With our shortlist announcement fast approaching, we wanted to say a huge thank you to all of our judges - at longlist and shortlist stage - for their work - and HARD decisions! It’s a tough job but the intrepid cohort of longlist judges include Sean Taylor and Zehra Hicks who are last year's winners, Viveka Alvestrand who is Oscar's Mother, Sajida Akber who works at Oscar's nursery Tash Hyde from Read for Good and Monica Carmichael from Tower Hamlets School Library Service
To mark their hard work we wanted to share a selection of their Q&As - which you might have caught on our social channels - read them all below!
Monica Carmicheal
Which picture book are you currently reading?
The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming
Which picture book do you always recommend?
The Lost Dads Home by Eric Veille
If you could be any picture book character, which one would you be?
Slinky Malinki – Who doesn’t want to be a cat!
Monica Carmicheal is a librarian at the Schools Library Service in Tower Hamlets. She has over 10 years experience working in public and school libraries and a passion for children’s literature.She has worked in libraries in Australia and the UK and loves to promote libraries and reading to anyone that will listen!
Sajida Akber
Which picture book are you currently reading?
I have recently read ‘In My Heart – A Book of Feelings’. It helps young children understand and express a wide range of emotions in a simple ad accessible way.
Which picture book do you always recommend?
I always recommend ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ because, it teaches children counting, colours, days of the week and the life cycle of a butterfly. The vibrant illustrations make the book pop!
If you could be any picture book character, which one would you be?
If I could be a picture book character, I would be Goldilocks from ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’.
Sajida Akber has worked at Eveline day Nursery for 16 years. She is currently the Manager of the Wimbledon branch, and was part of the staff while Oscar attended the nursery. She has been involved in the judging process since Oscars Book Prize was established, and looks forward to attending the event in May with her Daughter Hana.
Sean Taylor
Which picture book are you currently reading?
I’ve been re-reading the poetic, and big-hearted HOME IN THE RAIN from 2019 - by inspirational Bob Graham.
Which picture book do you always recommend?
BEN’S TRUMPET by Rachel Isadora from 1991. It’s a beautiful picture book about confidence and learning.
If you could be any picture book character, which one would you be?
I’ll be FROG in any of Max Velthuij’s simple and truthful books about him and his friends!
Sean Taylor is the author of over 60 books for children. He is best known for picture books such as HOOT OWL MASTER OF DISGUISE, WHEN DINOSAURS WALKED THE EARTH, MONSTER! HUNGRY! PHONE! and HOW TO BE COOLER THAN COOL. Sean’s poetry collections for children include THE DREAM TRAIN - POEMS FOR BEDTIME and his story-based guide to writing poetry for the very young, YOU’RE A POET. In 2025 he will publish FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS – a book of finger rhymes for young readers. He has 30 years’ experience running creative writing workshops for children. To find out more visit, Sean’s website: www.seantaylorstories.com or find him on Instagram as @seantstories.
Tash Hyde
Which picture book are you currently reading?
The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage. Beautiful illustrations, love that the reader is 'in the know' where the scientists can't find the jellyfish
Which picture book do you always recommend?
Oi Frog (and other books in the series) by Kes Gray & Jim Field. A great rhyming book to share, it's silly and the illustrations are fabulous.
If you could be any picture book character, which one would you be?
The Caterpillar in the Very Hungry Caterpillar because you get to eat lots of delicious food and turn into a beautiful butterfly!
Viveka Alvestrand
Which picture book are you currently reading?
I'm re-reading the longlist for this year's Oscar's Book Prize. It's a strong field so it will be difficult to whittle the books down to a shortlist, let alone choose a winning title. But what a privilege it is to do so.
Which picture book do you always recommend?
Former Oscar's Book Prize winners of course! From tales about stranded whales, a cow who likes to climb trees, brave lions and yaks, to books about friendship and finding inner strengths you didn't know you had, there's one to suit every child. All our winning titles are special in their different ways - just like the children they are being read to.
If you could be any picture book character, which one would you be?
This is an impossible question to answer, there are too many! But I do have a soft spot for the Boy character in Oliver Jeffers' universe - he who tries to catch a star and find his way home after he is lost.
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.
Zehra Hicks
Which picture book are you currently reading?
'Be Bold, Bob' written by Jane Porter, illustrated by Jenni Desmond which came out last month. It’s such a warm and reassuring story about confidence and finding your voice, and it's wonderfully illustrated too.
Which picture book do you always recommend?
I’d always recommend Would You Rather, by John Burningham - it was a hit with the whole family and I still love it now. More recently I’ve been recommending ’Someone Just Like You’ published in 2023 by Helen Docherty and David Roberts. It’s a moving story encouraging empathy and kindness, sensitively written and beautifully illustrated.
If you could be any picture book character, which one would you be?
I think it would have to be Claude. (Books by Alex T Smith). I think Claude has such fun when his owners are out! I do think a dog’s life would be so nice sometimes, especially Claude’s!
Zehra Hicks is an award winning picture book author and illustrator who covers a wide range of topics from serious and heartfelt, to silly and funny. Her books have been published in over 25 languages.
As well as writing and illustrating picture books, she tutors on the book illustration short course at UAL Chelsea – a course she studied 15 years ago that helped her get her first picture book contract. If she’s not writing, illustrating or teaching, you may find her running with her sausage dog, Vincent, who sets the perfect slow pace!
