British Airways Lands top Thai Children’s Writer

Award-winning author, Jane Vejjajiva from Thailand took part in two days of workshops on 22 and 23 June as part of the ‘Reading Round the World’ programme run by Outside In, supported by the British Airways Community Investment Programme.

Over a hundred children from three Hounslow schools all had the opportunity to take an imaginary trip to Jane’s homeland at the British Airways Community Learning Centre near Heathrow where they had a multi-sensory experience of Thailand through Jane’s novel The Happiness of Kati.

The ‘Reading Round the World’ project is the brainchild of Outside In (the UK organisation dedicated to promoting and exploring world literature), which is bringing a host of international authors and illustrators to the UK during 2009.Reading Round the World’ is funded by the Arts Council of England, with additional partnership funding including the British Airways Community Investment Programme and The Royal Embassy of Thailand.

Jane was born in 1963 in London. Her family returned to Thailand when she was three and she grew up in Bangkok. Having cerebral palsy from birth limited her movements and books opened a whole new imaginary world to her. The Happiness of Kati was Jane’s first novel for which she won the S.E.A. (Southeast Asian) Write Award in 2006It has become a bestseller with more than two hundred thousand copies sold in Thailand and has been translated into English, Japanese, Korean, German, Spanish, Italian and French. The Happiness of Kati has also been made into a feature film which was released in January 2009.

Cambridgeshire Children's Picture Book 2009 Award

The winner of the fourth "Read it Again!" Cambridgeshire Children's Picture Book Award is "Evil Weasel" by Hannah Shaw.

Read it Again! is a unique award for a first time picture book where the words and pictures are the work of one individual. It is organized by Cambridgeshire Libraries and was first launched in 2006 This year over 8,000 children from over 70 schools and Children's Reading Groups in Cambridgeshire participated, reading, discussing and voting for their favourite book from a shortlist of 8 outstanding titles.

Around 300 children from 16 local schools attended the award presentation ceremony at The Burgess Hall, St Ives on Tuesday 16th June and had the opportunity to meet 6 of the shortlisted authors, one of whom had travelled from Amsterdam to attend the event.

Author/illustrator Gillian McClure praised the award as a valuable means of encouraging and promoting new talent. There was great excitement as she opened an "Oscars style" golden envelope to reveal that "Evil Weasel" was the winner. A huge cheer followed. Hannah received a clock made by local artist and clockmaker Greg Ryder and each of the other finalists received an engraved paperweight.

Carnegie and Greenaway Awards 2009

Siobhan Dowd has been posthumously awarded the 2009 CILIP Carnegie Medal for her fourth and final novel, Bog Child (David Fickling Books). The CILIP Greenaway Medal was awarded to Catherine Rayner for Harris Finds his Feet (Little Tiger Press). The awards, which are selected by librarians, were announced at a presentation at BAFTA in Piccadilly, central London, today (25th June).

Dowd died in 2007, aged 47, and her Carnegie Medal was collected by her editor David Fickling of David Fickling Books. He praised the "sheer effortless brilliance" of Dowd’s writing and commended the Carnegie judges for granting the award posthumously.

Catherine Rayner, the Greenaway winner, had only one other title published before her winning book. Her début title, Augustus and His Smile, was shortlisted for the same prize in 2007. In Harris Finds His Feet, Harris the hare goes out into the world with his grandad, learning about the joys of growing up.

During an acceptance speech on behalf of Dowd, Fickling hit out at the cuts facing library provision, one of the main routes for children to access books. He said: "Our library culture is at the basis of our whole literary culture. This is the culture that produced a book industry that is the envy of the world. To a great extent, the economies of the children’s publishing business are based on years of brilliant library support. But now we are letting it slip away and it is time to wake up and realise what is going on.

"Libraries are struggling to survive on less and less funding and children have access to fewer books. Children need stories. Siobhan believed that stories help children to think and if they can think, then they are free."

Royalties from all Dowd’s sales will go to the Siobhan Dowd Trust, which has been set up to help disadvantaged children in care who do not have access to books. Details of the trust’s work will be announced in the autumn.

