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Nadia Shireen and Rob Biddulph shortlisted for £10k Oscar’s Book Prize
Nadia Shireen and Rob Biddulph have been shortlisted for the £10,000 Oscar’s Book Prize, along with Zehra Hicks and Sean Taylor, Craig Barr-Green and Frances Martin, and John Dougherty and Thomas Docherty.
Oscar’s Book Prize is an annual prize for the best illustrated book for young children, championing “magical storytelling by authors and illustrators, best shared between young children and their parents.”
It is awarded in memory of book-loving Oscar Ashton, who died in 2012 of an undiagnosed heart condition aged three and a half. Founded by his parents and supported by Amazon and the Evening Standard, the prize has been running since 2014.
This year, Shireen – who was shortlisted in 2023 for Billy and the Pirates (Puffin) is shortlisted with Geoffrey Gets the Jitters (Puffin), while Biddulph is shortlisted for Gigantic (HarperCollins Children’s Books). Zehra Hicks and Sean Taylor are in the running for When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books), Barr-Green and Frances Martin for Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf (Little Tiger) and Dougherty and Docherty for The Hare Shaped Hole (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books).
The winner will be revealed on the evening of Tuesday 7th May. Lisa de Meyer, UK books country manager at Amazon, said: “Reading is such a joy and an incredible tool in aiding children’s development. The shortlist for Oscar’s Book Prize this year is full of immensely talented authors and illustrators, who have beautifully encapsulated stories that are sure to inspire and bring joy to so many children.
“The diversity of topics covered in children’s books is greater than ever, and this year’s shortlist is a fantastic place to start for parents looking for books to expand their children’s bookshelf! Through Oscar’s Book Club and our Amazon Reading Volunteers, we hope that many more children and families will get to enjoy these books across the UK.”
Throughout April and May, Oscar’s Book Prize and award supporter Amazon will donate this year’s shortlisted books to schools and nurseries across the country via the Amazon Reading Volunteer network.
