Between now and the winner announcement on 25th May we will be looking at each of our fabulous shortlisted books and their authors and illustrators in turn (although in no particular order).

Our second shortlisted story is Alphonse, There's Mud On The Ceiling! by Daisy Hirst

What’s the Story?

This is the third adventure for mischievous monster siblings Alphonse and Natalie. Normally they love living up on thier flat on the 7th floor but one day they think up a new game - wriggly worms in the jungle. Things are going to get messy because that’s no game for indoors! This fantastic frolic around their little flat is sure to inspire families to explore outside and to keep the muddy fun off the upholstery!

What the Judges said:

“A terrifically zany sense of energy and joyous abandon are created by the quirky, free-form illustration and hand-lettering. It is impossible not to feel captivated by the boundless creativity of Natalie and Alphonse which abounds through their imagination and play and is perfectly evoked both through text and illustration.” - Jake Hope

About the author

Daisy Hirst studied English and Creative Writing at Warwick University and Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art before becoming an author-illustrator. She is the creator of Hilda and the Runaway Baby; Alphonse, That Is Not OK to Do!, which has been translated into nine different languages worldwide; I Do Not Like Books Anymore! and The Girl with the Parrot on Her Head, which was awarded an Ezra Jack Keats Honor, shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize, and selected as The Times' Children's Book of the Week. Daisy lives in Cambridge. Find her online at daisyhirst.com and on Twitter and Instagram as @Deenface.

Daisy’s Q&A

What was your own favourite picture book as a child?

Quentin Blake’s Angelo was one of my favourites. The picture of Angelo’s family (of travelling musicians and acrobats) around their campfire might be my favourite picture book illustration.

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

By having the pictures do so much of the storytelling they give small children power, because they have this very immediate access to the story.

Do you prefer writing or drawing?

That’s so hard! I find drawing less angsty, but I wouldn’t like to do without either. When I’m making up picture books I doodle words and pictures all muddled up together.

Tell us the best thing about this book

It contains many of the things I like best: stars, sticks, tents and campfires – even though, apart from a short trip to the park, everything happens within the small flat (and its balcony) where little monsters Natalie and Alphonse live. It also contains the word “squoze.”

What was your inspiration for the story?

This is my third book about Natalie and Alphonse and when I was first coming up with it I actually wanted them to go off on a big adventure – a camping trip, or at least a visit to a friend’s wild, jungly garden. I think I felt a bit cramped by the thought of making another book set in their home. My editor and art director helped me find out that this cramped feeling was the very thing that needed exploring. It’s taken me ages to realize you don’t need a grand stage to tell a story that means something to small children, who are just getting to grips with their own little bit of world.

There’s a lot of my brother and me in all the Natalie and Alphonse books and, in this one especially, there’s a lot of my nieces too.

What are you writing next?

A few different things, but one is ANOTHER Natalie and Alphonse book. I’m also thinking about monster baby books (my first two are coming out later this year and I’m hoping I’ll get to make some more).

OBP – like everything else - is slightly altered due to the lockdown. We’ve been enjoying seeing all the wonderful and inventive things that authors and illustrators have provided for children at home. What has yours been?

I love seeing the responses to Carson Ellis’ Drawing prompts on instagram (good for children and adults) and Chris Haughton has all manner of storytime videos, animations and activities on his facebook page. I’ve got some free activity sheets at www.daisyhirst.com/freestuff (including one called Naming the Pigeons, based on one of Natalie and Alphonse’s favourite things to do).

And finally, what book would you recommend to read to entertain young children during the lockdown?

Maybe Scritch Scratch Scraww Plop by Kitty Crowther – it’s about a little frog called Jeremy who’s frightened by strange noises he hears in the night, and how his dad helps him feel better. The illustrations are quietly glorious, the frogs are one of my favourite literary families and I love their watery home too.