Fickling added: "Siobhan hoped that setting up this trust would provide practical support in UK and Irish communities by getting books into places where there are none. She saw the trust as the seed of a big movement to make sure that book support is provided where it is wanted. It is about offering open possibilities, new life and excitement to children by making books accessible."

Dowd came to writing late in life when she returned to the UK having spent several years in New York as the programme director of American PEN’s Freedom to Write Committee. Fickling said: "I first heard of her in 2004 and within three years she had delivered four books, each one different, each one remarkable."
report by C Horne The Bookseller.

The summer edition of Carousel, which is just published, contains an appraisal of Siobhan Dowd's work. And no, we didn't know ahead that she had won!

Anthony Browne, sixth children's laureate

Author and illustrator Anthony Browne is the new Children's Laureate.

Anthony - who has been awarded just about every prize going -, books include Gorilla, Zoo and the Willy series of adventures, takes over from poet Michael Rosen.

The post is awarded once every two years to an eminent children's writer or illustrator to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field.

He said he wanted to encourage more children to enjoy reading and books, particularly picture books.

"Picture books are for everybody at any age, not books to be left behind as we grow older.

"The best ones leave a tantalising gap between the pictures and the words, a gap that is filled by the reader's imagination, adding so much to the excitement of reading a book.

"Sometimes I hear parents encouraging their children to read what they call 'proper books' (books without pictures), at an earlier and earlier age.

"This makes me sad, as picture books are perfect for sharing, and not just with the youngest children.

"As a father, I understand the importance of the bond that develops through reading picture books with your child.

"We have in Britain some of the best picture book makers in the world, and I want to see their books appreciated for what they are - works of art," he added.

Anthony Browne said he was looking forward to the challenge...
He becomes the sixth person to hold the position, and was presented with his Children's Laureate Medal and a £15,000 bursary by former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion at a ceremony in London on Tuesday. The venue, the Paramount Club on top of Centre Point, had great views across London but proved completely impossible for conversation - dreadful acoustics and everyone felt they had to shout. However the speeches were miked and models of coherent brevity!

Everyone present enjoyed the comment by Lord Chris Smith that it was "very nice not to be an MP these days". He headed the appropriate government department ten years ago when the Laureate was set up and, modestly, said he was glad to help in a small way and that the post was an excellent idea. Julia Eccleshare (chair of the Laureate panel) commented that Michael Rosen's energy "hit them with a blinding flash and an incredible debt of gratude is due to him". Michael Rosen said that "now is a vital stage in the history of the book...books let us reflect on who we are and where we are going...worksheets (in schools too often replacing books) are discrimatory and deny millions their basic rights" and he concluded by citing two project to watch and support, namely the Campaign for the Book and Just Read.

Andrew Motion said: "Anthony Browne is an absolutely distinctive and extraordinarily skilful artist - someone whose work entrances children, and has influenced an entire generation of illustrators. His pictures and stories give deep and immediate pleasures, while also insisting that we - children and adults - return to them. And when we return, we have a gradually expanding sense of discovery."

The award is now funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and administered by Booktrust, and sponsored by Waterstone's and further supported by a wide range of publishers.

Viv Bird, chief executive of Booktrust said: "The role of the Children's Laureate is that of ambassador and champion for children's literature. As managers of the award, Booktrust has been delighted with the enthusiasm and contribution made by each of the Laureates, and welcomes Anthony's appointment wholeheartedly."

PREVIOUS LAUREATES
Quentin Blake (1999-2001)
Anne Fine (2001-2003)
Michael Morpurgo (2003-2005)
Jacqueline Wilson (2005-2007)
Michael Rosen (2007-2009)

Anthony included children on the day, firstly by playing the Shape Game with them (and I think we'll be hearing a lot about that in the future) and secondly by staying and talking to them after the formal part of the proceeding finished. That seems typical of the man. I well remember biting my nails as he passed round his artwork at a session in the Hungate Bookshop, Norwich for the current project at the time - Alice in Wonderland (see pictures at the top of the article). Of course his trust in his young audience was completely justified. Good luck to him from all of us at Carousel. And you can read an editorial from him in the next issue due out next month.

