, and a new publisher represented among these honored titles. We work to represent a range of stories, art styles, and fiction and nonfiction books. We also include themes of conservation, peace, and inclusion.”
IBBY Ethiopia representative Yoseph Ayelew shares, “I can’t stress enough how motivating these awards are for the reading promoters within Ethiopia, who have limited opportunity to share with and learn from the global community. We will hold another award ceremony in Ethiopia in February 2026 to honor a broader segment of those involved in creating quality books as IBBY Ethiopia continues to grow their impact and reach, one step at a time.”
OHBD is a Seattle-based, not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to increasing literacy, inclusion, innovation readiness, and leadership skills in Ethiopia and beyond. Ethiopia is Africa’s second-most populous country, but tens of millions of people there are without literacy skills, and there is a lack of sufficient quality, culturally relevant children’s books in the local languages. The organization sponsored the launch of IBBY Ethiopia as a new National Section of IBBY, joining in July 2023.
IBBY Ethiopia, the Ethiopian National Section, is focused on increasing access to quality books and creating a love of reading in Ethiopia. IBBY Ethiopia is also promoting a wide range of stories, cultures and languages, 70-90 unique ones estimated, from across this vast nation.
The full selection of OHBD titles can be found at https://ohbd-rsgbooks.com/
Almost 1,200 of the titles are on OverDrive and at libraries and schools around the globe: https://openheartsbigdreams.
For further information:
• IBBY Ethiopia: www.ibby.org/ibby-worldwide/
• IBBY Honour List: www.ibby.org/awards-
For press inquiries, contact:
IBBY Ethiopia: Yoseph Ayalew / phone: +251-965-696-969 / +251-911-227-650
OHBD: Ellenore Angelidis / phone: +1 425-295-8841 / ellenore@openheartsbigdreams.
Published Author in Her Family
Alexis Donald, MD, a trailblazing African American medical doctor and advocate for empowering young minds, is thrilled to announce the release of her highly anticipated children’s book, Mommy I Want to be a Doctor. Based on her own remarkable journey, this captivating story encourages children to dream big, believe in themselves, and fearlessly pursue their aspirations.
As the first medical doctor in her family, Dr. Alexis has always been driven by a passion for medicine and a desire to make a difference in the world. Her inspiring tale begins with her childhood dreams and takes readers on a heartfelt journey of determination, resilience, and triumph. To Order Her Book Click Here or on Amazon.
To see our exclusive interview with Dr. Donald Tap here.
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