Books exploring friendship and the natural world longlisted for 2021 Klaus Flugge Prize

The Klaus Flugge Prize, awarded to the "most promising and exciting newcomer" in children’s picture book illustration, has longlisted 20 books from illustrators whose debuts span friendship, love, family, the natural world and tales of daring [full longlist below].

Established in 2016 in honour of Klaus Flugge, the founder of publisher Andersen Press, previous winners of the prize have included Eva Eland, who last year won with When Sadness Comes to Call.

Eland returns this year as a judge alongside illustrator Posy Simmonds; Darryl Clifton, illustration programme director at Camberwell College of Arts; Fleur Sinclair of the Sevenoaks Bookshop; and Mathew Tobin, senior lecturer in English and Children's Literature at Oxford Brookes University. The panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, director of the children’s programme of the Hay Festival.

The longlist comprises 20 books, whittled down from more than 50 submissions. Books on the longlist are published by presses both big and small, from the stables of Flying Eye Books, Caterpillar Books, Hodder, Pavilion, Macmillan, Walker, Tate, Bloomsbury, Chronicle Books, Two Hoots, Simon & Schuster, Andersen Press, Cicada Books, and Scallywag Press. The prize celebrated the variety in the themes of the chosen books, which while telling different stories also use a range of artistic techniques, and the storytelling abilities of the "gifted" artists behind them.

Eccleshare commented: "We are excited to announce the longlist for this year’s Klaus Flugge Prize and to celebrate the wealth of talent in the world of picture book illustration. As ever, the books on the longlist represent an extraordinarily wide range of subjects and themes: friendship, love, family and our natural world are perennial subjects for books for young children but here too are night-time adventures, tales of daring, and a treatise on why it’s not rude to be nude. Though they are telling different stories and using a range of artistic techniques, the longlisted illustrators are all gifted storytellers. We are grateful as ever to Klaus Flugge for supporting the award and shining this spotlight on illustrators and illustration for children."

The shortlist will be announced on 19th May 2021 and the winner will be revealed in September.

The 2021 Klaus Flugge Prize longlist in full comprises:

Child of Galaxies, Charlotte Ager, art director Lilly Gottwald, (Flying Eye Books)

Dear Earth, Clara Anganuzzi, written by Isabel Otter, art director Thomas Truong, designer Emma Jennings (Caterpillar Books)

The Last Garden, Anneli Bray, written by Rachel Ip, editor Frances Elks, art director Paula Burgess (Hodder Children’s Books)

While You’re Sleeping, John Broadley, written by Mick Jackson, editor Neil Dunnicliffe, designer Sarah Crookes (Pavilion)

The Grizzly Itch, Victoria Cassanell, editor Grace Greave, designer Lydia Coventry (Macmillan Children’s Books)

Gustavo the Shy Ghost, Flavia Z Drago, editors Tanya Rosie and Maria Tunney, art director Anne-Louise Jones (Walker Books)

It Isn’t Rude to be Nude, Rosie Haine, editor Fay Evans, designer Jade Wheaton (Tate)

RSPB Birds, Angela Harding, written by Miranda Krestovnikoff, editor Isobel Doster, creative director Stephanie Amster, designer Claire Jones (Bloomsbury)

The Twin Dogs, Chihiro Inoue, editor Fay Evans, designer Jade Wheaton (Tate)

Like the Moon Loves the Sky, Saffa Khan, written by Hena Khan, editor Ariel Richardson, art director Amelia Mack, designer Abbie Goveia (Chronicle Books)

A Hat for Mr Mountain, Soojin Kwak, editor Helen Weir, art director Chris Inns, designer Jo Spooner (Two Hoots)

Lost, Alexandra Mîrzac, editor Fay Evans, designer Jade Wheaton (Tate)

Fly Tiger Fly, Rikin Parekh, editor Ellie Brough, designer Grahame Lyus (Hodder Children’s Books)

Where the Sea Meets the Sky, Riko Sekiguchi, written by Peter Bently, editor Nicola Carthy, designer Grahame Lyus (Hodder Children’s Books)

I’m Sticking with You, Steve Small, written by Smriti Halls, editor Helen Mackenzie Smith, designer Jane Buckley (Simon & Schuster)

My Red Hat, Rachel Stubbs, editor Denise Johnstone-Burt, designer Charlie Moyler (Walker Books)

A Fox Called Herbert, Margaret Sturton, editor Sue Buswell, designer Rebecca Garrill (Andersen Press)

Bartholomew and the Morning Monsters, Ruan van Vliet, written by Sophie Berger, editor and art director Ziggy Hanaor (Cicada Books)

Rabbit Bright, Viola Wang, editor Nicola Carthy, designer Jennifer Stephenson (Hodder Children’s Books)

The After Christmas Tree, Bethan Welby, art director Janice Thomson, designer Goldy Broad (Scallywag Press)