As long as literature has been specifically aimed at children questions have been raised about ideological representations in children's literature. Award-winning children's literature generally upholds contemporary standards of moral ideologies in the text. Ideological representations of sustainability and justice are yet to be fully accommodated in the judging criteria of children's literary awards. The Earth Charter proposes a framework of responsibility for 'a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice and a culture of peace'. This paper proposes an argument for adopting the sixteen principles of the Earth Charter as an ideological framework for selecting award-winning children's books. The 2018 Australian Children's Book Council Award for Early Childhood is used as the case for analysis. The award-winning book is analysed using an Ideological Framework for Earth Charter Principles. This framework is adapted from McCallum and Stephens' (2011) model of Ideological Framing in Children's Literature. Our analysis revealed that this award-winning book both upholds and violates Earth Charter principles. This paper provides an argument for excluding books from award honours if they violate the principles of the Earth Charter without redefining or resolving the violations. For award-winning children's literature to stand the test of time, the selection of texts could be referenced to an aspirational document like the Earth Charter that advocates justice for a sustainable future.