Judges announced for The Alligator's Mouth Award 2022

We are thrilled to reveal this year’s fantastic line up of judges for The Alligator’s Mouth Award 2022!

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The Alligator’s Mouth Award returns for a fourth year, to celebrate the very best in highly illustrated children’s fiction. Rapping teacher and literacy advocate MC Grammar will be on the judging panel this year, alongside last year’s winner Sophy Henn. Sophy won the 2021 award with Pizazz (Simon & Schuster Children’s UK).

Joining them on the judging panel will be: award-winning author Joseph Elliott; primary teacher, reading consultant & book blogger Jo Cummins (Library Girl & Book Boy); co-owners of The Alligator’s Mouth children’s bookshop, Margaret Wallace-Jones and Tony West; and Arabella Stein, Director at The Bright Agency.

Run by Bright and The Alligator’s Mouth bookshop, the children’s book prize celebrates the best highly-illustrated books for 6-8-year-olds, and champions authors and illustrators.

The Alligator’s Mouth Award 2021 - Winner Announcement Video

MC Grammar on being a judge:

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“As a lifelong reader, being blessed with the opportunity to celebrate such a brilliant bunch of books is an honour. Reading is the key to discovering the world around us and beyond – a realm where there’s a book for every child, to take them anywhere. Whether it’s a quest for new knowledge; an adventure into their imagination; or simply finding a friend, someone just like them with the right words at the right time – we learn, we laugh, and we live many lives through our favourite characters’ eyes. It’s just magical; and I can’t wait to share this year’s spectacular selection with the world.”

2021 winner Sophy Henn presented the award by 2020 winner Adam Stower!

Margaret Wallace-Jones and Tony West of The Alligator’s Mouth on the 2022 award:

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“We’re thrilled that it’s Alligator Award time again, and this line up of judges brings together an amazing group of people who truly understand and celebrate the importance of reading for pleasure in this age group. We’re so proud to see the award growing, and we’re expecting some fantastic submissions this year.”

Arabella helping announce the 2020 winner!

Arabella on returning as a judge this year:

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“With the award now in its fourth year, we are very excited to be joined by four more incredible judges with such a range of experience and talent to bring to bear on the selection. We can’t wait to read the submissions, and I’m personally very much looking forward to the publishers’ offerings this year.”

Submissions for the 2022 award close Friday 26th November 2021. The award is open to books first published in the English language on a children’s list by a UK publisher between 1st October 2020 and 31st December 2021. To enter the awards, publishers are invited to submit highly illustrated fiction aimed at readers aged 6-8, with illustrations on the majority of internal spreads.

The longlist will be announced in March 2022, and the shortlist will be announced in May 2022. The winner of the award will be announced in July 2022 and they will receive The Alligator’s Mouth Award trophy.

The Alligator’s Mouth Award is proud to be in association with Gardners, Fun Kids Radio and Coram Beanstalk.

For further details click here.