Meet the Judges 2023: Cressida Cowell

Our fourth judge needs no introduction - as it’s the inimitable Cressida Cowell!

As well as being a former Children’s laureate, Cressida is of course the author and illustrator, best known for, among many other works, her How to Train Your Dragon series.

Cressida is of course now very busy putting all of her expertise to the test in taming the shortlist-to-be - so Cressida, thank you so much for answering our questions, too!

Credit Debra Hurford Brown

What is your earliest reading memory?

Going to the local library to discover exciting new books – which is one of the reasons libraries are so important, they make reading accessible from the earliest age.

Who is (or was) your all-time favourite person to read picture books with?

 My children. I know parents are exhausted by the end of the day, but as the parent of 3 adult children, they’re some of my fondest memories. And books read to you in a parent’s voice live with you all your life.

Who or what do you consider to be the best picture book character ever, and why?

‘The Lorax. He’s a brilliantly entertaining character whilst also delivering vital messages about the environment and empowering children to know that they can make a difference. He also has a beautiful, lyrical voice: ‘I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues.'

Oscar's Book Prize celebrates the very best picture books. What sort of stories are you hoping to discover while judging this year's shortlist?

I’m looking for a book that the children will love, obviously, but also appeals to the reading adult so that they enjoy reading together, to create those happy memories. I’m looking for something with skill, and heart and joy.

About Cressida:

Cressida Cowell MBE is the author-illustrator of the How to Train Your Dragon, The Wizards of Once and Which Way to Anywhere book series, as well as picture books. How to Train Your Dragon is also an Academy Award nominated film and TV franchise. Cressida is a trustee of World Book Day, a patron of Read for Good, an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust and the Woodland Trust. She has won many high-profile awards for her books, as well as her work championing literacy. She is an honorary fellow of Keble College, Oxford, and has an honorary doctorate from the University of Brighton. Cressida was Children’s Laureate 2019-2022.

Meet the Judges 2023: Dapo Adeola

Our treat for you this Monday morning is an introduction to our third 2023 judge: the incredible Dapo Adeola. Character designer, illustrator and author, Dapo’s work has been dazzling children and parents alike over the past few years, delighting us with characters from space detectives to lioness mums (and of course, a very special Rocket).

To find out (or should that be ‘look up’ - SORRY - ) more about Dapo, please read on below…

Dapo - thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions!

What is your earliest reading memory?

It’s a bit of a sad one. I was raised in a household of non readers who only saw being able to read as a way of avoiding the embarrassment they felt around illiteracy. So I was forced to learn to read books that I had no interest in at all. I could read, but I kept that a secret and instead got really good at hiding the books they forced on me around the house. It wasn’t until I was 7 that reading for pleasure became a thing for me. I’d just started a new school year and my teacher at the time sat me in front of the bookshelf and gave me the opportunity to choose which book I wanted to read. It was the first time I’d been given a choice and I jumped to it, and so began my love of reading. 

Who is (or was) your all-time favourite person to read picture books with?

I haven’t actually read picture books regularly with anyone outside of work events. 

I guess my faves would be the children in classes across the country that we’ve done events with. The energy exchange is absolute magic. The looks on faces and the love for our characters and stories never fails to get me emotional.

 

Who or what do you consider to be the best picture book character ever, and why?

There are many classic and amazing. picture book characters, but it’s absolutely impossible for me to choose one as the best of all time. Each time I think I’ve found one, someone releases a character that I wish I’d drawn or come up with. I love how Illustrators keep pushing the craft forward.  

 

Oscar's Book Prize celebrates the very best picture books. What sort of stories are you hoping to discover while judging this year's shortlist?

I’m holding back any expectations when it comes to submissions, I want to be pleasantly surprised. The most I’m hoping for is to find stories that dare to be brave enough to step off the well-trodden path of past books.

 

 About Dapo:

Dapo Adeola is an illustrator, author and character designer who was awarded Illustrator of the Year at The British Book Awards in 2022. Dapo rocketed into the picture book world with his greatly acclaimed illustrator debut, Look Up!, written by Nathan Bryon and published by Puffin in 2019, which won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2020. Dapo illustrated My Dad is a Grizzly Bear and My Mum Is a Lionesswritten by award-winning author Swapna Haddow (both published by Macmillan Children’s Books), and collaborated with Malorie Blackman on their picture book We’re Going to Find the Monster!

Dapo made his author debut in 2021 with the Puffin published picture book Hey You!: An Empowering Celebration of Growing Up Black, featuring 18 talented Black British illustrators, which also went on to win Illustrated book of the year at The British Book Awards in 2022.

Meet the Judges 2023: Viveka Alvestrand

It’s time for our second Meet the Judges!

Today’s judge will be familiar to many, as she not only co-founded the Prize, but has judged it every year! Viveka Alvestrand is Oscar’s mum and this will be her TENTH year of selecting a shortlist and winner from all of our wonderful entries.

Viveka has kindly answered some questions for us about her own reading experiences – find out more below!

 Thank you, Viveka.

 

 What is your earliest reading memory? 

The excitement of going to the local library with my nursery in Stockholm where I grew up. I loved the calm and the smell of the books!

 

Who is (or was) your all-time favourite person to read picture books with? 

