Oscar's Book Club: One Lucky School Gets a Special Visit from Our Patron!
We’re very lucky to have HRH Princess Beatrice as our Patron - and this year she helped us mark the inaugural Oscar’s Book Club by visiting a primary school and reading this year’s winning book!
You can read all about the visit via the press release below - or here’s a lovely video, too!
HRH Princess Beatrice visits London primary school to read the winning title from this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize
London, UK, 23 May 2024: HRH Princess Beatrice made a surprise visit to West Thornton Primary School in Croydon, South London to carry out a very special storytime with year one pupils, courtesy of Oscar’s Book Prize.
The visit celebrated the recent launch of Oscar’s Book Club, whereby Oscar’s Book Prize and award supporter, Amazon, are donating this year’s shortlisted books to schools and nurseries across the country via the Amazon Reading Volunteer network. This team of volunteers will also support on the ground with group reading sessions to inspire young children through the magic of reading.
HRH, who is the Prize’s Royal Patron, read the 2024 winning book, When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth by Sean Taylor (author) and Zehra Hicks (illustrator), before sitting down with the class to take a look at the other shortlisted books, and find out a little more about the pupils’ own reading habits. HRH also discussed the importance of picture books to foster children’s imagination and how they can provide quality moments for families coming together at the end of the day.
Jonathan Owen, Headteacher at West Thornton Primary School said: "So much can be taught from picture books and we make sure our children are exposed to a wide range of stories from the very beginning of their school journey. One of our school priorities is to ensure that proficient reading skills and a love of reading underpin all learning across our curriculum. We carefully select texts that both faithfully represent our diverse community and serve to broaden children's imagination. The diversity of topics covered in children’s books is greater than ever, and those shortlisted for this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize were no exception to that. We have loved reading them together and it was an absolute delight to have HRH Princess Beatrice visit and read this year’s winning book - it certainly will be a story time to remember!”
When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth (Frances Lincoln Children's Books) topped the shortlist of five magical stories to take home the £10,000 literary prize earlier in May. The book is a fun tale about the intrepid journey of a little dinosaur named Smallasaurus, who simply wants to enjoy her plant-based diet in peace, but goes on a big adventure along the way. This witty and vibrant children’s book brings the prehistoric period into the present day, complete with dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes.
This year’s shortlist for the Prize also included Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf by Craig Barr-Green and Francis Martin (Little Tiger), Geoffrey Gets The Jitters by Nadia Shireen (Puffin), Gigantic by Bob Biddulph (HarperCollins Children's Books) and The Hare-Shaped Hole by John Dougherty and Thomas Docherty (Frances Lincoln Children's Books).
The award, now in its eleventh year, was set up by James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand - named in memory of their son Oscar, who was three-and-a-half when he died from an undiagnosed heart condition - and celebrates the joy and magic picture books can bring to young children.
Lisa de Meyer, Amazon UK Books Country Manager, said: “Both humorous and full of surprises, When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth truly is a memorable and page-turning picture book. The rhythmic language and colourful illustrations will make it a wonderful addition to Oscar’s Book Club, alongside the other magnificent shortlisted titles. We hope the schools up and down the country receiving these books via the Amazon Reading Volunteers enjoy them as much as us judges did!”
All about our 2024 winner: When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth
As you might have noticed, we’re slightly excited and delighted by our 2024 winner! Sean Taylor and Zehra Hicks’s When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth is a very funny, beautifully illustrated story about one little dinosaur with one thing on her mind: how to get a juicy plant into her hungry tummy…but nothing’s ever simple in prehistoric times.
But who better to talk more about the book than the judges who chose it? Please watch the video below to find out more.
And while we highly recommend reading this book (and the other four on our shortlist!) - please also have a watch of our very special judges’ reading of the book, below - and find out for yourself if Smallasaurus gets her happy ending, or indeed her lunch!
Oscar's Book Prize 2024: we have a winner!
Sean Taylor and Zehra Hicks are revealed as the 2024 winning author and illustrator of Oscar’s Book Prize for When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth!
We’re delighted to reveal that the winner of this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize is When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth by Sean Taylor and Zehra Hicks! This beautifully illustrated, wonderfully funny book topped the shortlist of five magical stories to take home the £10,000 literary prize.
The announcement was made tonight (7th May) at a star-studded awards ceremony in central London.
When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth (Frances Lincoln Children's Books) is a fun (and funny) tale about the intrepid journey of a little dinosaur named Smallasaurus, who simply wants to enjoy her plant-based diet in peace, but goes on a big adventure along the way.
Witty and vibrant, this gorgeous children’s book brings the prehistoric period into the present day, complete with dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes.
We caught up with Sean (who kindly digitally beamed in all the way from Brazil) and Zehra at the ceremony, and they had this to say:
Sean Taylor said: “I’m so sorry not to be here today, but I’m living in Brazil at the moment.
The journey back costs a lot of money and it emits a lot of carbon (and the hot air generated by acceptance speeches today is already going to give this event a high-enough carbon footprint).
But I’m honoured to receive this award. Hat raised to all on the shortlist.
Many thanks to Zehra Hicks for her zingy and zany illustrations…to all at Frances Lincoln Children’s Books…to my special agent James Catchpole….and to those who set up, organised and judged Oscar’s Book Prize. What a great way to honour a boy who loved books.
These are times of much talk about creating artificial intelligence. But we know reading books creates REAL intelligence.
So here’s to the memory of Oscar Ashton - and here’s to giving children lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of HAPPY READING!’’
Illustrator Zehra Hicks said: “It was an absolute delight to work with Sean on this story. It just jumped out at me and I knew immediately I had to work on it. The humorous storyline had me laughing through the illustration process, plus, it’s not every day you get to draw dinosaurs of all shapes, sizes and colours! I literally think I have the best job in the world! I am thrilled to have collaborated on this book, and thank you to Sean for inspiring me to bring Smallasaurus to life.’’
We would like to extend a HUGE congratulations to Sean and Zehra on this fantastic achievement! Not to mention one more look at this delightful little dinosaur…
Of course, our congratulations must also go to the other amazingly talented authors and illustrators on this year’s shortlist. Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf by Craig Barr-Green and Francis Martin (Little Tiger), Geoffrey Gets The Jitters by Nadia Shireen (Puffin), Gigantic by Bob Biddulph (HarperCollins Children's Books) and The Hare-Shaped Hole by John Dougherty and Thomas Docherty (Frances Lincoln Children's Books).
The 2024 judging panel joined the award ceremony held at The Ivy, West Street in central London. Our superstar judges were Zoey Dixon, Librarian of the Year 2020 and The Bookseller Rising Star 2020, children’s author, Oscar’s Book Prize alumnus Chris Haughton, who won the prize in 2022, Viveka Alvestrand, who co-founded the literary award in memory of her son Oscar, and Lisa de Meyer, the UK Books Country Manager at Amazon.co.uk.
Meet the Shortlist 2024: Geoffrey Gets the Jitters by Nadia Shireen (Puffin)
We can’t believe it, but it’s already time to explore our fifth and final book! And if that makes you anxious, don’t worry, because Geoffrey Gets the Jitters is a book which understands!
Written and illustrated by the incredible Nadia Shireen, and published by Puffin, Geoffrey Gets the Jitters is all about a little dog with a big problem with his worries. Please read on to find out more!
What is the book about?
Geoffrey's got the jitters! It started last night when he was thinking about school - a funny, wiggly feeling in his tummy that grew and grew. But when Geoffrey's tummy jitters started talking to him - that's when he knew they were out of control. Geoffrey had to do something...
Through a laugh-out-loud story and loveable character, Nadia Shireen shows how to understand and dispel anxieties, one jitter at a time.
What Our Judges Said:
'I really liked the practicality of this book – and it definitely puts the fun in feeling nervous’.
‘This is such a nice way of tackling this topic, and a very good way of explaining anxiety, with great humour and a really good use of absurdity.’
‘The animal characters lift the story outside of reality making this safe and accessible.'
'Loved the illustrations, and the random things, too!'
We were lucky enough that author & illustrator Nadia kindly answered some of our questions about Geoffrey - please read on to find out more about Nadia, and what she said! Thank you, Nadia!
About Nadia Shireen:
Nadia Shireen enjoyed making homemade magazines and comics as a child. She studied law at university and then worked in magazine journalism; it was during this time that she started to draw again. After a lifetime of doodling in the sidelines, Nadia decided to pay some attention to drawing and in 2007 was accepted onto an MA course in Children's Book Illustration at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Her debut book Good Little Wolf received a mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Opera Prima Award and won the UKLA Book Award. Nadia has been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. She lives in London.
Nadia’s Q&A:
What is the picture book that have you enjoyed reading with someone else most, and why?
I have wonderful memories of reading “Oh No, George!” by Chris Haughton to my now not-so-little-boy. It’s so simple and funny and I love how Chris packs is SO much tension and humour in such a stylish, elegant way. It’s genius!
What's your favourite thing about the character in your shortlisted book?
All my characters reflect a different part of me, and Geoffrey is no exception. I’ve always been a worrier, and as a child would get frequent “tummy aches” which were borne of anxiety. And like Geoffrey, I do enjoy wearing woolly hats.
Which picture book would you give as a gift to your main character, and why?
I think Geoffrey could do with having a laugh, so I’d give him a copy of A Duck Called Brian by Al Murphy, which is a very funny and weird little picture book.
Thank you so much, Nadia! Good luck to you, and all of our shortlist for next week’s big reveal!
Meet the Shortlist 2024: Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf by Craig Barr-Green and Francis Martin (Little Tiger)
We’re starting a brand new week by shining a spotlight on our fourth shortlisted title for 2024: so watch out, woodcutters, because Gina Kaminski has some different ideas (and our judging panel loved them!).
Please read on to find out more about Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf by Craig Barr-Green and Francis Martin (Little Tiger).
What is the book about?
Gina Kaminski is here to tell you three facts.
1 – Little Red Riding Hood is full of BIG mistakes.
