We’re thrilled to share the news that Oscar’s Book Prize has revealed its shortlist for the best picture book for children under five in 2018:
- Lucie Goose by Danny Baker and Pippa Curnick
- There’s a Pig Up My Nose by John Dougherty and Laura Hughes
- Sunk! by Rob Biddulph
- The Secret of Black Rock by Joe Todd Stanton
- That Bear Can’t Babysit by Ruth Quayle and Alison Friend
The prize will be announced at a ceremony in May at St James’s Palace, where the winning author will receive a cash prize of £5,000.
Oscar’s Book Prize celebrates the best early years picture book of the year. It is awarded in memory of Oscar Ashton and in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, Amazon and the London Evening Standard.
Oscar Ashton was three-and-a-half-years-old when he died from an undetected heart condition in December 2012. Oscar’s parents, James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand, subsequently launched Oscar’s Book Prize to find the best early years picture book of the year, to celebrate their son’s love of magical stories.
Now in its fifth year, Oscar’s Book Prize continues to reward the brilliant creativity of early years literature and highlight the importance of reading with children.
The winning book will be chosen by a panel of judges including TV and radio presenter Katie Derham, Julia Eccleshare (Children’s Director of the Hay Festival), Brigitte Ricou-Bella (UK Director of Books at Amazon), and Oscar’s parents, James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand.