Quarto dominates picture book prize shortlist

Quarto imprints make up over half of the 14-strong shortlist [see below] for this year’s English 4-11 Picture Book Awards, with its Frances Lincoln’s Children’s Books imprint having six books listed while Wide Eyed Editions has two.

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books shortlisted titles include The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield and The Crow's Tale by Naomi Howarth, whilst the Wide Eyed Editions books in the running are The School of Art by Teal Triggs, illustrated by Daniel Frost, and The Wonder Garden by Jenny Broom, illustrated by Kristjana S Williams.

The prize is run by the English Association, which will reward four winners in four different categories: fiction 4-7 years, non-fiction 7-11, non-fiction 4-7 and fiction 7-11.

The winners will now be chosen by the English Association Journal’s editorial board before being announced at a ceremony in London on 25th May.

This year’s shortlist in full:

Counting Lions by Virginia McKenna and Katie Cotton, illustrated by Stephen Walton (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)

Dreams of Freedom: Amnesty International by various (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)

Greenling by Levi Pinfold (Templar Publishing)

I Am Henry Finch by Alexis Deacon, illustrated by Viviane Schwarz (Walker Books)

I Love This Tree by Anna Claybourne (Franklin Watts)

One Day on Our Blue Planet in the Savannah by Ella Bailey (Flying Eye Books)

Take Away the A by Michaël Escoffier, illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo (Andersen Press)

The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)

The Crow's Tale by Naomi Howarth (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)

The First Slodge by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Jenni Desmond (Little Tiger)

The School of Art by Teal Triggs, illustrated by Daniel Frost (Wide Eyed Editions)

The Story of Life: A First Book About Evolution by Catherine Barr and Steve Williams, illustrated by Amy Husband Frances (Lincoln Children’s Books)

The Wonder Garden by Jenny Broom, illustrated by Kristjana S Williams (Wide Eyed Editions)

William Shakespeare: Scenes from the life of the world’s greatest writer by Mick Manning and Brita Granström (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)