Twelve Picture Books for Christmas - part ten
Ten Little Elves by Mike Brownlow and Simon Rickerty (Orchard Books)
The ‘ten little’series deserves its stellar reputation: colourful images and action-packed,humorous rhymes will grab the attention of small children, especially those learning to count.This particular book energetically counts down to Christmas with adventures on every page.
Twelve Picture Books for Christmas - part nine
The Jolly Christmas Postman By Allan and Janet Ahlberg (Puffin)
The Jolly Postman remains a seminal children’s book, and the same applies for this enchanting Christmas edition. In this tale it's Christmas Eve and the Jolly Postman is delivering greetings to everyone's favourite fairy-tale characters, from Humpty Dumpty to Baby Bear.
Join them on their festive journey and enjoy opening all the letters, cards and gift as much as you do at home with the real life deliveries that come to your door.
Twelve Picture Books for Christmas: part eight
Alfie’s Christmas by Shirley Hughes (Bodley Head)
Alfie’s Christmas by Shirley Hughes (Bodley Head)
Shirley Hughes’ wonderful books have delighted children for decades. The adventures of siblings Alfie and Annie Rose are universally recognisable for most families with young children. Join them - and share their excitement - as they get ready for Christmas.
You can also get a glimpse into all of Alfie’s festive adventures - and those of other characters including Lucy and Tom - by following @ShirleyHughes_ as they look inside the pages each day. It’s something we’ve been enjoying here over the past few weeks.
Twelve Picture Books for Christmas: part seven
The Storm Whale in Winter by Benji Davies (Simon and Schuster)
Benji Davies was the inaugural winner of the prize with his unforgettable book The Storm Whale. This sequel has a wonderfully wintry theme – Noi is worried about the whale he saved last year now that it is snowy, shivery winter – but this time it’s the whale’s turn to save him!
Benji’s other brilliant books including Grandma Bird and Grandad’s Island are also available to read together.
Twelve Picture Books for Christmas - part six
We were thrilled when Steve’s brilliant book The Queen’s Hat won Oscar’s Book Prize in 2015. Here’s a festive tale from the same series: this time The Queen is off on a round-the-world tour in search of the perfect Christmas present. And she's not alone... Father Christmas is here to help!
This story follows the Queen and Father Christmas on a whirlwind tour of some of the world's best-known landmarks.
This is a wonderful story to enjoy together as the countdown to Christmas well and truly hits its stride!
Twelve Picture Books for Christmas - part five
That's Not My Reindeer by Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells (Usborne)
Babies and very young children will adore the multi-sensory aspect of this board book – sturdily made to withstand the exploration of inquisitive little hands! The friendly, simple illustrations let children explore their way through smooth, fluffy, bumpy and shiny surfaces in order to find the right reindeer.
Seasonal alternatives that are just as fun are also available, including That’s Not My Polar Bear, That’s Not my Snowman, and That’s Not My Santa
Twelve Picture Books for Christmas - part 4
Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (Scholastic)
Of all the wonderful picture books produced by former Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, none is as seasonally relevant as the story of Stick Man and the adventures he encounters as he struggles to return to his family. Could helping someone special out of a chimney on Christmas Eve finally let him make his way home to the Family Tree?
Twelve Picture Books for Christmas - part three
Published by Orchard Books
Rachel Bright and Jim Field won this prize in 2016 with The Koala Who Could, and now have a wonderfully snowy adventure set in the Arctic about a little wolf cub who gets lost.
This book is perfect for the many toddlers who are determined to do things for themselves, who will enjoy the adventure told in rhyme.
If you love this books and want more, other books by this wolfishly talented pair include The Lion Inside and The Squirrels who Squabbled.
Twelve Picture Books for Christmas - part two!
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Our second choice for Christmas is not one but a bundle: three festive choices from the treasure trove of Raymond Briggs' books. All equally wonderful, they are: The Snowman, The Snowman and the Snow Dog and … because how could we not… Father Christmas.
All three books capture perfectly the excitement and wonder of childhood – especially at Christmas. From wishes coming true, to the simple delight in building a snowman, and some insight to Santa himself, the humour, warm and detailed pictures and sense of anticipation make these an enchanting adventure for small children.
There are also some wonderful variations of these books to further delight children, including a pop up version of The Snowman and finger puppet version of The Snowman and the Snowdog.