My father has a good reading voice, so I think it would have to be bedtime reading with him.

 

Who or what do you consider to be the best picture book character ever, and why? 

Hmm, that's a toughie. Whichever one I choose I know I am going to kick myself about later as there are so many to choose from! In terms of early sensory reading memories I think I would have to go with Curious George, though. I loved anything with him in it as a child, still do!

 

Oscar's Book Prize celebrates the very best picture books. What sort of stories are you hoping to discover while judging this year's shortlist? 

Wonderfully illustrated stories that transport children and their imaginations to places near and far, stories for them to remember and carry with them as they grow and make sense of the world.

 

About Viveka

Viveka Alvestrand is Oscar’s mother and co-founder of Oscar’s Book Prize. Born in Stockholm, Sweden, she is a self-confessed book worm, and studied Youth & Children’s Literature at Stockholm University before moving to the UK. She works in digital media, and also designs and makes her own line of contemporary jewellery in Surrey.

Meet the Judges 2023: Benji Davies

We’re lucky enough to have a stellar line up of judges here at OBP this year, who are all putting their expertise to the test by taking on the near-impossible task of judging our fantastic entries!

However, not only are they immensely talented, diligent and fair - they are generous enough to emerge briefly from their reading to answer our questions!

First up is the amazing Benji Davies - who counts among his many awards the very rare accolade of being the only two-time winner of Oscar’s Book Prize (and the very first winner, now that we mention it). We can’t think of a better person to have on the panel for our tenth year to bring things full circle.

Please read all about Benji below. Benji - thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions!

What is your earliest reading memory?

Sitting with my mum reading at bedtime.

Who is (or was) your all-time favourite person to read picture books with?

 My daughter. I love to read to her and she loves to be read to - it’s as simple as that.

There is so much joy to be had reading to a picture book to a child, looking at the pictures together and listening to the rhythm of the words.

Who or what do you consider to be the best picture book character ever, and why?

For me it’s the tiger from The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith Kerr. He gets to eat all the cakes and drink all the water in the tap. And who could resist that big grin? 

Oscar's Book Prize celebrates the very best picture books. What sort of stories are you hoping to discover while judging this year's shortlist?

I’m hoping to see a diverse range of stories and illustrative styles, there is so much out there. I’d also like to see picture books that appeal to the very youngest children - stories that don’t need to be fully understood to entertain and enchant. Especially I’d like to see the work of authors who dare to be different. 

About Benji Davies:

Benji Davies is an illustrator, author and animation director.

Benji studied animation at university where he learnt how to tell stories with pictures, from short films and music videos, to title sequences and picture books. In his work he aims to capture how it feels to be a child.

His first self-penned picture book The Storm Whale won the inaugural Oscar’s Book Prize and was Dutch Picture Book Of The Year 2017. His second, Grandad’s Island, won the children’s book category of the AOI World Illustration Awards and was crowned Children’s Book of the Year at the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards. Both books have since been adapted for the stage.

He is the illustrator of Nosy Crow’s internationally bestselling board book series, Bizzy Bear.

Benji’s books can been read in over thirty-five languages and have sold over 6 million copies around the world.

He has given talks for and proudly supports the work of CLPE, The Children’s Bookshow, Pathways, SCBWI, Artillery and The Guardian amongst many others, and makes regular appearances at literary festivals and bookshops around the UK and beyond.

Benji lives in east London with his wife and daughter.

Judges Announced: Oscar's Book Prize 2023

 We’re absolutely thrilled to announce our TENTH judging panel! Please see below for the very official press release, which has been publicly shared today.

We can’t wait to see what this outstanding panel picks…

Read more about our judges here - or on our social channels - in the coming days!

Cressida Cowell joins Oscar’s Book Prize judging panel to find the breakout picturebook of 2023

London, UK, 2 March 2023: Cressida Cowell, the celebrated former Children’s Laureate and author of the best-selling children’s book series How To Train Your Dragon is joining the judging panel for Oscar’s Book Prize 2023.

Alongside Cowell, selecting the best picturebook of the year will be The British Book Awards ‘Illustrator of the Year 2022’ Dapo Adeola and author and two-time winner of Oscar’s Book Prize, Benji Davies. Completing the panel is Viveka Alvestrand, who co-founded the literary award in memory of her son, and Lisa de Meyer, the UK Books Country Manager at Amazon.co.uk.

 Now celebrating its tenth year, the £10,000 prize seeks to find the best illustrated book for young children and was set up by James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand to celebrate magical stories for children in memory of their son Oscar, who was three-and-a-half when he died from a heart condition in December 2012.

 Cressida Cowell said: “Being so passionate about children’s literature and the excitement and inspiration it can bring to children, I am so looking forward to unearthing some new magic while we choose the next breakout picturebook. I know all too well the hard work and dedication it takes to create a great picturebook, which look deceptively simple, but capturing the imagination and excitement of children and their families takes enormous skill.”

 Oscar's Book Prize is supported by Amazon Books and the Evening Standard. Its patron is HRH Princess Beatrice. Submissions closed in January and the shortlist will be revealed in April, before the winner is announced in May 2023.

