Nick Sharratt wins Alligator’s Mouth Award for illustrated fiction

Nice Work for the Cat and the King by Nick Sharratt (Alison Green Books/Scholastic) has won The Alligator’s Mouth Award for illustrated children’s fiction.

Sharratt, who was presented with the award today (13th June) by illustrator and judge Axel Scheffler, said: “I'm absolutely delighted that Nice Work for the Cat and the King has won the inaugural Alligator's Mouth Award, for Young Illustrated Children's Fiction. It's fantastic that there is now this prize, specifically celebrating a vital area of children's publishing - the stepping stone between picture books and fiction. The Alligator's Mouth Award shines a welcome spotlight on the amazing books that are being created for children starting to read by themselves, and I'm extremely honoured that my book has been selected as the very first winner.”

The prize celebrates highly-illustrated fiction for readers aged 6-8 and was launched by independent bookshop The Alligator’s Mouth in Richmond in partnership with The Bright Agency.

Sharratt was chosen from a shortlist of five titles, including Lyttle Lies: The Stinky Truth by Joe Berger (Simon & Schuster) and Dave Pigeon (Racer!) by Swapna Haddow and Sheena Dempsey.