All published by Puffin.
Twelve Picture Books for Christmas
Published by Puffin
Twelve Picture Books You Can Share This Christmas:
Whether you are looking for a stocking filler to delight a small person, or just want to snuggle up and read with them as the nights draw in, this is a great time of year to share a picture book with a child.
Over the next few weeks we’ll be featuring twelve picture books (and, because we couldn’t limit it to just twelve, a few alternative choices are sneaking in, too) that we think capture the magic of the season.
If these snowy, twinkly and festive adventures catch your eye, why not go and borrow or buy one, and enjoy them together?
Please follow @oscarsprize on Instagram and Twitter, with #OBP20 – and do share your own picture book recommendations as we go along!
Without further ado, we’re delighted to introduce our first recommendation:
I Completely Love Winter by Lauren Child (Puffin)
We can’t think of a better way to mark the season – and the close of the Prize’s 6th year, than to suggest not one but two Charlie and Lola classics from our brilliant 2019 judge Lauren Child: I Completely Love Winter or – if we’re feeling optimistic about the weather - Snow is My Favourite and My Best.
Explore with a young child some very relatable emotions and excitement with Charlie and the irrepressible Lola as they enjoy the cold.
How To Be A Lion wins Oscar’s Book Prize 2019
Worthy winner: Ed Vere, recipient of the 2019 Oscar’s Book Prize, with HRH Princess Beatrice. Photography: Nigel Howard Media.
A story about the friendship between a poem-writing lion who doesn’t want to conform to stereotype and his brave duck friend has been named the sixth winner of Oscar’s Book Prize.
How To Be A Lion by Ed Vere has been named the winner of Oscar’s Book Prize 2019.
Vere received the £5,000 award for his book that the jury said “does not preach nor resort to sentimentality but yet a very clear point is made about how it is possible to deal with those who wish to bully and intimidate”.
Lauren Child, Children’s Laureate and author behind the Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean series, who was a judge of this year’s prize, said: “Ed Vere understands how to pace a story, tell it beautifully, make an important point about being true to yourself and loyal to your friends.”
The award is named after Oscar Ashton who died from an undetected heart condition in 2012 at the age of three and a half. It is supported by Amazon, the Evening Standard and the National Literacy Trust and aims to promote books that parents will love reading with young children.
Child was joined on this year’s judging panel by campaigner for women and children’s health Sarah Brown, and Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, UK director of books at Amazon. As in other years, Oscar’s parents Viveka Alvestrand and James Ashton were also judges.
Oscar’s Book Prize 2019 was awarded by HRH Princess Beatrice, royal patron of the prize, during a ceremony at the May Fair Hotel in London.
Children’s Laureate Lauren Child; 2019 winner of Oscar’s Book Prize, Ed Vere, and Oscar’s Book Prize Royal Patron, HRH Princess Beatrice. Photography: Nigel Howard Media
Dream judge: Children’s Laureate Lauren Child, who was a judge for the 2019 Oscar’s Book Prize, speaking at the awards ceremony at the May Fair Hotel. Photography: Nigel Howard Media
Children’s Laureate and 2019 Oscar’s Book Prize judge Lauren Child; James Ashton, Founder of Oscar’s Book Prize, and HRH Princess Beatrice. Photography: Nigel Howard Media.
Ed Vere, writer and illustrator of How To Be a Lion, winner of the 2019 Oscar’s Book Prize.
How To Be a Lion by Ed Vere, winner of Oscar’s Book Prize 2019
Oscar’s Book Prize 2019 shortlist is revealed!
2019 shortlist: Five wonderful books are in the running for this year’s £5,000 prize
The five children’s books in the running for Oscar’s Book Prize 2019 have been revealed.
It has been another record year for admissions, with 117 entries from publishers around the UK. From these a longlist of 15 books were chosen, with help from the Eveline Day Nursery in Wimbledon. This is the nursery that book-loving Oscar Ashton, to whom the prize is a tribute, attended before he died from a heart condition in December 2012.
This year’s judges, including Children’s Laureate Lauren Child and campaigner for women and children’s health Sarah Brown, helped to whittle the candidates down to five to compete for the £5,000 award. They were joined by Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, UK director of books at Amazon. As in previous years, Oscar’s parents Viveka Alvestrand and James Ashton also helped to judge the prize.