2 – She is off to fairy tale land to fix them.
3 – She WILL save the wolf.
So….who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Certainly not Gina, as she tells the story in her own distinctive way. With fantastic illustrations and an innovative use of pictorial emoji language, this is the ideal book to empower every child to be the hero of their own story.
What Our Judges Said:
'It’s so easy and engaging to read out loud - and the fantastic humour works on so many levels’
‘Love that Gina identifies with and feels for the wolf.'
'Great to see an autistic lead character, a great opportunity for children to recognise themselves.’
‘Works for many different ages of children, with great repeat readability. I thought it was very clever, and the fab illustrations are different. Fun, funny and subversive.'
Please read on to find out more about the book’s creators, and to read a Q&A from Craig Barr-Green (thank you so much, Craig and Francis!)
About Craig Barr-Green:
Craig writes picture books, non-fiction titles and theatre productions for children. He lectures in Children’s Literature at Falmouth University and is a seasoned children’s bookseller. He often performs storytelling shows at festivals, and set up Clickety Books, a small press dedicated to early language development. Craig is a passionate advocate for children’s literacy and neurodivergent representation.
About Francis Martin:
Francis Martin is an illustrator and artist living out in the wilds of Pendle Witch Country, conjuring up pictures for stories by splodging ink and charcoal all over the place. He is a graduate of Cambridge School of Art’s MA in Children’s Book Illustration, who in another life did five BBC Radio 1 John Peel sessions. He loves dogs and travelling across the moors in trains.
Craig’s Q&A:
What is the picture book that have you enjoyed reading with someone else most, and why?
I would choose The Happy Hedgehog Band, written (brilliantly) by Martin Waddell and illustrated (beautifully) by Jill Barton. I have read and shared this book with children and with adults alike and the results have always been delightfully raucous.
The story follows Harry, a noise-loving Hedgehog who lives deep in the heart of Dickon Woods. He makes a drum and bangs ‘tum-te-tum’. Very soon more hedgehogs join in with drums of their own to create a super groovy happy hedgehog band. But what about the other woodland animals? And the insects? And the spider? And that lost dog? They haven’t got any instruments! Harry has a great idea. The rest is a joyous, exuberant cacophony of clicking and buzzing and popping and every sound you can imagine.
This is a book that has everything. It is a hymn to community, and inclusion and collaboration and art. Every creature has a role to play. This is a book in which everyone wins, and everyone is considered. The page design is stunning, and as such there is no one (or correct) way to read the story. The words and the images interweave into what the great Alan Ahlberg called a ‘nice kind of antiphonal fugue effect.’ The storyteller can be as flamboyant as they wish. Children are compelled to join in by the generosity of the book’s spirit. There is wordplay and list building and unabashed glee. My dear colleague Rupert shared this book with me years ago and I shall be forever grateful.
What's your favourite thing about each character in your shortlisted book?
Gina Kaminski is bold and inquisitive. My favourite thing about her is how she challenges, in her own way, what she sees as unacceptable. I had always wanted to write an exciting, thundering picturebook adventure with a main character who was also autistic. I wrote many story drafts, but it just wasn’t clicking. Then one day I started writing in a completely different voice — something more direct and honest — and Gina immediately sprang to life on the page. She appeared fully formed and I could have written thousands of words in her voice. My first draft was much too long as I was revelling in this sparky, joyous character. I just love her absolute sincerity. It was a profound moment for me, as a writer, to sit back from the laptop, and look at this character on the screen and think: this is my hero. She is everything I wanted her to be.
Lady Wiggles is a loyal friend. Plus she is adorable, right? Fun fact: Lady Wiggles was a quick first draft placeholder name. Somehow, after so much time and so many drafts: the name remained.
Anya is the quiet hero: decisive and sensitive. That’s my favourite thing about her. I desperately wanted to shine a well-deserved spotlight on the teaching staff who make school-life safe, achievable and rewarding - the professionals whose work can be unsung and undervalued. A skilled one-to-one is a lifeline for many children, and hey help extremely worried parents and guardians sleep at night.
The Wolf gets saved and that’s only correct. My favourite thing about him is that in my head he speaks in Alan Rickman’s voice. It’s the only impression I can do with any degree of accuracy.
I adore The Woodcutter’s ridiculous pomposity. I could monologue in his voice forever. Francis Martin utterly captured his essence in his illustrations.
Which picture book would you give as a gift to your main character, and why?
