Grandma's Sandals Wins - International Impact Book Awards!

2 June, 2026 Some very special news for Grandma’s Sandals... it’s a winner! 🏆

Grandma’s Sandals has been named a winner in the International Impact Book Awards, recognising the story and the impact of its themes of culture, identity, empathy and belonging.

This award feels particularly meaningful because Grandma’s Sandals began with the children I teach. Inspired by my ex

periences working with migrant and refugee students in an Intensive English Centre in Perth, I wanted to create a story that gently explored what it might feel like for a child to leave behind the people, places, language and culture they know and begin again somewhere new.

Through Long’s journey, Grandma’s Sandals celebrates the idea that finding a place to belong in a new world doesn’t mean letting go of the old one. Our memories, families, traditions and stories remain part of who we are, wherever life takes us.

Like every picture book, this one was also a collaboration. A very special thank you goes to illustrator Ana Rodic, whose beautiful artwork gave Long’s story a visual world filled with warmth, emotion and connection.

Receiving recognition for a book so close to my heart is incredibly special, and I’m enormously grateful to the International Impact Book Awards for honouring Grandma’s Sandals. Most of all, I hope this little story continues to find its way into classrooms, libraries and homes, and into the hands of children who might recognise a little of themselves, their families or their friends within its pages.

What a wonderful milestone for Grandma’s Sandals. ❤️

International Impact Book Awards Winner - Grandma’s Sandals

Written by Jodie Barton | Illustrated by Ana Rodic | Winterpaw Books