2026 Derby Children’s Picture Book Award - The Longlist

We're thrilled to share the longlist for Derby Book Festival’s Children’s Picture Book Award 2026. Massive congratulations to all the authors and illustrators who have made the longlist and thank you to all the publishers who submitted this year – we had a phenomenal 83 entries! 📚

Huge congratulations to:

‘Leave the Trees Please’ by Benjamin Zephaniah and Melissa Castrillon @magiccatpublishing @officialbenjaminzephaniah @melissa.castrillon

‘The Great Green Island’ by Becky Colvin @macmillankidsuk @beckycolvinart

‘Be Back Soon’ by Anna Wilson and Jenny Bloomfield @andersenpress @acwilsonwriter @jennybloomfield

‘This is Who I Am’ by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Ruchi Mhasane @andersenpress @rashmiwriting @ruchi.mm

‘That’s Not Stella’ by Donna Fredin @flyingeyebooks @donnaofredin

‘Taking the Long Way Home’ by Jake Hope and Brian Fitzgerald @scallywagpress @jakegatehouse @brianfitzerillustrator

‘Indigo Irvine’ by Rhiannon Archard @tatepublishing @rhi_illustration

‘My Rice is Best’ by Selina Brown and Maxwell A. Oginni @puffinbooksuk @theselinabrown @Maxwell_oginni

‘The Tour at School: Because you’re the New Kid’ by Katie Clapham and Nadia Shireen @walkerbooksuk @katieclaphamwriting @nadiashireendraws

‘The Hunt for the Fog Town Moose’ by Stefania Aldana Trujillo @harpercollinsch (Kumusha Books) @stefaniaaltru

Shortlisting will take place on Saturday 17 January, when a team of fabulous teachers who have been involved with the Book Award previously, will whittle the list down to three. The three shortlisted books will then go into classrooms around Derby, where the children will study them and eventually vote to decide their favourite! We can't wait to find out which one of these fantastic books they choose!