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Welcome to the website of the International Cartographic Association
Get to know the new ICA Executive Committee for the term 2023-2027
Get to know the ICA Commissions for the term 2023-2027

Books on the Barbara Petchenik Children’s Map Competition

In the past years, books have been created to feature the fantastic results of the Barbara Petchenik Children’s Map Competition. They were published by different ICA members and partners. Please find additional information about the publications below.

The world drawn by children (2020), National Geographic Institute of Spain

The National Geographic Institute of Spain has published the book “The World drawn by children. Barbara Petchenik International Competitions 2017 & 2019 / El mundo dibujado por los niños. Concursos Internacionales Barbara Petchenik 2017 y 2019” as a tribute to the 150th anniversary of its foundation.

This book has been created thanks to the valuable contribution of the ICA Commission on Cartography & Children and the remarkable cooperation of the Spanish Society for Cartography, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. However, above all, it could only come into fruition thanks to the wonderful drawings made by children competing in the 2017 and 2019 editions of the international competition. This competition is organised by the ICA and aims to promote creative representation of the world as seen by schoolchildren, to strengthen geographic and cartographic knowledge and to make participants aware of the world in which they live, favouring understanding and preservation.

The pdf-version of the book can be downloaded here (35mb).

The world drawn by children. Maps from the Barbara Petchenik International Competitions 2017 & 2019. Pilar Sánchez-Ortiz, Jesús Reyes, Carla Sena, Temenoujka Bandrova (Eds.) (2020), National Geographic Institute of Spain

Children Map the World, Commemorating the International Map Year (2017), ESRI Press

The book presents one hundred maps created by children ages 3 to 15 for the 2015 International Cartographic Association map design competition.

From Esri Press: Children Map the World: Commemorating the International Map Year celebrates the cartographic works of children worldwide. The first part includes entries to the biennial Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition in 2015, which characterize the perceptions and solutions used by children as they consider “My place in today’s world”. The second part is a selection of drawings submitted to previous competitions and organized as an atlas created by children.

“We have been involved with the ICA for many years and are pleased to continue our support of its efforts in promoting the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition,” said ESRI president Jack Dangermond. “The creative ability expressed by the young contributors to this book is truly amazing. I was particularly struck by the recurring theme of universal cooperation in their mapmaking efforts and sincerely hope that their view portends our future.”

This book follows the popular first three volumes of Children Map the World, which ESRI Press published in 2005, 2009 and 2015. The ICA created the competition in 1993 as a memorial for Barbara Bartz Petchenik, a cartographer who studied how children comprehend maps. Since that time, thousands of children have participated in the biennial competitions.

Children Map the World: Selections from the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition. Commemorating the International Map Year. José Jesús Reyes Nuñez, Carla Cristina R. G. de Sena, Necla Ulugtekin, Pilar Sánchez-Ortiz Rodríguez (Eds.) (2017) Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.

Children Map the World, Anniversary Edition (2015), ESRI Press

The book presents seventy maps created by children ages 3 to 15 for the 2013 International Cartographic Association map design competition. These hand-drawn, sewn, or assembled maps convey powerful messages of optimism, anxiety, tolerance, and hope that reflect the competition’s most recent theme: “My Place in Today’s World.” This anniversary edition also showcases maps from past competitions held from 1993 through 2011. Children, parents, teachers, and map enthusiasts will delight in the work of these imaginative young cartographers. The children’s representations of the world and life on it demonstrate their varied perspectives on the state of the planet—from optimism to pessimism, grandeur to light-heartedness.

“We have been involved with the ICA for many years and are pleased to continue our support of its efforts in promoting the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition,” said ESRI president Jack Dangermond. “The creative ability expressed by the young contributors to this book is truly amazing. I was particularly struck by the recurring theme of universal cooperation in their mapmaking efforts and sincerely hope that their view portends our future.”

This book follows the popular first two volumes of Children Map the World, which ESRI Press published in 2005 and 2009. The ICA created the competition in 1993 as a memorial for Barbara Bartz Petchenik, a cartographer who studied how children comprehend maps. Since that time, thousands of children have participated in the biennial competitions.

Children Map the World: Selections from the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition. Anniversary Edition. Carla Cristina R. G. de Sena, José Jesús Reyes Nuñez, Necla Ulugtekin, Temenoujka Bandrova (Eds.) (2015) Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.

The World as Seen by Children (2015), Sinomaps Press

The World as Seen by Children. Selection of Drawings from the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competitions in 2009 and 2011. José Jesús Reyes Nuñez, Temenoujka Bandrova, Diah K. Kresnawati, Ana M. Garra (Eds.) (2015) Beijing, China: Sinomaps Press.

Children Map the World, Volume 2 (2009), ESRI Press

ESRI Press published a new international collection of 100 maps drawn by young artists and cartographers under the theme Many Nations—One World.

Children Map the World: Selections from the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition, Volume 2, features maps from competitions held for children ages 4–15. Representing 37 countries, the maps were selected from the biennial Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition sponsored by the International Cartographic Association (ICA) in A Coruña, Spain, in 2005 and Moscow, Russia, in 2007.

“We have been involved with the ICA for many years and are pleased to continue our support of its efforts in promoting the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition,” said ESRI president Jack Dangermond. “The creative ability expressed by the young contributors to this book is truly amazing. I was particularly struck by the recurring theme of universal cooperation in their mapmaking efforts and sincerely hope that their view portends our future.”

This book follows the popular first volume of Children Map the World, which ESRI Press published in 2005. The ICA created the competition in 1993 as a memorial for Barbara Bartz Petchenik, a cartographer who studied how children comprehend maps. Since that time, thousands of children have participated in the biennial competitions. The 2009 and 2011 competitions will reflect the theme Living in a Globalized World.

Children Map the World: Selections from the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition. Volume 2. Temenoujka Bandrova, Jesus Reyes Nunez, Milan Konecny and Jeet Awal (Eds.) (2009) Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.

Children Map the World (2005), ESRI Press

Children Map the World: Selections from the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition presents one hundred favorite drawings submitted by children from around the world. This is an imaginative collection by young artists ranging in age from five to fifteen that reflects artistic, cultural, social, and cartographic awareness. In these drawings, young people express their hopes, wishes, and fears for their world. The images show young people’s enduring interest in maps and the excitement to be had from them.

For children, parents, and teachers, these drawings will inspire and delight. The International Cartographic Association (ICA) created the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition in 1993 as a memorial for Barbara Bartz Petchenik, a cartographer who studied how children comprehend maps. To date, thousands of children from fifty-two countries have been involved in this competition.

The book, published by ESRI, was very well publicised at their User Conference in San Diego (2005, July). In his opening speech, Jack Dangermond spoke about the book against a backdrop of children’s maps projected on large screens. In the “Map Gallery” located on the top floor of the Convention Centre they had a spectacular display of the maps from the book. The main title of the display was “Maps of our Children’s World” with sub-groupings of the maps under topics such as Cartographic Representations, Our Changing World, and Children’s Awareness of Their Environment etc.

At the “Meet the author” book signing event, Jeet Atwal from Carleton University represented the editors of the book.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go toward graphic literacy promotions that target developing countries and disadvantaged learners.

Children Map the World: Selections from the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition. Anderson, J.M., Atwal, J., Wiegand, P.A. and Wood, A.A. (Eds.) (2005) Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.

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