 James Ashton, the prize's chairman and co-founder, said: “If I think about how simply our prize began, reaching ten years is a milestone of which everyone involved should be proud. We couldn’t have got this far without the support of authors, illustrators, publishers, sponsors and judges and I hope for 2023 we can showcase another brilliant book for parents to share with their children.”

 Lisa de Meyer, Country Manager for Amazon UK Books, said: “We always look forward to this time of year where we get to support Oscar’s Book Prize in championing the creative talent behind books for children. Some of my most precious times with my 2-year-old have revolved around reading, especially at bedtime, and I am thrilled to be part of this very special judging panel. For young children (and parents, too), picturebooks are a pathway into adventure, learning and creativity, and Amazon is proud to support the search for the nation’s next favourite bedtime story.” 

 Previous winners of the prize include:

2022: Maybe… by Chris Haughton (Walker Books)

2021: The Littlest Yak by Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley (Simon & Schuster)

2020: Tad by Benji Davies (HarperCollins)

2019: How To Be a Lion by Ed Vere (Puffin)

2018: There’s a Pig Up My Nose by John Dougherty and Laura Hughes (Egmont)

2017: The Koala Who Could by Rachel Bright and Jim Field (Orchard Books)

2016: The Cow Who Climbed A Tree by Gemma Merino (Macmillan Children’s Books)

2015: The Queen’s Hat by Steve Antony (Hodder Children’s Books)

2014: The Storm Whale by Benji Davies (Simon & Schuster)

 

For more information about Oscar’s Book Prize, please visit www.oscarsbookprize.co.uk.

 ENDS<

 

The submission period for Oscar's Book Prize 2023 is now closed!

Well - the greediest weeks of our inner book-worm’s diets are now at an end for 2023 - and we’re sated! We would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the publishers who have entered this year and wish everyone the very best of luck.

We feel hugely lucky to have the opportunity to see so many outstanding picture books each year - and truly humbled by the talent of the illustrators and authors behind them.

We will be announcing our shortlist in early April, and the winner on 9th May. And - just as excitingly - we will soon be announcing our 2023 judges!

Please do check back here soon or follow @oscarsbookprize on Twitter or Instagram (or find us on Facebook) for more news.

Until then, we’ve got just a few books to immerse ourselves in….

Oscar's Book Prize 2023 is Now Accepting Submissions!

Possibly the only thing better than opening the first door of the advent calendar today is the news that Oscar’s Book Prize is back and accepting entries!

And just in case you needed any more reasons to decide upon our superiority to a small (if delicious) chocolate - we last longer! The entry period will close on Monday 16th January - so UK publishers have plenty of time to enter their very best picture books for young children.

The full Terms and Conditions of Entry can be found on our ‘Enter’ page - as well as the link to the Entry Form itself.

Good luck everyone - we’re beyond excited to see what this year brings! (Spoiler alert: outstanding entries and awesome judges….with the latter being announced early in 2023).

An early Christmas present: Oscar's Book Prize 2023 is coming!

We have exciting news, folks - Oscar’s Book Prize 2023 will be open for entries from 1st December 2022! Consider it a bonus advent calendar door! Please check back on our Entry page then for full details - including the rules of entry and the entry form itself.

Calling all schools and nurseries: your chance to win one of 50 sets of our wonderful 2022 shortlist

That's right folks, we have 50 sets of the OBP 2022 shortlist to give away! All you need to do is tell us where you’d read the shortlist!

Wherever it would be, hold that thought - because to be in with a chance of receiving a set for your school or nursery setting, please ensure you have entered by 5pm on Friday 27th May.

Entering is simple - all you need to do is complete our Google form and contact us on one of our social media platforms (a tweet, an Instagram post or tag us on Facebook - all @oscarsbookprize) telling us where you would read the books!

The winning schools will be notified at the start of June, and books will be with the winners shortly afterwards. If your school or nursery setting is selected, please post a picture of the shortlist in your chosen location!

To accompany the giveaway - and even for those who don't win - our wonderful friends at CLPE have produced a reading guide for each shortlisted book.

In the meantime, if you would like more information on the books please check our news page in the coming weeks, when we will have some very special insight from the books' brilliant authors and illustrators. You can also read more about the books on the excellent National Literacy Trust's Words for Life website.

If you can't wait for the competition to close to get your hands on a set, the books are available from all bookstores or to borrow from libraries, and of course to buy from Amazon on their dedicated page www.amazon.co.uk/obp

Good luck everyone! We can't wait to see where you would read these treasures!

The smallprint:

Please note that dates are subject to change.

All entries must be received by 5pm on Friday 27th May.

We can provide one set per chosen setting/school only. Sadly we cannot replace any sets that go missing or are damaged en route.

For enquiries please email info@oscarsbookprize.co.uk.

OBP 2022: Winner Party Pictures

Just a ‘snapshot’ (somebody stop us) from the wonderful award ceremony on Tuesday. See if you can spot our judges, shortlist, special guests and more!

Congratulations to Chris and our shortlist once again - and huge thanks to all for coming (and submitting such amazing books in the first place!).

Photos courtesy of Tom Pilston, with many thanks.

A special reading of Maybe... by Chris Haughton

We’re so thrilled for this year’s winner Chris Haughton!