Stories about the power of self-belief, children’s mental health and even an infant criminal mastermind are represented on the shortlist.
Here is the 2019 shortlist and what the judges said about the books – in no particular order:
1. Almost Anything by Sophie Henn (Penguin)
“So many children are reticent about having a go at things, or they give up if they aren’t good straight away. I couldn’t think of anything else like it,” said Sarah Brown.
2. Ruby’s Worry by Tom Percival (Bloomsbury)
Brigitte Ricou-Bellan said that book has “beautiful illustrations and brings to life behaviours or ideas which are not easy to discuss.”
3. The Way Home for Wolf by Rachel Bright and Jim Field (Hachette Children’s)
Viveka Alvestrand said: “The illustrations transport you right inside the book. You are standing there with the Northern Lights in front of you – it is breathtaking. It conveys the wonder and awe of nature beautifully.”
4. How to be a Lion by Ed Vere (Penguin)
Lauren Child, author behind the Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean series, said of the book: “Its author Ed Vere understands how to pace a story, tell it beautifully, make an important point about being true to yourself and loyal to your friends.” She added: “It doesn’t preach nor resort to sentimentality but yet a very clear point is made about how it is possible to deal with those who wish to bully and intimidate.”
5. Baby’s First Bank Heist by Jim Whalley and Stephen Collins (Bloomsbury)
James Ashton said: “It is a smart and sassy story with some laugh out moments and vibrant illustrations.”
The winning book will be announced by Oscar’s Book Prize Royal Patron, HRH Princess Beatrice, at a ceremony at the May Fair Hotel in London on 9 May. In addition to those involved with the shortlisted five books, the awards ceremony will host former winners, book charities, publishers and educators.
Oscar’s Book Prize is designed to celebrate a child’s love for magical stories and highlight the importance of parents and carers reading with their children in the early years. The prize is supported by the Evening Standard, Amazon and the National Literacy Trust.
For more information about this year’s event see today’s article published by the Evening Standard
50 sets of the shortlist for Oscar’s Book Prize 2019 up for grabs!
To celebrate the announcement of the shortlist, the first 50 nurseries or primary schools to email oscarsbookprize@standard.co.uk will receive a complimentary set of the five books. To anyone entering, please don’t forget to include a contact name and address details for where the books should be sent to in the event you win.
Children's Laureate joins Oscar's Book Prize judging panel 2019
2019 prize judge: Children’s Laureate Lauren Child
Children’s Laureate Lauren Child joins the judging panel for Oscar’s Book Prize 2019.
The £5,000 award seeks to find the best book published in 2018 for children aged five or under. It was set up in memory of Oscar Ashton, the son of former Evening Standard City Editor James Ashton, and pays tribute to his love of stories and children’s imagination. HRH Princess Beatrice, a judge for the prize in 2016, is patron. The prize is supported by Amazon, the Evening Standard and the National Literacy Trust.
Child, the creator of much-loved children’s characters Clarice Bean and Charlie and Lola, said that she’ll be on the look-out for new authors and illustrators “with left-field ways of looking at the world”.
Joining Child on the judging panel is Sarah Brown, President of children’s charity Theirworld and Executive Chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education.
They are joined by Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, Director of Books at Amazon UK. As in previous years, Oscar’s parents James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand are also judges.
This year, the judges are especially keen to see entries for books that reflect diversity in all its forms, real or imagined.
Child said: “We are great at giving prizes for unusual adults’ books, but not so good at praising people who have different ideas about children’s books; things need to broaden out and be a bit more extraordinary.”
The winner of this year’s prize will be announced on May 9 at a ceremony at the May Fair Hotel in London.
Previous winners of Oscar’s Book Prize are: Benji Davies for the Storm Whale (2014); Steve Antony for The Queen’s Hat (2015); Gemma Merino for The Cow Who Climbed a Tree (2016); Rachel Bright and Jim Field for The Koala Who Could (2017) and John Dougherty and Laura Hughes for There’s a Pig Up My Nose (2018).
Publishers are invited to submit up to five entries each for the 2019 prize. Forms and rules can be found here. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on May 9. The closing date for submission is 5PM on March 1, 2019.