Were the book real, I would love to gift Gina Kaminski her very own copy of The Big Book of Wolves. She adored this book! I would, however, be confident that she would similarly love I Wonder Where I Am? Written and illustrated by Shinuske Yoshitake, this book is an absolute wonder. It is a book about maps, in their myriad forms, but at its heart is a book about making sense of the chaos that the road, and everyday life, can bring. Simon’s mum gives him a map to guide him to the shops. Unfortunately he gets confused by the instructions. Luckily, Mrs Gray is on hand to make some key adjustments. Now everything makes sense! He is enchanted by the power of a good map, so sets off on a voyage of map-based discovery. He encounters, with boundless curiosity, maps of his room, the shopping mall, the solar system, the earth, watches… everything. Maps are a way to display and impart all kinds of meaning. His journey then winds into the abstract. Can we map time, or our wants and needs. This book would hugely appeal to Gina. It’s an interrogation of life’s more infuriating unknowables. It seeks to create a sense of order. It asks big questions. The illustrations make huge ideas feels simple, and logical. There is wit in the micro details. Above all it is charming, clever and sincere (even if Simon is a bit cheeky to his mum). Inventive, creative non-fiction like this is thrilling. It has a freewheeling sense of adventure but is still anchored in a quest for organisation, and order. For all of the above, I would love Gina to have this book in her backpack at all times. I am sure she could make some wonderful maps of her own.
Meet the Shortlist 2024: When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Zehra Hicks (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
Raarrrrr - it’s time to take a closer look at the next title in our shortlist line-up: When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Zehra Hicks (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books).
This ROAR-some adventure takes us back to prehistoric times and well and truly stomped its way onto the shortlist. Please read on to find out more!
What is the book about?
Set back in the days …well, when dinosaurs walked the Earth, this is a hilarious picture-book about Smallasaurus, who enjoys a plant-based diet, and Badasaurus, who likes to eat small dinosaurs who enjoy a plant-based diet. What could possibly happen next?
What our judges said:
'This story is really impactful for a younger audience, and reading it to a group would be brilliant.’
'Very funny, with lovely illustrations that are drawn for everyone, and a simple and clever story’.
‘We love that readers don't need to be an expert on dinosaurs to enjoy this.’
‘You could read this book again and again.’
And to illustrate (sorry) the point, here’s a special drawing from Zehra Hicks celebrating this book’s place on our shortlist! Thank you so much, Zehra!
Please read on to find out more about the books’ creators, and to read their Q&As (thank you so much Sean and Zehra for so kindly answering!)
About Sean:
Sean Taylor is an award-winning author of over 50 books for young readers of many different ages. As well as writing, he has many years’ experience visiting schools, where he works with poetry and storytelling to encourage young people to write themselves. He lives with his wife and two sons in Bristol. www.seantaylorstories.com
Sean’s Q&A answers:
What is the picture book that have you enjoyed reading with someone else most, and why?
There are so very many picture books that are a delight to read with others for so very many different reasons. But I’ll chose Frog is a Hero by Dutch author/illustrator Max Velthuijs. His series of picture books about Frog and friends is dramatic, funny, truthful, satisfying and simple all at once. My kids were drawn into the small-child-friendly world of these stories, so we read them together again and again. And I sense that their engagement with the small-child-friendly difficulties explored in the Frog stories is still active and helpful inside them, even though they’re teenagers now.
What's your favourite thing about each character in your shortlisted book?
When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth features a number of big, hungry dinosaurs. They’re antagonists who wander into the tale and make it a page-turning adventure. The focal point of the story is a little dinosaur called Smallasaurus. And my favourite thing about her is her littleness. She’s a young child, mainly interested in having breakfast. And, like any young child, she’s learning about the big, wide (wild) world. Vincent Van Gogh said: “An artist needn’t be a clergyman or a church warden, but he certainly must have a warm heart for his fellow men.” And that’s a clue to what I like about Smallasaurus’s littleness, and also a clue to what makes a good picture book story. You start with warm heartedness for young children.
Which picture book would you give as a gift to your main character, and why?
I would give Smallasaurus The Sea Monster by Chris Wormwell. It’s an enchantingly beautiful picture book, both visually and narratively. Those are reasons enough to gift it to anyone. But Smallasaurus gets it because she keeps on finding herself in danger from big dinosaurs coming out of the blue! And The Sea Monster has a deeply reassuring message about fear, and big things coming of the blue. I think she’ll enjoy her breakfast of sweet and juicy ferns all the more if she’s read The Sea Monster the night before.
About Zehra:
Zehra Hicks is an award-winning children's book author and illustrator whose books have been translated in over 20 languages around the world. Zehra does love a bit of humour, so most of her picture books are guaranteed to make you chuckle. Zehra is also a tutor at Chelsea College of Arts, where she completed a short course in Book Illustration in 2009. Since then, she has been highly commended for the Macmillan Prize for Illustration, winner of the Heart of Hawick Award, named Lovereading4Kids Debut of the Year in 2011, shortlisted for the Read It Again! Cambridgeshire Children's Picture Book Award and nominated for the Kate Greenaway.
Zehra’s Q&A answers:
The picture book I enjoyed reading the most, hmmm, is tricky to choose! But it must have to be You Choose by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart. The proof is in how dog-eared it is! I read it again and again to my children, and it was a book we all loved. I loved how it created conversations between us and how interactive it was, spotting new things every time. It’s funny too.
My favourite thing about each character in my short-listed book is the names the author, Sean Taylor, gives them: Smallasaurus, Badasaurus and Worseasaurus – you can’t get more simply descriptive than that! And how he tells us how big (or small) their brains are – being as small as a walnut or a peanut – the brains getting smaller as the -sauruses get bigger which adds to the comedy of their characters. It was very much the comedy of these characters that made me immediately jump at Sean’s text thinking - YES! I REALLY want to illustrate this book!
