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2008
Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett
published by Macmillan
This is a clever, funny and innovative book which is also extremely
warm and emotionally engaging for the reader. It’s a book you
can explore and spend ages over. The attention to detail is quite
astonishing: every part of the book is used, and the production values
are fantastic. It works on every single level. A publishing tour de
force. |
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2007
The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon by Mini
Grey
published by Jonathan Cape
With many nods to 1920s film noir and other cinematic references throughout,
this book offers so much to look at and contains great humour. There
is real vitality in the drawings and the bold inky lines add drama.
Grey gives amazing expression to the dish and the spoon without them
having arms or mouths, and conveys beautifully the idea of villainous
cutlery! There is so much to look at in this book; you see something
new every time you open it. |
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2005
(awarded in 2006)
Wolves by Emily Gravett
published by Macmillan
A real page-turner of a book. The style is spare, but at the same
time there is so much in it, and the device whereby the book becomes
the book within it is brilliantly employed. The illustrator’s
style is totally unique, and the love and attention to detail here
is obvious, even down to her having chewed the book herself to get
the right effect. |
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2004
(awarded in 2005)
Jonathan Swift's “Gulliver”
by Chris Riddell (Text by Martin Jenkins)
A modern day retelling of the four extraordinary voyages of Jonathan
Swift’s Gulliver. Riddell’s grotesque representation of
Swift’s wacky worlds results in a perfect synthesis of words
and pictures, and 144 pages of exuberant colour and matchless wit.
A staggering achievement, beautifully produced. All this, and a memorable
Tony Blair caricature too. |
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2003
(awarded in 2004)
Ella's Big Chance by Shirley Hughes
published by The Bodley Head
Another inventive retelling of a traditional fairy tale: here Cinderella
is transported into the 1920s, where we find talented dressmaker Ella,
slaving over her sewing machine, whilst her stepsisters parade the
latest fashions in her father's dress shop. Full of vibrant illustrations
that leap from every page, Hughes' use of colour and brilliant expressions
of body language enhance the text to give a graceful and balanced
composition that is a perfect marriage of words and pictures. |
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2002
(awarded in 2003)
Jethro Byrde - Fairy Child by Bob
Graham
published by Walker Books
Annabelle's dad says she'll never find fairies in cement and weeds,
but he's about to be proved wrong. Wildly shifting perspectives, superb
sense of scale and rainbow colour-washes transform urban landscapes,
where fairies can be found in the most unlikely places if only we
believe - or know where to look! |
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2001
(awarded in 2002)
Pirate Diary illustrated by Chris Riddell (author Richard
Platt),
published by Walker Books
Riddell's meticulously researched illustrations, use of perspective
and variety of design capture the different moods and tempos of
this tale of pirate life. Every character's face is expressive and
the pictures continue and extend the narrative making this book
such fun, with a wealth of information and historical detail. |
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2000
(awarded in 2001)
I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
published by Orchard Books
Child's innovative solution to the problem of fussy eating is mirrored
in her equally innovative mixture of photography, collage and drawing.
Every element of the design complements the deceptively simple story
creating a totally integrated experience. A book with immediate
impact. |
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1999
(awarded in 2000)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
published by Walker Books
An 'Alice' for the new millennium, this book is a triumph of design
and rare quality. Helen Oxenbury perfectly captures the dream-like
qualities suggested in Carroll's famous classic. The well-known
characters are brilliantly realised with consistency and child appeal.
This fresh approach modernises this novel in an original way that
will appeal to a new generation of readers. |
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1998
(awarded in 1999)
Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper
published by Doubleday
A wonderfully humorous but thoughtful look at sharing - a duck,
a squirrel and a cat begin to realise what friendship is all about
through a disagreement about pumpkin soup! The interplay between
the sumptuous illustrations and the text is stunning. The pictures
create a seasonal mood - it's Autumn and time for pumpkins. They
draw you into the book, support the storyline, and show the darker
side of friendship but always with warmth. |
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1997
(awarded in 1998)
When Jessie Came Across the Sea by P J Lynch
published by Walker Books
The book, written by Amy Hest, is set in the late 19th century
and tells the story of a 13 year old Jewish girl who leaves the
security of life with her beloved grandmother to travel to America
P.J. Lynch's emotive paintings convey the intensity of human feeling
that run through the story. The carefully observed character studies
capture every emotional nuance, and are a perfect match for the
universal human themes of the story: separation and sadness, the
wonder and difficulty of growing up, respect for age and experience,
and life's uplifting moments of intense happiness. |
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1996
(awarded in 1997)
The Baby Who Wouldn't go to Bed by Helen Cooper
published by Doubleday The book tells the story of a small
and stubborn little boy who is determined to stay up all night.
He revs up his car and sets off on a journey into his imagination,
each page plunging him into life-size encounters with the toys from
his bedroom. Just as he begins to feel lonely and frightened, his
mother, who has been searching for him, arrives, and he can settle
down to sleep. Helen Cooper has created the ultimate reassuring
bedtime picture book. With warm, subtle colours and lyrical text,
she beautifully captures the surreal, twilight world of a sleepy
child. |