Read on: Evening Standard writer Katie Law speaks to Lauren Child on why children’s books should be taken more seriously
Interview: Pigs and perseverance paid off for this year's Oscar's Book Prize winners
Winners: John Docherty and Laura Hughes at the 2018 Oscar's Book Prize ceremony
It took children’s author and former primary school teacher John Docherty over 20 years to get There’s a Pig Up My Nose published.
Last week it won this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize, the £5,000 children’s book award he shares with Laura Hughes who provided the illustrations for the hilarious story.
“I had the idea while I was teaching at Hillbrook Primary school in Tooting where there was a little girl with one of those ‘snorty’ laughs, so I’d ask her, Suganthi, have you got a pig up your nose, and she would say ‘Yup’. It was the first story I ever sent off to a publisher and it was rejected by everyone,” Docherty told the Evening Standard in an interview.
Fortunately, Northern Ireland-born Docherty didn’t let a bit of rejection put him off, and while he had many other children’s books published in the meantime he refused to give up on his pig tale. It was eventually accepted by Egmont, who paired up Docherty’s words with Hughes expressive drawings.
And while perseverance has been crucial for the success of There’s a Pig Up My Nose, so is being in touch with your inner child, according to Hughes.
“When you illustrate, you have to be able to put yourself in their mindset and recall what it was like to be knee high, even if it’s just thinking about the perspective,” she says. “Luckily I’m very childish.”
And fans of There’s a Pig Up My Nose will be pleased to know that the collaboration between Hughes and Docherty is set to continue. The pair have already started talking about a sequel to their winning book. Watch this space.
Read the full interview in the Evening Standard with John Docherty and Laura Hughes here
There’s a Pig Up My Nose wins Oscar’s Book Prize 2018!
The winner of Oscar’s Book Prize 2018 is There’s a Pig Up My Nose.
The £5,000 award is shared between author John Dougherty and illustrator Laura Hughes.
Their winning book tells the heart-warming, funny story of Nathalie, a little girl who suddenly gets a pig stuck up her nose, and the efforts of her class mates as they try to lure it back out.
The wit and charm of the story and its accompanying illustrations won the hearts of the jury, which included presenter Katie Derham, Julia Eccleshare, children’s director of the Hay Festival and Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, UK director of books at Amazon.
The inspiration for the book came to Dougherty when he worked as a primary school teacher.
Julia Eccleshare praised the winner: “The surprise comes right at the start, and what a wonderfully dotty premise to begin a story with, about problem-solving in the classroom. Brilliantly structured too.”
Oscar’s Book Prize 2018 was awarded by HRH Princess Eugenie during a ceremony at St James’s Palace. She stepped in to present the award in place of HRH Princess Beatrice, Royal Patron of Oscar’s Book Prize, who was held up on work duties in New York.
Below is a selection of images from the awards ceremony at St James's Palace on May 14, 2018
Winners of Oscar's Book Prize 2018: Writer John Dougherty and illustrater Laura Hughes. Image: Dave Benett
HRH Princess Eugenie at the Oscar's Book Prize 2018 awards ceremony. Image: Dave Benett
James Ashton, founder of Oscar's Book Prize and Oscar's father, speaking at the awards ceremony. Image: Dave Benett
Oscar's Book Prize 2018 winner John Dougherty with prize judge and BBC presenter Katie Derham. Image: Dave Benett
Oscar's Book Prize 2018 winning illustrator Laura Hughes, HRH Princess Eugenie and Sarah, Duchess of York. Image: Dave Benett
Oscar's Book Prize 2018 judge and BBC presenter Katie Derham. Image: Dave Benett
Alice Ashton, Oscar's little sister, Viveka Alvestrand, co-founder of Oscar's Book Prize, with HRH Princess Eugenie and Sarah, Duchess of York. Image: Dave Benett
Our finalists reveal the ideas behind their shortlisted books
Authors and illustrators gather ideas for their books from a myriad of places, and creators of children's books are no exception.
In this interactive article the creators of some of the books shortlisted for this year's Oscar's Book Prize share who and what lie behind the characters and plots of their tales.
You can watch them here
Oscar's Book Prize goes to Barnes Children's Literature Festival
Two of this year's shortlisted titles: The authors and illustrators of That Bear Can't Babysit and There's a Pig Up My Nose will be at an Oscar's Book Prize-themed session at the Barnes Children's Literature Festival on 12 may
What happens when a pig gets stuck inside a little girl's nose, and can a bear really cope with looking after a lively bunch of bunny rabbits?