The picture book I would give as a gift to Badasaurus could be a book about being less greedy and more kind, so I think he could learn from the book Kind, written by Alison Green, illustrated by lots of wonderful (and kind) illustrators. Or perhaps T-Veg by Smriti Halls and Katherina Manolessou - where who knows, this book might inspire him to be a vegetarian.
Thank you so much, Zehra and Sean!
Meet the Shortlist 2024: The Hare-Shaped Hole by John Dougherty, illustrated by Thomas Docherty (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
It’s time for our spotlight on our second shortlisted book!
Next up is the fantastic Hare-Shaped Hole by John Dougherty, illustrated by Thomas Docherty (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books).
This is a moving story about friendship and loss, which found a special place in our judging panels’ hearts. Please read on to find out why!
What is the book about?
They were utterly buddies, and best friends forever, and whenever you looked, you would find them together... until quite unexpectedly... the end came. When Hertle disappears for good, Bertle can only see a Hertle-shaped hole where his friend should be.
He pleads with it, he even gets angry with it, but the hole still won't bring his Hertle back. It seems like hope is lost... until Gerda the kindly bear finds him.
What our Judges said:
'A lovely and important story.'
'While I appreciate that it is a very sad story, it's an important book to have.’
‘This is particularly good in the way that it talks about different reactions to grief. It contains useful themes to be able to show to children, and start conversations about.'
'One of my favourites. It is very difficult to tackle this topic without being saccharine, especially in a space where it can be difficult to be honest. I thought it was really well done.'
And here’s a treat - a special illustration of the characters for OBP! Thank you so much, Thomas!
Please read on to find out more about the books’ creators, and to read their Q&As (thank you so much John and Thomas for so kindly answering!)
About John Dougherty:
John Dougherty was born in Larne, Northern Ireland, and not many years later they made him go to school – an experience he didn’t find entirely enjoyable. Fortunately, the joys of reading helped him through the difficult times. It’s therefore not completely surprising that when he grew up he became first a teacher (the nice sort), and then a writer of stories and poetry for children. He also writes songs, some of which he performs with First Draft, a band made up of three children’s authors and a bookseller. He now lives in England with his two children.
John’s answers:
What is the picture book that have you enjoyed reading with someone else most, and why? Oh, gosh. There’ve been many, but if I have to choose one, it’ll probably have to be the obvious one: The Grufflalo by (of course) Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler. Both my children loved it when little; my son, at age three, asked for it so many times he could recite the whole thing by heart - and yet, thanks to the perfect poetry of the text and the sheer fun of the illustrations, I never got tired of it. It’s such a joy to read aloud; in my view, if children’s literature was accorded the respect it deserves in the UK, Julia Donaldson would be universally recognised as the genius she is.
What's your favourite thing about each character in your shortlisted book? Am I allowed to say the illustrations? I love how Thomas has brought out Bertle’s honesty and vulnerability about his feelings, Hertle’s kindness, and the friendship and sense of fun they share, as well as Gerda’s warmth, wisdom and compassion.
Which picture book would you give as a gift to your main character, and why? Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, without a doubt. It would help Bertle - as, I have absolutely no doubt, it’s helped thousands of children - to know that however he’s feeling, that’s okay; and it’s okay to show those feelings, too.
About Thomas Docherty:
Thomas Docherty is an author and illustrator of children's books, who is based in Swansea. His first picture book, The Little Boat was shortlisted for the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal, and he has also worked on several books with his wife Helen Docherty, including The Snatchabook, The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight and Pirate Nell’s Tale To Tell. His books have been sold around the world and have been translated into more than 25 languages.
Thomas’ answers:
What is the picture book that have you enjoyed reading with someone else most, and why?
Like John, I read so many picture books with our two daughters when they were little, it’s almost impossible to choose! One absolute favourite was Leon and Bob by Simon James. It has the most exquisite storytelling and a perfect balance between the artwork and the text. I can’t think of many books where you connect so strongly with the character and no matter how many times you read it, the ending is always a delight. It used to make our girls laugh and smile every time.
What's your favourite thing about each character in your shortlisted book?
I love the unconditional friendship that Bertle and Hertle have. When you really love someone for who they are, any superficial differences become unimportant, which comes across in John’s wonderful text. I tried to put that into the illustrations as well, making Hertle bright and energetic and Bertle more cautious and quiet. I really enjoyed drawing Bertle’s big, red glasses and showing all the emotions he feels as the story develops.
Which picture book would you give as a gift to your main character, and why?
I would like to give Bertle Mum’s Jumper by Jayde Perkin. It’s a very tender and thoughtful book about coping with loss. I think it would help anyone who is going through a similar experience and I think it would help Bertle too.
Meet the Shortlist 2024: Gigantic by Rob Biddulph
It’s time to find out more about our sensational shortlist!
Our first shortlisted book to go under the spotlight (or should that be under the sea?) is Gigantic by Rob Biddulph, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books. This story about a little whale made a massive splash (sorry) with our judges. Please read on to find out why…
Gigantic by Rob Biddulph (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
What is the book about?