We’ve heard from the judges and our Patron HRH Princess Beatrice about what makes this book so special, but the very best way to appreciate it is to read it for yourself. As such, we’re delighted to present a very special reading of Maybe… below. Huge thanks to our panel and Patron for making this possible!

We hope you enjoy the reading (and of course, Maybe… itself) as much as we all have. Congratulations to Chris - and to all at Walker Books - for this vibrant, roar-some winner! Now, let’s talk about mangoes…

Copyright information:

Copyright © 2021 Chris Haughton

MAYBE… by Chris Haughton

Reproduced by permission of Walker Books Ltd, London, SE11 5HJ

www.walker.co.uk

Film courtesy of Gray Creative Ltd, with many thanks!

Watch our judges talk about OBP 2022's winner: Maybe... by Chris Haughton!

Our Judges had a LOT to say about Maybe… (and who can blame them?). Please watch below for our Judges’ take on this vibrant, funny masterpiece! Enjoy!

Oscar's Book Prize 2022: Winner Revealed!

Princess Beatrice reveals the winner of Oscar’s Book Prize 2022

London, UK, 18 May 2022: HRH Princess Beatrice announced the winner of this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize at an awards ceremony in central London yesterday evening. The award, supported by Amazon, the National Literacy Trust and the Evening Standard, crowned Maybe…, by the multi-talented author and illustrator Chris Haughton, as the winner, topping the shortlist of magical stories to take home the £10,000 literary prize.

Maybe…by Chris Haughton (Walker Books)

The Dublin-born author and illustrator has produced several much-loved children’s books in the last decade, including the best-selling A Bit Lost and Oh No, George!

Upon winning, Chris Haughton said: “It’s an honour to be chosen as the winner for this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize, and a privilege to be held in such high regard amongst a shortlist of incredible authors and illustrators, all of whom deserve the award as much as me. This is an award that celebrates and highlights the joy that comes from children’s stories, and one I shall cherish.”  

Photo courtesy of Tom Pilston

Maybe… (Walker Books) is a cautionary tale about three little monkeys and transports readers on a journey of vicarious mischief as boundaries are pushed and lessons are learned. Maybe is one of six books which were shortlisted for this year’s Prize, with the other’s including Barbara Throws a Wobbler by Nadia Shireen (Puffin, PRH Children's), The Pet: Cautionary Tales for Children and Grown-ups by Catherine Emmett and David Tazzyman (Macmillan Children's Books), The Duck Who Didn't Like Water by Steve Small (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books), The Fire Fox by Alexandra Page and Stef Murphy (Two Hoots, Macmillan Children’s Books) and I'm Sticking With You Too by Smriti Halls and Steve Small (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books).

Many of this year’s judging panel joined the award ceremony held at The Ivy Club in central London, including singer-songwriter, Sophie Ellis-Bextor alongside her mother and two-time author, Janet Ellis. The pair were joined by the former Children's Laureate and award-winning illustrator, Chris Riddell, rapper, actor, comedian and children’s author, Ben Bailey Smith (Doc Brown), Amazon’s UK Books Country Manager, Lisa De Meyer and the Prize co-founder, Viveka Alvestrand.

HRH Princess Beatrice said: “This year’s winning book is a stunning blend of imaginative storytelling with playful illustration. The amount of vibrancy expressed in the story - from characterization to humour - is also a stand-out example of how much power pictures - and relatively few words - have to convey a story. I’m proud to be a long-standing patron of Oscar’s Book Prize and have had the privilege of witnessing this award shine a light on so many amazing books over the years.”

Photo courtesy of Tom Pilston

The award, now in its ninth year, was set up by James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand to celebrate magical stories and encourage parents to take time to share books with their young children. It is named in memory of their son Oscar, who was three-and-a-half when he died from an undiagnosed heart condition in December 2012.

James Ashton, the prize's chairman and co-founder, said: “Young children need bright and engaging stories to escape into and our judges felt Chris’s work enables that brilliantly. He is a worthy winner of our £10,000 prize and it has been great to celebrate his success at an in-person event once again.”

For more information about the prize and this year’s winning book, please visit www.oscarsbookprize.co.uk and to view the full shortlisted books on Amazon, please visit www.amazon.co.uk/obp22.

 

>ENDS<

 For further enquiries, please contact:

Hunt & Gather

Email: BooksProjects@hunt-gather.com

 

About Oscar’s Book Prize

Oscar’s Book Prize is an annual prize for the best under-fives book of the year. It champions magical storytelling by authors and illustrators, best shared between young children and their parents.

It is awarded in memory of book-loving Oscar Ashton, who died in 2012 of an undiagnosed heart condition aged three and a half. Founded by his parents and supported by Amazon, the Evening Standard and the National Literacy Trust, the Prize has been running since 2014.

For news and all other information please visit www.oscarsbookprize.co.uk, follow @oscarsbookprize on Instagram or Twitter, or find Oscar’s Book Prize on Facebook.