Wendy Cooling

Wendy Cooling at Buckingham Palace (2nd June) just after
receiving an MBE for services to children's books from HRH the Queen

Red House Children's Book Award

WINNERS OF THE RED HOUSE CHILDREN’S
BOOK AWARD 2009 ANNOUNCED


Former journalist and editor Sophie McKenzie has scooped the overall prize in the prestigious Red House Children’s Book Award 2009 for her thrilling teen novel, Blood Ties.
It is second time lucky for McKenzie, as her novel, Girl, Missing, won the older readers’ category in 2007.
Blood Ties (Simon and Schuster) won both the older readers’ category and overall prizes in the award, which is owned and co-ordinated by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups.
The winning novel is a gripping thriller that explores issues of genetic engineering and personal identity.
McKenzie learned of her win at a glittering awards luncheon at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens yesterday (Saturday) which was attended by more than 200 people, including 80 children from across the country, all of whom were involved in the voting.
Stunned McKenzie, who won a silver trophy, said she was honoured to win this unique literary prize.
“Blood Ties is my favourite book so I am completely overwhelmed that the readers have chosen it as theirs, too,” she said.
“I am delighted and it is a huge honour, but this isn’t really about an award, fantastic though it is to have won it, it is a celebration of reading. It’s stories above everything.
“I passionately love stories as they help us understand the world around us and the work the Federation of Children’s Book Groups does in getting children to love books and reading cannot be underestimated.”
Two other category winners in the 29th annual award were also announced at the event: Allan Ahlberg’s beautiful picture book The Pencil (Walker), illustrated by Bruce Ingman, has taken the younger children category, while Kes Gray’s fun story, Daisy and the Trouble with Zoos (Random House) has clinched the younger readers’ category.

Illustration Cupboard Summer Exhibitions

John Huddy says: "We ease from spring into summer with no less than three specialised exhibitions here at the gallery in Bury St.
We are delighted to host for the first time in the Britain Shaun Tan, rising star from Western Australia. Original artwork and a selection of limited giclée editions are on view on the ground floor.

Opposite and complementing Shaun’s work is that of the unfailing fabulous Angela Barrett. A small selection of her original work for the recently published Sylvie and the Songman was featured in our winter show and we are now pleased to exhibit more of these exquisite paintings, temptingly priced from £250 to £1550. Short-listed for this year’s Kate Greenaway Award for The Snow Goose we congratulate Angela on reaching the final selection and wish her every success in winning this prestigious award; woefully overdue.

Following the success of John Vernon Lord’s exhibit of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, we have continued to show this work on our first floor gallery for those who were unable to attend our May event. A selection of the limited edition books published by Artists’ Choice Editions is still available."

On show until 21 June
Shaun Tan – Tales from Outer Suburbia
Angela Barrett – Sylvie and the Songman
John Vernon Lord – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Signed first edition books are also available for purchase at cover price from our website at www.illustrationcupboard.com

For further information - and how to find Bury Street in London's Mayfair - please visit our blog at http://illustrationcupboard.blogspot.com/

ANGUS BOOK AWARD 2009

Author Anne Cassidy has won the 2009 Angus Book Award for her novel Forget Me Not. Published by Scholastic Children’s Books, this is a sympathetic, shocking and compelling narrative, which reveals the hidden secrets and truth behind two abductions.

Brother William's Year Book Launch

Not many books get the chance of being launched in the private gardens of Westminister Abbey but this extremely enjoyable picture book showing a monastry garden throughout the year was written by the Westminister Abbey gardener.


Jan Pancheri is the youngest child in a large family, she used to entertain herself and others by writing and telling stories. She has been at Westminster Abbey for 5 years and knew from day 1 that she would write a book around the gardens. The atmosphere is very special, contact with the soil in general and specifically Westminister Abbey gardens has an healing effect and brings its own spirituality.

The first photograph is the May Irises with June Digitals (see months in book) from within the garden itself, then the author and third photograph is the entrance to the little cloister (illustrated inside front cover). These three pictures were taken by Garden Designer Penny Hinves for Carousel.

The final picture comes from the publisher.
Pic credits - left to right:
Monk; Maurice Lyon Director, Frances Lincoln Children's Books; Canon Jane Hedges of Westminster Abbey; Rufus the dog; Jan Pancheri - author; Yvonne Whiteman, Editor; Monk.

We are all born free wins another award

In the photographs:

Jane Ray at Saxmundham during the Halesworth Arts Festival

Top photograph
Back row from left to right
Judith Escreet (Frances Lincoln), Marcia Williams, Margaret Mallet (judge)Nicky Parket (Amnesty International) and Janetta Otter Barry (Frances Lincoln)
Front row from left to right
Chris Usher (Amnesty International) and Jane Ray.

We Are All Born Free, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures, published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books in association with Amnesty International has won a Special Award, 2009 English 4-11 Best Children’s Illustrated Book Award.

Jane Ray and Marcia Williams represented the 30 artists who donated their work to the book at the award ceremony on 20th May at the British Academy, London.


You can read more about this fine book in Carousel issue 40 - backnumbers available from Carousel, details on home page.

Bisto Book of the Year

Siobhan Dowd has won the Bisto Children’s Book of the Year for her novel Bog Child (David Fickling). Dowd died in August 2007, aged just 47, after a long illness. The award was accepted on her behalf by her sister, Oona Emerson, who was presented with the Bisto Children’s Book of the Year Trophy and a cheque for €10,000. The money will be donated to The Siobhan Dowd Trust, established to help disadvantaged children to improve their reading skills and experience the joy of reading. Dowd won the same prize last year, with The London Eye Mystery. A look at her books will be published in the summer edition of Carousel.

Macmillan Prize Artists at Foyles Gallery

The winners of the 2009 Macmillan Prize for unpublished children's picturebook illustration are on display in The Gallery of Foyles on Charing Cross Road until Friday 15 May. The first prize (£1,000) was awarded to 22-year-old Fridtjof Olsen for The Owl Who Chased the Moon. Second prize went to Russian-born Ekaterina Trukhan for her book Victor, and third prize to Rebecca Patterson for The Deep End,

The judges - illustrators Nick Sharratt and David Roberts; Kate Skipper, Picture Books Buyer at Waterstone's; critic Nicolette Jones; Macmillan Children's Books MD Emma Hopkin; and Art Director Anne Glenn - looked at 273 portfolios before choosing the winners. The standard was, they agreed, higher than ever this year. The exhibition is open daily from 10am-6pm.

Booktrust Short Story Competition

Yes You Can!


Enter Booktrust’s short story competition to be President for a Day


Booktrust is inviting young writers to enter a short story competition to win a place on the judging panel for their internationally acclaimed Booktrust Teenage Prize 2009.


The charity that encourages people of all ages to enjoy reading is challenging young writers aged 11-16 to write a 500-word short story with the title President for a Day.


The deadline for competition entries is 27 July 2009. The guidelines and entry form are available for download from the website www.bookheads.org.uk


The authors of the four best short stories will win a place on the judging panel for the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2009.


They will join Times journalist Alyson Rudd, author Marcus Sedgwick, librarian Judi James, writer and translator Daniel Hahn and Aniketa Khushu, a young judge whose short story won her a place on the judging panel last year.

Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books Shortlist

Early Years (0-7 years)

- MANFRED THE BADDIE by John Fardell (Quercus)
- PINK! by Lynne Rickards and Margaret Chamberlain (Chicken House)
- STICK MAN by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (Scholastic)

Younger Readers (8-11 years)

- DINO EGGS by Charlie James (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
- THE ELEVENTH ORPHAN by Joan Lingard (Catnip Publishing)
- FIRST AID FOR FAIRIES AND OTHER FABLED BEASTS by Lari Don (Floris Books)

Older Readers (12-16 years)

- CRASH by J.A. Henderson (OUP)
- OSTRICH BOYS by Keith Gray (Random House)
- THE RECKONING by James Jauncey (MacMillan)

John Vernon Lord Exhibition

The Spring Exhibition at The Illustration Cupboard, Bury Street, London W1
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by John Vernon Lord.