Find out at the Oscar's Book Prize family session at Barnes Children's Literature Festival on Saturday 12 May, where the authors and illustrators of two of this year's shortlisted books will lead a fun-filled storytelling hour.
Ruth Quayle and Alison Friend, creators of That's Bear Can't Babysit and John Dougherty and Laura Hughes, the duo behind There's a Pig Up My Nose, will do live illustrations and read out loud from their books.
Young visitors are also invited to join in decorating their own little bunnies to take home.
Address details, times and more information on how to book tickets can be found here.
Oscar’s Book Prize 2018 shortlist is revealed!
The five shortlisted books for Oscar's Book Prize 2018: Sunk!, Lucie Goose, That Bear Can't Babysit, There's a Pig Up My Nose and The Secret of Black Rock
The five children’s books vying for Oscar’s Book Prize 2018 have been revealed.
Top children’s authors and illustrators can look forward to a trip to St James’s Palace in London, the setting for this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize award. HRH Princess Beatrice, who is our Royal Patron, will present the £5,000 award for the best under-5s title on May 14.
As in previous years, the subject matter of this year’s entries was very varied. It covered themes such as identity, belonging and having the courage to face your worst fears, alongside a wonderful mix of schoolyard antics, cheeky monsters and bovine space travellers. The shortlist – see below – pits two sea-faring adventures against tales of a goose, a pig and a babysitting bear.
It has been a record year for admissions, with more than 100 entries from publishers. From these a longlist of 13 books were chosen, with help from the Eveline Day Nursery in Wimbledon. This is the nursery that book-loving Oscar Ashton, to whom the prize is a tribute, attended before he died from a heart condition in December 2012.
The jury for this year’s award spent a lively afternoon last week whittling down the longlisted titles to the final five.
BBC presenter and Strictly Come Dancing finalist Katie Derham said that choosing the five books from the longlist was really tough. Julia Eccleshare, children’s director of the Hay Festival and also a prize judge, highlighted the “sophisticated production values and robust sense of humour” of many of the titles. They were joined on the judging panel by Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, UK director of books at Amazon, and Oscar’s parents James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand.
The 2018 shortlist and what the judges said about the books:
1. Lucie Goose by Danny Baker and Pippa Curnick (Hodder)
“Such fun to read aloud and make all those roaring noises with children, especially when they alreary know some of the classic fairytales,” said Viveka Alvestrand.
2. There’s a Pig Up My Nose by John Dougherty and Laura Hughes (Egmont)
Julia Eccleshare said: “The surprise comes right at the start, and what a wonderfully dotty premise to begin a story with, about problem-solving in the classroom. Brilliantly structured too.”
3. The Secret of Black Rock by Joe Stanton
Katie Derham found it “Hugely imaginative, intriguingly bonkers, linguistically rich and I absolutely loved the gorgeous illustrations.”
4. Sunk! by Rob Biddulph
Amazon’s Brigitte Ricou-Bellan said: ”I fell for this vibrantly illustrated story about friendship and teamwork, and I can imagine young children leaping on the tempo and quickly learning the rhymes.”
5. That Bear Can’t Babysit by Ruth Quayle and Alison Friend (Nosy Crow)
“The chaotic and mischevious storyline will appeal to small children, while the debate about what they can get away with is beautifully addressed in this lovely story with a happy ending,” said James Ashton.
In addition to those associated with the shortlisted five books, the St James’s Palace event will host former winners, book charities, publishers and educators.
Now in its fifth year, Oscar’s Book Prize is designed to celebrate a child’s love for magical stories and highlight the importance of parents and carers reading with their children in the early years. The prize is supported by the Evening Standard, Amazon and the National Literacy Trust.
For more information about this year’s event see today’s article published by the Evening Standard
50 sets of the shortlist for Oscar’s Book Prize 2018 up for grabs!
To celebrate the announcement of the shortlist, the 50 first nurseries or primary schools to email oscarsbookprize@standard.co.uk will receive a complimentary set of the five books.
BBC presenter Katie Derham joins Oscar’s Book Prize 2018 as a judge
New judge: BBC presenter Katie Derham joins Oscar's Book Prize 2018 as a judge (Photo: Evening Standard)