 

About Amazon.co.uk

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalised recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.co.uk/about and follow @AmazonNewsUK

Follow Amazon.co.uk on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AmazonUK

Follow Amazon.co.uk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/AmazonUK

Visit the Amazon.co.uk Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AmazonUK

About the National Literacy Trust

Our mission is to improve the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills of those who need it most, giving them the best possible chance of success in school, work and life. We run Literacy Hubs and campaigns in communities where low levels of literacy and social mobility are seriously impacting people’s lives. We support schools and early years settings to deliver outstanding literacy provision, and we campaign to make literacy a priority for politicians, businesses and parents.

Our research and analysis make us the leading authority on literacy and drive our interventions. Literacy is a vital element of action against poverty and our work changes children and young people’s life stories. Our new site Words for Life provides simple, fun and educational activities for children and young people aged 0-24 to support learning at home and help them feel more confident.

Visit literacytrust.org.uk to find out more, donate or sign up for our free email newsletter. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the London Evening Standard

The London Evening Standard is the only quality free daily newspaper in the UK. An iconic London brand, the Standard’s paper, website and apps keep the capital up-to-date on the latest news, business, sport, features and entertainment. The Evening Standard is famous for its campaigning to improve life in the capital. Campaigns have included the Dispossessed Campaign, which raised over £14 million to tackle poverty and inequality and Get London Reading, a campaign to raise literacy levels for children in the capital.

The Shortlist edit: part 2

It’s the final countdown! One more day to go until we find out who our Judges chose as the winner of OBP 2022! The calibre of this year’s shortlist has made that an almost impossible task.- we always think our judges have the best and most difficult job in the world!

Speaking of that, while the comments within the OBP judging meetings remain entirely confidential - there is a loophole. Well, there is when one of the judges is an award-winning illustrator who likes to document a meeting with drawings…

As such, if you ever wondered what an OBP judging meeting is like, here’s a sneak peek, courtesy of the incorrigibly enthusiastic pencil of Chris Riddell…

Opinions strictly illustrator’s own, of course…

(and in case you haven’t already, please scroll down for the next post to look at what the judges all said on each book!)

We cannot disclose what said wobbler was about: and of course there are no tantrums at all within OBP judging meetings (and definitely none to do with a lack of dragons)

Smriti and Steve might not want to write Ben Bailey Smith into their next book, but then again…

Just a fire fox and a chicken, squirrel and bear to go and we’d have the full shortlist…

A duck who doesn’t like water…

The Shortlist Edit: Part 1

Now that you’ve met our shortlist, it’s high time we talked more about the brilliant books that they’ve created! And who better to do that than our wonderful judging panel themselves?

Please watch below for the judges’ soundbites on each book in turn. If you haven't read them already - now’s the time to grab a copy of each of our stupendous six and see what you think of the judges’ comments.

Thanks so much again to our brilliant panel for such amazing care and consideration. All of the submitted books were wonderful, and choosing just six is a Herculean task!!!

Chris Riddell on Barbara Throws A Wobbler by Nadia Shireen (Puffin)

Viveka Alvestrand on The Pet by Catherine Emmett and David Tazzyman (Macmillan Children’s Books)

Janet Ellis on The Fire Fox by Alexandra Page and Stef Murphy (Macmillan Children’s Books, Two Hoots)

Ben Bailey Smith on The Duck Who Didn’t Like Water by Steve Small (Simon & Schuster)

Lisa de Meyer on I’m Sticking with You Too by Smriti Halls and Steve Small (Simon & Schuster)

Viveka Alvestrand on Maybe… by Chris Haughton

Good luck, everyone!!!! Just a few days left until we find out which of these incredible six books will win! Stay tuned next week for more news…and some extra illustrations…

Meet the Shortlist: Smriti Halls and Steve Small

With just FIVE days to go until we announce the OBP2022 WINNER - it’s high time to introduce you to our final shortlistees. We’re absolutely thrilled to have Smriti Halls and Steve Small on our shortlist for the second year running - this time for their new book I’m Sticking with You, Too - which introduces a new friend to Bear and Squirrel’s enduring friendship.

I’m Sticking with You, Too

Please read on for Smriti and Steve’s Q&As - and find out about all sorts of things about multiple nominations (for both Smriti and Steve!), wardrobes, music and a very flamboyant chicken…

Smriti’s Answers:

Did you have a favourite picture book as a child? If so, what was it?

I had several favourites including a beautiful Hans Christian Andersen treasury and a brilliant Richard Scarry nursery rhyme collection that I still have… and still love.

 

What do you think the best thing about picture books is?

For me, it’s that magical shared space that the interplay of words and pictures create for a child and an adult reader to enjoy together. A space where time stands still and where some of the most treasured of childhood memories are made. I also love the way that picture books demand to be read aloud, over and over, and often become so beloved that they are known by heart.

 

What’s the best thing about THIS book?

The music!! I live in a house bursting with music and music-makers - at any given time there are instruments of all shapes and sizes and all sorts of melodies and harmonies competing to be heard - everything from opera to Oasis and from Bach to Britney. Sometimes it’s less than melodious but when it comes together... it’s some kind of wonderful. This book is a celebration of the joyful, eclectic harmony that the music of true friendship is – occasionally offbeat, but always unique, uplifting and brilliant. It’s a reminder that when new members join our band, there’s still space for everyone to be themselves… and to flap their own feathers and sing their own song.

 

We were lucky enough to meet Bear and Squirrel last year when they were shortlisted for Oscar’s Book Prize in 2021! Can you tell us a little bit more about their new friend?

