Booktrust Early Years Book Awards. Winners. Shortlists. News. Authors.

Supported by Bookstart and the Unwin Foundation The Booktrust Early Years Awards aim to celebrate, publicise and reward the exciting range of books being published today for babies, toddlers and pre-school children
and to promote and make these books accessible to as wide an audience as possible.

Categories of award:

• the best book for babies under one year old
• the best book for pre-school children, up to five years of age
• an award for the best emerging illustrator

Shortlisted books all exemplify the remarkable creativity in words, design and illustration necessary to encourage young children to read.

2008 Winners of Booktrust’s Early Years Awards

24th Sept- Wendy Cooling, the Chair of Judges, presented the winners (left)for each category with a cheque for £2,000 and a customised trophy. The best emerging illustrator was presented with a specially commissioned piece of original artwork donated by the children’s illustrator and judge Annie Kubler. At the end of the ceremony, the actor, and 2008 judge, Andrew Clover, treated the audience to a reading of the winning book The Bog Baby.

The publishers of the three winning titles were presented with trophies naming them as
one of the Booktrust Early Years Awards Publishers of the Year.

Children and Educational Books at Borders |Children's books at Foyles | Children's Books at Amazon

2008 Baby Book Award:

Is This My Nose? by Georgie Birkett (Red Fox) is_this_my_nose

Can you find your nose, eyes, ears, mouth and chin? This vibrant book encourages little ones to associate words and pictures with their own bodies. Open the fold-out mirror at the back of the book to help them discover their own faces as you read aloud together.

2008 Pre-School Award:
The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Gwen Millward(Puffin Books)

When two small sisters go fishing to the magic pond, they find something much better than a frog or a newt. They find a bog baby. Small and blue with wings like a dragon, the girls decide to make him their secret. I won't tell if you won't. But the bog baby is a wild thing, and when he becomes poorly, the girls decide they must tell their mum. And she tells them the greatest lesson, if you really love something, you have to let it go.

2008 Best Emerging Illustrator: Tim Hopgood for Here Comes Frankie!(Macmillan Children’s Books)

Frankie is a quiet boy. He lives on a quiet street, with his quiet parents and his quiet dog and cat. But when Frankie decides to learn the trumpet, the most incredible things happen! Colours, shapes and smells appear and everything begins to change. It looks as though life for quiet Frankie will never be quite the same...

Wendy Cooling, Chair of judges:
“There’s endless variety and lots to get excited about in today’s books for pre-school
children – this year’s winners offer involvement, humour, magic, fine illustration and
plenty more. These books will really get the very young hooked into reading!”

2008 Sghorlisted Books

Baby Book Award

Baby’s Very First Book: Day illus. Angela Brooksbank (Campbell Books)
Baby Loves Peekaboo! by Dawn Sirett, designer Rachael Parfitt (Dorling Kindersley)
Daddy Hug by Tim Warnes, illus. Jane Chapman (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
Baby Touch: Playtime Book and DVD by Justine Smith, illus. Fiona Land (Ladybird)
Is This My Nose? illus. Georgie Birkett (Red Fox) Winner
Amazing Baby: Rainbow Fun! by Emily Hawkins, illus. Emma Dodd (Templar)

Pre-School Award

It’s a George Thing! by David Bedford, illus. Russell Julian (Egmont Books)
Grizzly Dad by Joanna Harrison (David Fickling Books)
The Cow That Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill, illus. Russell Ayto (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
Wendel’s Workshop by Chris Riddell (Macmillan Children’s Books)
The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis, illus. Gwen Millward (Puffin Books) Winner
There’s An Ouch in My Pouch! by Jeanne Willis, illus. Garry Parsons (Puffin Books)

Best Emerging Illustrator

That Yucky Love Thing by Michael Catchpool, illus. Victoria Ball (Gullane Children’s Books)
Here Comes Frankie! by Tim Hopgood (Macmillan Children’s Books) Winner
Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero by Anne Cottringer, illus. Alex T. Smith (Scholastic Children’s Books)
Bridget Fidget by Joe Berger (Puffin Books)
The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis, illus. Gwen Millward (Puffin Books)
Ape by Martin Jenkins, illus. Vicky White (Walker Books)

Previous Winners

2007 awards

Winners

Baby Book Award
Tucking In! by Jess Stockham (Child’s Play)

Pre-School Award
Penguin by Polly Dunbar (Walker)

Best Emerging Illustrator
Emily Gravett for Monkey and Me (Macmillan Children’s Books)

2007 Shortlists

Baby Book Award

Elmer’s First Counting Book by David McKee (Andersen Press)
Looking Good! by Jess Stockham (Child’s Play)
Tucking In! by Jess Stockham (Child’s Play)
Happy Baby by Dr Miriam Stoppard (Dorling Kindersley)
Baby Touch: Noisy Book by Justine Smith, illustrated by Fiona Land (Ladybird)
Baby Touch: Peekaboo Book by Justine Smith, illustrated by Fiona Land (Ladybird)

Pre-School Award

Eliza and the Moonchild by Emma Chichester Clark (Andersen Press)
Grill Pan Eddy by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross (Andersen Press)
Dexter Bexley and his Big Blue Beastie by Joel Stewart (Doubleday)
Oliver Who Would Not Sleep by Mara Bergman, illustrated by Nick Maland (Hodder Children’s Books)
That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell, illustrated by Neal Layton (Orchard Books)
Penguin by Polly Dunbar (Walker)

Best Emerging Illustrator

Viviane Schwarz for Timothy and the Strong Pyjamas (Alison Green Books)
Anna Wadham for The Ant and the Big Bad Bully Goat by Andrew Fusek Peters (Child’s Play)
Jason Chapman for Ted, Bo and Diz: The First Adventure (Little Tiger Press)
Emily Gravett for Monkey and Me (Macmillan Children’s Books)

2006 awards

Winners

Baby Book Award
How Do You Feel? by Mandy Stanley (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

Pre-School Award
Mr Pusskins by Sam Lloyd (Orchard Books)

Best New Illustrator
Catherine Rayner for Augustus and his Smile (Little Tiger Press)

2005 awards

Winners

Baby Book Award
Poppy Cat's Farm by Lara Jones (Campbell Books)

Pre School Award
The Very Dizzy Dinosaur by Jack Tickle (Little Tiger Press)

Best New Illustrator
Kanako Usui for The Fantastic Mr Wani (Little Tiger Press)