Supported by Bookstart and the Unwin Foundation, the Awards celebrate, publicise and reward the exciting range of books being published today for babies, toddlers and pre-school children.
2009 awards
The winners of the 2009 Booktrust Early Years Awards were announced at a ceremony at BAFTA, Piccadilly, London on 23 September.
See some video clips of the awards.
Baby Book Award
Pre-School Award
Oliver Who Travelled Far and Wide by Mara Bergman, illus. Nick Maland (Hodder Children’s Books)
Best Emerging Illustrator
Box of Tricks by Katie Cleminson (Jonathan Cape)
Each winner was presented with a cheque for £2,000 and a trophy. In addition, Katie Cleminson was presented with an original illustration by judge Neal Layton.
The publishers of the three winning titles were presented with certificates naming them as one of the Booktrust Early Years Awards Publishers of the Year.
Wendy Cooling MBE, Chair of judges, said, ‘The winning books have that wonder that is so important for very young children; they will be read over and over again and adult readers will not complain at the “Again please!” There’s originality, imagination and excellent design in all three, always as much to enjoy in the pictures as in the words. These books hold the magic that really will lead children into reading.’
Read the press release about the 2009 winners (Microsoft Word .doc 263Kb)
Find out about the 2009 judges (Microsoft Word .doc 103Kb)
The shortlists were announced on Monday 17 August.
Baby Book Award
Chick by Ed Vere (Puffin)
The Big Night-Night Book by Georgie Birkett (Red Fox)
Baby Loves: Tiger by Claire Dowe (Scholastic)
Five Little Ducks by Francesca Stich & Jemima Lumley, illus. Jason Chapman (Simon & Schuster)
Baby’s Very First Outdoors Book by Stella Baggott (Usborne)
That’s Not My Frog by Fiona Watt, illus. Rachel Wells (Usborne)
Pre-School Award
If I Were You by Richard Hamilton, illus. Babette Cole (Bloomsbury)
Oliver Who Travelled Far and Wide by Mara Bergman, illus. Nick Maland (Hodder Children’s Books)
Sylvia and Bird by Catherine Rayner (Little Tiger Press)
Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood (Macmillan)
The Tail of the Whale by Ellie Patterson, illus. Christine Pym (Meadowside)
Miaow Said the Cow by Emma Dodd (Templar Publishing)
Best Emerging Illustrator
The Grump by Sarah Garson (Andersen Press)
Toot Toot Beep Beep by Emma Garcia (Boxer Books)
Box of Tricks by Katie Cleminson (Jonathan Cape)
Small Mouse Big City by Simon Prescott (Little Tiger Press)
The Haunted House by Kazuno Kohara (Macmillan)
Peas! by Andy Cullen, illus. Simon Rickerty (Puffin Books)
Read the shortlist press release (Microsoft Word .doc 259Kb)
Read what our children's books website editor thinks about the shortlists
About the awards
The awards are made in three categories:
> the best book for babies under one year old
> the best picture book for pre-school children up to five years of age
> the best emerging illustrator of a book for pre-school children up to five years of age
The winners of each category receives a cheque for £2,000. In addition, the best emerging illustrator receives a specially commissioned award by a leading illustrator.
The panel of judges is chaired by children's books consultant Wendy Cooling MBE.
Prize administration
Prize information
Tarryn McKay
t 020 8516 2972
e tarryn@booktrust.org.uk
Press enquiries
Katherine Solomon
t 020 8875 4583
e katherine.solomon@booktrust.org.uk