Chicken is entirely and fabulously herself…. flamboyant, plucky, optimistic, sociable and independent. I think the other two find her enthusiasm a little overwhelming at first, but what’s great about Bear and Squirrel is that while they’re good at getting things a bit wrong, they’re even better at putting them right again.

 

Did you have a favourite character to write?

You can’t ask that! It would be like choosing a favourite child! Honestly, I loved writing all three characters, but what I enjoyed most was writing the dynamics, the tension, the tenderness and, critically, creating the balance between this little trio.

 

Please tell us what makes you most excited about being on the OBP shortlist:

I can’t quite believe that I’ve made it onto the OBP shortlist for a third time. I love this award which carries a child at its heart – something that’s immediately evident in each year’s shortlist where the books are unfailingly child-centred and such a JOY. I’m honoured and delighted.

 

Steve’s Answers:

Did you have a favourite picture book as a child? If so, what was it?

I had many favourites. I liked the two-book set of Dean’s gift books of Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone.

What do you think the best thing about picture books is?

They are the wardrobe in your room that opens into another world where you can instantly meet your latest friends. Hmm... Sounds like a good idea for a story.

 

What’s the best thing about THIS book?

When I was a kid, I had a best friend that lived near me. Eventually we got to know another kid who joined in when we went out to play. But it was different somehow. Trying to accommodate three people’s opinions and styles, we would occasionally hit bumps in the road that our young minds were not best equipped to deal with. All good training ground for future life skills, and a great way to start to get to know yourself a bit better as well as learning to make room for others too, but it’s funny how in these times, even simple things seem complex. This book takes a fun and light-hearted look at this territory and explores that unusual thing that can happen when you are young, and you make a friend, even though you’ve already got one.

We were lucky enough to meet Bear and Squirrel last year when they were shortlisted for Oscar’s Book Prize in 2021! Can you tell us a little bit more about their new friend?

Smriti saw some sketches I hadn’t used in I’m Sticking With You and suggested we introduce her into the next chapter. Smriti then wrote about this marvellously bold, happy and charismatic Chicken who was determined to be Bear and Squirrel’s new friend. I really enjoyed illustration her and showing how this plucky ( sorry, couldn’t resist) soul wins their hearts.

Did you have a favourite character to draw?

Hm. That’s a tough one. Chicken is bursting with personality, Squirrel likes everything in its place but has a genuine fun side, and Bear is your evergreen gentle Giant. As much as a love them all equally, and as much as I (so much) enjoyed revisiting Bear and Squirrel, Chicken won me over in this book.

Please tell us what makes you most excited about being on the OBP shortlist:

Doodle below!

Meet the Shortlist: Catherine Emmett and David Tazzyman

Here’s a Friday lunchtime treat indeed: the chance to meet our fifth (and penultimate!) shortlistees! We were delighted to find out more about Catherine and David, author and illustrator of the riotously funny and subversive - and truly cautionary - tale The Pet!

Catherine has sent us her thoughts as a video - please see below to enjoy. David’s Q&A also follows below, complete with many gorgeous illustrations.

Have a read and a watch to find out their favourite things about picture books, this book, a chocolate-loving Alsatian, and much, much more!

Thank you so much David and Catherine!

Catherine’s Q&A:

Catherine Emmett

David Tazzyman

David’s Q&A:

Did you have a favourite picture book as a child? If so, what was it?

We didn’t have many picture books in my house as a child. I grew up in a working class house in the 1970’s and picture books were (according to my mum) an extravagance working class people could barely afford. We had a Richard Scarry book that I absolutely loved, I remember spending hours studying the illustrations. We also had all the Mr Men books, I was obsessed with them, Roger Hargreaves was genius. We went to our local library every week, I remember a couple of Dave McKee books that I enjoyed looking at but the book that I marvelled at every time we visited was Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, I was mesmerised by it, I thought it magical, I still do. Now as an adult I see the many layers to it that I didn’t back then, the profound way in which it dealt with a boy coping with anger through his wild imagination. The art is iconic and peerless.

What do you think the best thing about picture books is?

The pictures! They make those early books so accessible and appealing to kids even before they can read themselves. They invite kids to pick them up and look inside, they speak their language and say to them, you’re welcome here, this is for you, come on jump in.

What’s the best thing about THIS book?

The Pet, A Cautionary Tale For Children and Grown Ups is the best script for a picture book that I’ve been offered. I said yes to it immediately. When Macmillan then told me I had to do a couple of ‘test’ character illustrations before I was offered the contract I panicked, ignored what they told me I needed to do and spent 2 weeks doing the big pet shop double page spread that had all the main characters and a chaotic menagerie of pets including Gus the gorilla. I was desperate not to let this script slip through my fingers! I think Catherine’s writing is superb; funny, clever, brilliantly constructed with sublime rhyme. The story is also slightly dark and brave (in these modern times) with the main character being a spoilt, demanding, unsympathetic little boy who gets taught a lesson by his prize pet. There is a great twist at the end too that genuinely surprises the audience. Not many picture books do this.