Meet Gigantic, the smallest blue whale in the Atlantic. Dwarfed by the other whales, Gigantic keeps to himself, making new friends and perfecting his somersaults and flips in the bay. But one day when Gigantic’s brother, Titan, gets stuck on the sand, it’s down to Gigantic and his smallest sea creature friends to save the day. Can they show it’s possible to be tiny and tough?
What the judges said:
'Really good rhymes!’
‘I liked it because during or after reading you can talk about two elements to it: kindness to siblings, and messages about the environment.’
‘This is deceptively simple. There is far more going on that you might realise on first reading.’
‘Great illustrations.'
About the author:
Rob Biddulph is an award-winning author and illustrator who lives in London with his wife, daughters and Ringo the cocker spaniel.
Before life as a published author and illustrator, Rob worked on magazines including Just Seventeen, NME and The Observer Magazine. His first picture book, Blown Away, published in 2014, was only the second picture book to win the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.
Rob’s series of #Draw with Rob videos, designed to help parents with children at home from school due to the pandemic, became a viral hit when launched in March 2020. The videos – featuring many of Rob’s own book characters – have captured the imaginations of families, children and artists, young and old, around the world and been watched almost six million times on YouTube alone. Rob holds the Guinness World Record for the biggest art lesson when over 40,000 families joined him online to draw a whale in May 2020.
Rob Biddulph
And last but certainly not least, here’s a quick Q&A with Rob:
What is the picture book that have you enjoyed reading with someone else most, and why?
My favourite stories to read with my own children were rhyming stories because, even before they could read, my girls were able to learn the words, like you learn the words to a song. That meant that, quite often, they would 'read' the book to me rather than the other way around, which I loved. Good rhyming stories, however, are quite hard to find because they are very hard to write (I should know!) and there is a reason why Dr Seuss and Julia Donaldson are so popular - because their rhymes are flawless. So I would say The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Stick Man were our favourites, and were certainly right at the top of my list of go-to bedtime story choices.
What's your favourite thing about each character in your shortlisted book?
I love Gigantic the whale's relentless positivity in the face of some pretty mean treatment from his big brother, Titan. Despite everything, he doesn't hesitate to reassure Titan when he gets into trouble and does everything he can to help. And he certainly doesn't hold grudges. He is also someone who is totally comfortable in his own skin, despite being the smallest whale in the pod. He is perfectly happy with who he is. A very admirable trait, I think. What I love most about Myrtle the turtle is her open-heartedness. She doesn't judge Gigantic based on the size of his body, but on the size of his heart. She is very happy to be a loyal friend to him at a time when he really needs one.
Which picture book would you give as a gift to your main character, and why?
I would choose This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen. It's my favourite underwater story and I think Gigantic would appreciate the cautionary nature of the tale. Plus I think the hat in the story would suit him.
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (Walker Books)
Thank you so much, Rob - and good luck!
Oscar’s Book Prize 2024: our shortlist
We're absolutely delighted to announce our shortlist for this year’s Prize.
A fabulous five titles have made the shortlist this year - and each one is brim-filled with treats for young readers. Featuring anxious dogs, hungry dinosaurs, subverted fairy tales, a grief-stricken turtle and a tiny blue whale, the story themes range from loss and hope to facing fears to .... well, to what to eat in prehistoric times.
Here's a little bit more about the shortlist:
Geoffrey Gets The Jitters by Nadia Shireen
(Penguin Random House Children’s – Puffin)
Geoffrey's got the jitters! It started last night when he was thinking about school - a funny, wiggly feeling in his tummy that grew and grew. But when Geoffrey's tummy jitters started talking to him - that's when he knew they were out of control. Geoffrey had to do something...
Gigantic by Bob Biddulph (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Meet Gigantic, the smallest blue whale in the Atlantic. Dwarfed by the other whales, Gigantic keeps to himself, making new friends and perfecting his somersaults and flips in the bay. But one day when Gigantic’s brother, Titan, gets stuck on the sand, it’s down to Gigantic and his smallest sea creature friends to save the day. Can they show it’s possible to be tiny and tough?
Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf by Craig Barr-Green and Francis Martin
(Little Tiger)
Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Certainly not Gina as she takes the narrative lead and tells the story in her own distinctive way. With fantastic illustrations from Francis Martin, and an innovative use of pictorial emoji language, this is the ideal book to empower every child to be the hero of their own story.
The Hare-Shaped Hole by John Dougherty and Thomas Docherty (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
They were utterly buddies, and best friends forever, and whenever you looked, you would find them together... until quite unexpectedly... the end came. When Hertle disappears for good, Bertle can only see a Hertle-shaped hole where his friend should be. He pleads with it, gets angry with it, but the hole still won't bring his Hertle back. It seems like hope is lost... until Gerda the kindly bear finds him.
When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth by Sean Taylor and Zehra Hicks
(Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
Set back in the days WHEN DINOSAURS WALKED THE EARTH, this is a hilarious picture-book about Smallasaurus, who enjoys a plant-based diet, and Badasaurus who likes to eat small dinosaurs who enjoy a plant-based diet.