A warm welcome to all awaits at this outstanding exhibition of artwork by John Vernon Lord for this new edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
This is the first occasion John has offered his original artwork for sale at exhibition and provides collectors and enthusiast will a refreshing opportunity to see a favourite old story in an unusual and original light.

Closes 16 May - though double check this date if visiting as an earlier date is mentioned on the Illustation Cupboard website.

Inaugural Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children's Book Award

Takeshita Demons, by Cristy Burne, a fast-paced adventure story about a Japanese schoolgirl who confronts the demons from her grandmother’s tales, has won the first Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award.

Created in memory of Frances Lincoln, the prize of £1,500 plus the option for Janetta Otter-Barry at Frances Lincoln Children’s Books to publish the novel, is awarded to the best manuscript for 8-to-12 year olds that celebrates diversity in the widest possible sense.

Presenting the award to Cristy Burne on 30th April 2009 at Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books, John Nicoll, Managing Director of Frances Lincoln said:
“Frances was passionate about nurturing new talent on the Frances Lincoln Children’s list, and this award is just the sort of initiative she would have wanted to support.”

Kate Edwards, Chief Executive of Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books added:
“The Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award has been an invaluable experience for Seven Stories. The overwhelming response and the diversity of storytelling have shown there’s a very real place for this award in the world of children’s books. We believe the publication of Takeshita Demons will help to improve the range and richness of stories available for children to read. The strength of our partnership with Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and the enthusiasm of the judges have
made the award an uplifting experience and a great success.”

Accepting the award, Cristy Burne said:
“This award is a tremendous opportunity for writers to showcase and share voices and stories from all over the world. I am thrilled that Miku and her adventures have met with such a great response and I can’t wait to share her with a wider audience. I’m extremely excited to be working with Janetta and her team.”

Carol Ann Duffy

I'm absolutely delighted that Carol Ann Duffy has been named as the new Poet Laureate. She is good to read and one of those rare poets who are a pleasure to hear reading their own poetry.

Do go and look at her books for children, as well as of course her adult poetry. She is extremely well served by the illustrator Jane Ray so take a peek at, for instance, "Lost Happy Endings" and "The Stolen Childhood and Other Dark Tales".

She was interviewed by Chris Stephenson for Carousel in 2003 (issue 24) - extract follows:

Her writing for children, poetry in particular, is an integral part of Carol Ann's output. "I don't write down a gear. They come from the same source. Different focus perhaps, and perhaps with more simplicity...As an adult poet, you car a lot of baggage about with you, like an old lobster with bits of worn-out shell hanging from its body. I have to fight more to get that same simplicity".

Ten years of the Children's Laureate

 

A Platform discussion took place yesterday, Monday 27 April, on the Olivier stage to celebrate the first decade of the Children's Laureate. I sneaked a quick photograph - being well aware that you never take pics in the theatre - and so it is rather unclear but does show from left to right Professor John Mullan and then in order of their laureateshipness (is there such a word?) Quentin Blake, Anne Fine, Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Rosen. The new laureate will be announced on Tuesday 9 June.

The session began by John Mullan asking the Laureates in turn how they approached the task. The range of approaches was fascinating.

Quentin Blake: He decided not to take up the limited time by talking to schools but to talk to teachers, parents, publishers indeed anyone involved in the children's book world in an attempt to get everyone to take the business seriously. He published the excellent "Words and Pictures" (Jonathan Cape) and a fine exhibition of illustrations from A-Z at the National Gallery.

Anne Fine: "You were free to do things that would normally be a cheek...". She set up the home library set of book plates www.myhomelibrary.org where you can still access book plates provided by some the best illustrators around; the Clear Vision Project which included braille picture books; three poetry anthologies "A Shame to Miss" and countless speaking engagements.

Michael Morpurgo: "I had the distinct advantage of being a reluctant reader...and of being a fairly late convert to reading, so I have all the zeal of a convert!" He told tales around the country from the far north to the deep south and abroad from Russia to Soweto.