Image courtesy of David Tazzyman, Macmillan Children’s Books

I also love the endpapers. I asked the year 3 children at our local primary school to eachdraw a picture of their favourite pet and the results are wonderful; they’re the best illustrations in the book! The kids absolutely love the fact they are actual published illustrators and so do I!

Did you have a favourite character to draw?

Doris the pet shop owner was my favourite character to draw. I had a grin on my face the whole time I was designing her, I do love a tabard! I imagined her as this slightly eccentric animal loving lady who’s pet shop is almost an extension of her house. I found it funny that she was very protective of the animals in respect to potential new owners (Digby) but was ultimately bribable. I also loved creating the mice that have their own sub narrative throughout the book. You might have to reread to spot them! I really like doing things like this as it adds another layer of interest beyond the story itself. I hope to encourage those personal games and connections like counting the mice or making up daft stories about what they’re getting up to, they’re the kind of things that keep me and my kids coming back to a book again and again. It also amuses me that they are the only ‘wild’ animals in the book!

Courtesy of David Tazzyman / Macmillan Children’s Books

Did you have a lot of pets when you were little?

We had a lovely Alsatian called Billy who I adored. He was a chocolate treat connoisseur, if you threw a ‘doggy’ choc up in the air for him he would ignore it but if you chucked him a Cadbury’s chocolate button he’d jump & catch it mid-air! He didn’t like bees much.

Please tell us what makes you most excited about being on the OBP shortlist:

I love the fact that Oscars Book Prize is dedicated to celebrating just picture books. I think it really helps to showcase the importance of illustration in children’s publishing and the depth of illustration talent that is out there. This is the first time a picture book I’ve been involved with has been shortlisted for a major award and the fact that this is also Oscars makes it super exciting for me. I’m really proud of The Pet and hope that being shortlisted might help more children discover it and if we win we may get another Cautionary Tale commissioned!

Meet the shortlist: Steve Small (on The Duck Who Didn't Like Water)

We can’t believe it, but it’s time to look at our fourth shortlistee already! Please meet the multi-talented author and illustrator Steve Small, who graces the OBP shortlist for the second year in a row - and TWICE! He’ll discuss his other nomination, I’m Sticking with You Too (with Smriti Halls) in the coming weeks. For now., he talks to us about his incredible first solo book, literary sidekicks, and a very rainy camping trip! Thanks so much, Steve!

The Duck Who Didn’t like Water (Simon & Schuster)

This book has a brilliant double act – do you have a favourite picture book sidekick from when you were little?

Thanks! Nice of you to say. What a good question. I think it has to be Eeyore. I was fascinated by how unexpectedly morose this wonderful donkey was. I had never seen much attention being given to someone with this reluctant and hideaway personality, and yet each story set in A A Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood that featured Eeyore, was all the richer for his bracingly taciturn presence.

The duck really doesn’t like water – is there anything surprising that you don’t like?

Cars and Velcro.

How did you come up with this story?

A peek inside The Duck Who Didn’t Like Water courtesy of Steve Small and Simon and Schuster

I loved hill walking when I was younger. When I was in my mid-twenties, I once pitched a tent at night in the Black Mountains in Wales and woke up on a wet morning to find puddles outside everywhere and one small one inside my tent too. My tent was only just drier than outside. I went away to ( of all things) get some water to boil on my stove for some tea and came back to find a Duck walking into my tent.

As the years went by, I forgot about it and then found myself thinking about that duck when I was doodling about three years ago.  

What do you think is the best thing about this book?

I think it looks at the idea of how to share our time with someone who might sometimes have different views and, I hope, playfully examines the art of compromise and the importance of flexibility. Plus, there’s a Frog that says Ribbit a lot which always gets a chuckle out of me.

Please tell us what makes you most excited about being on the OBP shortlist TWICE this year!

Phew.

Making books is still very new to me and has a certain ‘pinch me, am I dreaming this’ quality. I have always loved picture books. But they were always rather like admiring your neighbour’s amazing flower garden from your second floor flat. Great to look at but I have no idea how much effort it took and I didn’t think it likely that I’d ever get round to try growing one myself. Then I found myself illustrating ‘I’m Sticking With You’ which went on to be nominated last year. That was a real honour and a surprise. I went on to make a fun sequel to that book, and also try my hand at making a Solo book too. And now, BOTH of them were nominated this year. What’s the word for gobsmacked and nonplussed and extremely thankful all rolled into one?

Meet the shortlist: Nadia Shireen

It’s time to meet the awesomely talented creator of our third shortlisted book for 2022: Nadia Shireen!

Barbara Throws a Wobbler is a hugely relatable story for anyone who’s ever been in range of a small person having a very bad day filled with very big feelings, which manages to be both hugely empathic and incredibly funny at the same time, complemented by Nadia’s gorgeous illustrations.

Here she tells us all about her own favourite childhood book, what the best thing about this book might be….and what sort of wobbler she’s likely to throw…

Thanks so much, Nadia!

Nadia Shireen

Did you have a favourite picture book as a child? If so, what was it?

I loved the Meg and Mog books by Jan Pienkowski. The colours were so bright and joyful, and I just found the pictures so arresting even though they were also quite simple. Also sometimes I could see pen marks and that made me think “Hey! I could do that!” They are very friendly books.

What do you think the best thing about picture books is?