We will be posting more information about each shortlisted book in the weeks to come - please do follow us on @oscarsbookprize to find out more! You can also view the full shortlist alongside a wide selection of children’s books on Amazon's dedicated page: amazon.co.uk/oscarsbookprize.
Huge congratulations to all of our shortlisted authors, illustrators and their publishers - and thank you for creating such outstanding books!
Thank you too to everyone who entered - as ever we feel truly humbled by the breadth of talent we're lucky enough to see each year.
Judges Announced for Oscar's Book Prize 2024 as Prize unveils inaugural Oscar’s Book Club
Oscar’s Book Prize is delighted today to announce its amazing 2024 Judges - as well as reveal Oscar’s Book Club, a new venture designed to inspire and encourage reading with children at a grass-roots level.
Now in its eleventh year, the prize, which is supported by Amazon and the Evening Standard, 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. The £10,000 prize seeks to find the best breakout illustrated book for young children, inspired by Oscar’s endless imagination and love of storytelling.
This year, for the first time, Amazon is also teaming up with Oscar’s Book Prize to create Oscar’s Book Club, which aims to reach children in areas with typically low engagement with the arts. Throughout April and May, the Amazon Reading Volunteers, a national network of schools volunteers that Amazon has been growing since September 2023, will be donating the Oscar’s Book Prize shortlisted books to schools and nurseries across the country and supporting on the ground with group reading sessions, to inspire young children through the magic of reading.
Oscar’s Book Prize has also announced their judging panel for 2024. This year’s panel comprises of librarian Zoey Dixon, who was named Librarian of the Year in 2020 as well as one of The Bookseller’s Rising Stars. Zoey is joined by children’s author and illustrator, and Oscar’s Book Prize alumnus Chris Haughton, who won the prize in 2022. Completing the lineup is Viveka Alvestrand, who co-founded the literary award in memory of her son Oscar, and Lisa de Meyer, the UK Books Country Manager at Amazon.co.uk.
HRH Princess Beatrice is patron of Oscar's Book Prize, which is supported by Amazon Books and Evening Standard. Submissions closed in January and the shortlist will be revealed in April, before the winner is announced in May 2024.
James Ashton, the prize's chairman and co-founder, said: “We've championed brilliant picture books for a decade and always encouraged parents, carers and children to dive into these stories together, so I'm delighted this year we can extend Oscar's Book Prize into Oscar's Book Club, reaching more young readers than ever as we deepen our relationship with Amazon.”
Lisa de Meyer, Country Manager for Amazon UK Books, said: “It’s always a joy to work with Oscar’s Book Prize each year to celebrate the best talent in children’s literature. Picturebooks are a vehicle for teaching children about themselves and the world around them, and I know from personal experience with my own daughter how special our time reading together is. It’s because of this that we’re so proud to support the prize and also work together to roll out Oscar’s Book Club through our Amazon Reading Volunteers. We hope that through this new initiative, we can inspire a whole new generation of book lovers together.”
About Oscar’s Book Prize
Oscar’s Book Prize is an annual prize for the best illustrated book for young children. 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 and the Evening Standard, the prize has been running since 2014.
Previous winners of the prize include:
2023: The Boy with Flowers in His Hair by Jarvis(Walker Books)
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 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. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalised recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.co.uk/about and follow @AmazonNewsUK.
Amazon’s support of Oscar’s Book Prize forms part of Amazon in the Community, the company’s programme which supports communities across the UK, with a focus on the areas where Amazon operates. Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities in and around its operating locations across the UK. Amazon provides students, teachers and parents with free computer science and STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and has teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than seven million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas of the country. In 2023, Amazon partnered with Comic Relief to become the official home of the Red Nose. Amazon employees across the UK hosted fundraising activities and together with their customers and partners, raised £2.7 million to support those going through the toughest time of their lives. Learn more about the ways Amazon supports its communities.
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 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.
Oscars Book Prize 2024 is now open!
Hurrah! Today sees the very best surprise behind the first advent calendar door, because we’re delighted to announce that Oscar's Book Prize is now open!
We will be accepting entries from publishers until 5pm on Monday 15th January 2024.
To find out what’s eligible please see our Enter page for the link to the digital entry form, and to read the Terms and Conditions.
We can’t wait to see what this year has in store!
Everything you wanted to know about The Boy with Flowers in His Hair...
Things are over for another year here at OBP! However, we’re still far too excited about our winner to wrap things up just yet.
There is so much we could say about this fantastic book - but of course, the very best people to do that are our incredible judges.
As such, without further ado, here’s why they chose it in their own words!
Thank you so much once again to Dapo Adeola, Benji Davies, Cressida Cowell, Viveka Alvestrand and Lisa de Meyer for choosing such fabulous books throughout our judging process.
However - their expertise doesn’t just stop at choosing books (or, of course, writing and illustrating them). It turns out that our judges are dab hands at reading them, too! Please enjoy this year’s very special, Jackanory-style reading of The Boy with Flowers in His Hair, brought to you by our judging panel, and our Patron, HRH Princess Beatrice.