Jacqueline Wilson: She wanted to emphasise the importance of reading a story at bedtime; appeared in many unexpected for an author places ie. carnivals; took part in the Laura Bush Reading Festival and so visited the White House; visited Buckingham Palace for the 80th birthday celebrations of the Queen and introduced HRH to the range of children's authors present.

Michael Rosen: "I don't really look for dignity and found the post a wonderful challenge... There is a terrific range of children's books available but perversely in schools between the ages of seven and fourteen most are not using books as anything but an optional extra and spend their time working on worksheets". He urged everyone to visit the free exhibition at the British Library "Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat - 250 years of poetry from children"; talked of meetings with ministers/teachers/librarians you name it and of his forthcoming (August from Puffin)"Michael Rosen's A-Z The Best of Children's Poetry from Agard to Zephaniah".

The time - all too brief - then opened out into a discussion of adaptations of books whether by illustration, television, film, cartoon or theatre.

Children's Laureates Choice of Children's Books

The full list of titles on The Laureates’ Table is as follows:

Chosen by Quentin Blake:

1. Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain by Edward Ardizzone (published 1936)

2. Queenie the Bantam by Bob Graham (1997)

3. The Box of Delights by John Masefield (1935)

4. Rose Blanche by Ian McEwan and Roberto Innocenti (1985)

5. Five Children and It by E. Nesbit (1902)

6. Snow White by Josephine Poole (1991)

7. Stuart Little by E.B. White (1945)

Chosen by Anne Fine:

8. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken (1963)

9. Absolute Zero by Helen Cresswell (1978)

10. Just William by Richmal Crompton (1922)

11. Journey to the River Sea by Iva Ibbotson (2001)

12. Lavender’s Blue by Kathleen Lines (1954)

13. A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson (1885)

14. Sword in the Stone by T.H. White (1938)

Chosen by Michael Morpurgo:

15. Five Go to Smuggler’s Top by Enid Blyton (1945)

16. Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton (1939)

17. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (1838)

18. Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling (1902)

19. A Book of Nonsense by Edward Lear (1846)

20. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)

21. The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde (1888)

Chosen by Jacqueline Wilson:

22. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868-9)

23. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1905)

24. What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge (1872)

25. The Family From One End Street by Eve Garnett (1937)

26. The Railway Children by E. Nesbit (1906)

27. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild (1936)

28. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (1934)

Chosen by Michael Rosen:

29. Clown by Quentin Blake (1995)

30. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947)

31. Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner (1928)

32. Not Now, Bernard by David McKee (1980)

33. Fairy Tales by Terry Jones (1981)

34. Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton (2008)

35. Daz 4 Zoe by Robert Swindells (1990)

Incidentally you can see all these in Waterstones Book Shops as they are one of the sponsors of the Children's Laureate. If you go to their website you will see they have some strange authors for some of the titles... (Never too certain about one set of bookshops sponsoring a national post). I understand from the Today Programme interview this morning, 28 April, with Anne Fine and Michael Morpurgo that they were asked to provide lists of 12 books. AF regretted the loss of "Frog and Toad" I wonder what other books missed out. When asked why most of the books were not recent they explained that they were all a bit long in the tooth and these, on the whole, were books from their own childhood reading.

Carnegie and Greenaway Shortlists

Carnegie shortlist:
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Macmillan)
Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks (Penguin)
Airman by Eoin Colfer (Puffin)
Bog Child by Siobhan Down (David Fickling)
Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray (Definitions)
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Walker)
Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson (Bodley Head)

Greenaway shortlist:
The Snow Goose by Angela Barrett & Paul Gallico (Hutchinson)
Varmints by Marc Craste & Helen Ward (Templar)
The Savage by Dave McKean & David Almond (Walker Books)
Little Boat by Thomas Docherty (Templar)
How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham (Walker Books)
The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins)
Harris Finds His Feet by Catherine Rayner (Little Tiger Press)
Molly and the Night Monster by Chris Wormell (Jonathan Cape)

The winners will be announced on 25 June.