They communicate to us on two levels. We read the words, see the images and our brain does something magic in-between, I think. I love that mysterious, magical bit!

What’s the best thing about THIS book?

I can’t believe I got away with the title. I kept waiting for somebody important to tell me it was too silly!

How did you come up with the idea for the story?

Well, as a parent I’ve witnessed a lot of wobblers and I know how difficult and helpless everyone feels in that situation. I know how feeling big emotions can sometimes be really scary. I wanted to make a book that might reassure someone feeling that way.

Which type of wobbler are you most likely to throw?

I’m a huffer. I don’t really explode. I just quietly feel sad or angry and hide under a blanket.

A peek inside Barbara Throws a Wobbler (courtesy of Penguin Random House Children’s Books (Puffin)

Please tell us what makes you most excited about being on the OBP shortlist

I am quite frankly AMAZED to be included on such a fantastic shortlist! You see, all of these words and stories and characters just live in my brain. So I feel very lucky that I get to let them out and share them with people. And I feel even luckier when people say they like them! I honestly find it all quite hard to believe and understand. I’m so happy and honoured.

Meet the shortlist: Alexandra Page and Stef Murphy

Time to meet the creators of our next amazing shortlisted book: The Fire Fox. This touching and moving exploration of loss is both magical and uplifting, and has the added bonus of taking the readers to the snowy Arctic!

The incredibly talented duo that is Stef and Alexandra have kindly answered our questions below. Thanks so much, both!

Author Alexandra Page

Alexandra’s answers

Did you have a favourite picture book as a child? If so, what was it?

I still have my tattered copy of 'The Foxwood Treasure' by Brian and Cynthia Paterson. It's a longer picture book adventure (I always loved long stories the best, to tease out bedtime), in which a friendly mouse, hedgehog and rabbit venture on a quest to find a new village hall. I love the ramshackle old building they discover amongst the bracken and brambles, and all of the tiny details in the illustrations, which I'd pore over while my poor tired dad spent half an hour reading it to me!

What do you think the best thing about picture books is?

There are such a variety of incredible picture books that it's hard to know what's best about them when they offer so much to everyone! But, I think for me it's that they help us to connect and encourage closeness. I love to cuddle up with my own daughter, read a picture book together and answer her questions.

What’s the best thing about THIS book?

The close collaboration between the words and pictures. It feels to me as if the book is just as it was always meant to be. Stef's illustrations perfectly fit the words and my words were tweaked and adjusted many times to better complement Stef's compositions. The overall design and flow feels like a harmony and I'm so proud of it.

Did you have a favourite character to write?

I'm tempted to say the fire fox, but actually it was Freya. I had to delve deep into my memory of the feelings I had when my family separated, to feel as she must feel throughout the story. Freya is very personal to me.

Please tell us what makes you most excited about being on the OBP shortlist

It's been my dream to be a picture book author, but I couldn't have imagined that my stories would be paired with such beautiful illustrations as Stef's. For us to be shortlisted for this incredible award together, as debuts, feels extraordinarily special.

Stef created this magical illustration just for us - thank you, Stef!

Stef’s answers

Did you have a favourite book as a child? If so, what was it?

A very hard question as there were so many books I loved as a child! The Hat by Tommy Ungerer was a real favourite, there’s so much comedy in his drawings. I adored the Brambly Hedge series by Jill Barklem, I could pour over those beautifully detailed illustrations for hours. I remember desperately wanting to try the hot cup of acorn coffee they drink at the end of The Autumn Story! Nick Butterworth’s Percy the Park Keeper books were another bedtime staple. My dad is well known for donning a hanky hat so there was a warming familiarity to his character. Ah, I could go on!

Illustrator Stef Murphy

What do you think the best thing about picture books is?

I really think there is nothing quite like picture books! As a child, picture books were like gateways to exciting new worlds. They sparked my imagination, made me laugh out loud and gave me comfort if I was feeling scared. One of my favourite things to do as a child was to look for the untold narratives happening amongst the illustrations. I’d explore the pages for ages making up my own little stories. I think that’s what’s so special about picture books, the collaboration between words and pictures opens up so many possibilities. The shared experience of reading a picture book is so special. I love reading to my nieces and nephews, it’s a wonderful excuse to forget about the day's worries and lose myself in silly voices or questionable animal impressions!

What’s the best thing about this book

The Fire Fox is the first picture book I have illustrated and I think that will always make it particularly special to me. Alex’s lyrical writing is so transportive and bursting with hope. The mother is such a wonderful character and she really stands out for me. Although she only features briefly, her strength in a time of loss shines through. The feeling that you are loved and that our loved ones never truly leave us is such a wonderful message for children and adults alike. I know I would have loved this story as a child as much as I do now.

Did you have a favourite character to draw?

I loved drawing the fox. I looked at lots of pictures and videos of arctic foxes to gather inspiration for the character. They are such beautiful animals to study, especially the way they jump and dive into the snow. Drawing that little leaping fox during all the uncertainty of the pandemic brought so much joy into my day and I am very grateful for that.

What makes you most excited about being on the OBP shortlist?

I think it’s wonderful that Oscar’s parents have chosen to honour his memory in such a beautiful way. To be considered amongst such an incredible line up is really exciting!