...And the 2023 winner is.....
And - that’s a wrap! While the Royal Coronation has been and gone, we’re now delighted to crown our tenth winner: The Boy with Flowers in His Hair by Jarvis (Walker Books). You can read all about the book that the judges called ‘gorgeous’ and sensitive’ in the press release below. Expect more on Jarvis - and this outstanding story of acceptance and friendship - in the days to come.
We would like to thank everyone involved in the Prize this year for making this year so special, not in the least our sponsor, partners - and of course our stellar judges. We also want to reiterate our sincere and warmest congratulations to all of our shortlistees and their publishing teams, whose talent and hard work have created such special stories. Please do read and share them, if you haven’t already, and help us celebrate these amazing picture books!
Oscar’s Books Prize 2023: Winner release
HRH Princess Beatrice reveals the 2023 winner of Oscar’s Book Prize as it celebrates its tenth anniversary
London, UK, 10 May 2023: HRH Princess Beatrice announced the winner of this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize at an awards ceremony in central London yesterday evening. The Prize, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023 and is supported by Amazon and the Evening Standard, chose The Boy With Flowers In His Hair by the accomplished author and illustrator Jarvis as the winner. This stunning book topped the shortlist of six magical stories to take home the £10,000 literary prize.
The Boy With Flowers In His Hair (Walker Books) is a beautiful tale about friendship and being there for someone when they are at their most vulnerable. The Manchester-based author and illustrator has also released several other children’s books, including the counting book This Little Piggy and award winning Alan’s Big, Scary Teeth.
Upon winning, Jarvis said: “I could not be more delighted to have won this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize, and taking a look around the room and the incredibly talented authors and illustrators also shortlisted, it truly is an honour. The award is about celebrating joy in children’s books, and I am so pleased that my book, which focuses on poignant issues surrounding vulnerability and friendship, has been received so well.”
This year’s shortlist for the Prize included Billy and the Pirates by Nadia Shireen (Penguin Random House Children’s - Puffin), Can I Play? by Nicola Kinnear (Alison Green - Scholastic), Frank and Bert by Chris Naylor Ballesteros (Nosy Crow), Teapot Trouble: A Duck and Tiny Horse Adventure by Morag Hood (Two Hoots) and The Gecko and the Echo by Rachel Bright and Jim Field (Hachette Children’s Group - Orchard).
Many of this year’s judging panel joined the award ceremony held at The Ivy, West Street in central London, including author and two-time winner of Oscar’s Book Prize, Benji Davies, acclaimed children’s author, Cressida Cowell, Amazon’s UK Books Country Manager, Lisa De Meyer and the Prize co-founder, Viveka Alvestrand.
HRH Princess Beatrice said: ‘I am honoured to be the Patron of Oscar’s Book Prize. As befits this special tenth anniversary for the prize, the panel have chosen a truly unique book that the judges all felt is an instant modern classic. Its values of friendship and acceptance exemplify the very best tropes in picture book storytelling, all told with a gentle magic that creates a wonderfully immersive world for its readers. It is also, in the OBP tradition, beautifully illustrated. Congratulations to Jarvis and his book The Boy with Flowers in His Hair’.
The award, now in its tenth 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.
Lisa de Meyer, Amazon UK Books Country Manager, said: “It is exciting to continue to support Oscar’s Book Prize as it reaches its tenth year. It’s important to be able to engage children with vibrant illustrations and moving stories and Jarvis has done this perfectly with this year’s winning book. We can’t wait to see what else Jarvis has in store!”
Our final Meet the Judges 2023: Lisa de Meyer
Our final judge Q&A is with Amazon UK’s Books Country Manager, Lisa de Meyer, who brings her expert eye to selecting the prize shortlist for a second year.
On the eve of announcing our tenth winner, please enjoy our final judge’s comments on her own reading journey, and find out what she was looking for in a winner. We wonder if it gives a clue about what the panel might have chosen? As ever, we give our judges enormous thanks and respect for making that difficult choice!
Lisa, for that and your answers below, thank you!
What is your earliest reading memory?
It was reading with my parents and grandparents. I remember vividly the picture books my grandparents would read me when I went to stay with them.
Who is (or was) your all-time favourite person to read picture books with?
I love reading with my daughter, who is nearly three years old, and introducing her to all the characters I used to read about, such as Peter Rabbit, Elmer and Paddington, as well as discovering new books together, our current favourites are the Luna loves… series by Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Fiona Lumbers. She loves ‘reading’ the books herself too, it is amazing to see her imagination make up a story as she uses the pictures at prompts!
Who or what do you consider to be the best picture book character ever, and why?
This is hard, but for nostalgic reasons, my favourite are Alfie & Annie-Rose from the books by Shirley Hughes.
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 was hoping to discover books which speak to a child’s imagination, humour and have a sense of fun! Last year’s winner Maybe, by Chris Haughton, did exactly that!
Chris Haughton and Maybe! at last year’s winner ceremony
