Alligators Mouth Award Longlist 2024

last updated 06 March 2024

Ten books have been longlisted for The Alligator’s Mouth Award 2024, which champions authors and illustrators of highly illustrated children’s fiction. Now in its sixth year, the children’s book prize created by The Alligator’s Mouth children’s bookshop and The Bright Agency, celebrates the best books for 6-8-year-olds.

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Librarian and Bookseller Rising Star Zoey Dixon joined the judging panel this year, alongside last year’s winner Elys Dolan. Elys won the 2023 award with Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise (Walker Books).

Zoey commented: “I’m so excited for the longlist to be revealed. There were so many amazing titles nominated that it was quite a tough job choosing these ten. The Alligator’s Award is such a unique and special award, and this longlist really showcases the amazing range of books out there for this age range. There are stories of magic, myth, adventure and even poetry. I’m sure that they will be loved by everyone just as much as me and the judges loved them.”

Also on the 2024 judging panel is award winning author/illustrator Sam Usher; Founder of BooksForTopics Alison Leach; and co-owners of The Alligator’s Mouth children’s bookshop, Margaret Wallace-Jones and Tony West.

Tony West and Margaret Wallace-Jones of The Alligator’s Mouth said: “This is a joyous longlist - the last year has produced a bumper crop of brilliant books for budding bookworms and we’re so happy to celebrate these original, creative and exciting stories. Expect fairy-tale lands, envelopes and invitations, maps, guitars, bank robbery, friendship and fireworks - written with panache and illustrated with gusto!”