Ten books have been longlisted for The Alligator’s Mouth Award 2026, which champions authors and illustrators of highly illustrated children’s fiction. Now in its eighth 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.

Author and Illustrator Thiago de Moraes joined the judging panel this year, alongside Alex Latimer, who won the 2025 award with Gordon the Meanest Goose on Earth (Oxford Children’s, Oxford University Press).

Thiago de Moraes commented: “There’s a delightful variety of themes, art styles, stories and representation in the longlist. It’s fantastic to see how vibrant illustrated fiction for young people has become in the last decade or so. Choosing ten books from the original list was very hard, and narrowing the longlist further feels almost impossible.”

Alex Latimer also said: “This is a longlist packed to the rafters with friendship and humour and adventure – each book here is a treasure.”

The full longlist for The Alligator's Mouth Award 2026:

A Mermaid’s Diary written and illustrated by Chris Riddell (Macmillan Children’s Books)

Bear and Bird: The Secret and Other Stories written and illustrated by Jarvis (Walker Books)

Beastie Bros: The Cabbage Juice Crime written and illustrated by David O’Connell (Scholastic)

Bertha and Blink: Take to the Skies written and illustrated by Nicola Colton (Little Tiger)

Cat and Dumpling: Home Sweet Home written and illustrated by Nicola Kent (Oxford University Press)

Cosmic Cadets and the Universal Uni-korn written by Ryan Crawford, illustrated by Rochelle Falconer (Oxford University Press)

Croaky: Caverns of the Gemosaurus written and illustrated by Matty Long (Oxford University Press)

Good Bits written by Kes Gray, illustrated by Ruby Wright (DK Children’s)

Marty Moose: First Class Mischief written and illustrated by Claire Powell (Walker Books)

Wigglesbottom Primary: The Popcorn Puppy written by Pamela Butchart, illustrated by Becka Moor (Nosy Crow)

Joining Thiago on the judging panel is Children’s Author Tọlá Okogwu, Teacher & Bookstagrammer Alex Puddick, Children’s Author Rashmi Sirdeshpande 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: “There is a fantastic range of stories in the list this year! Thank you to the authors and illustrators who continue to entertain us and contribute to making the readers of tomorrow. These are books that would be well received in any school library and can confidently be recommended to nascent readers and those in need a quiet chuckle and a surprise or two!”

Book wholesaler Gardners returns as an official partner of the award and is offering independent bookshops across the UK up to a 50% discount on all ten longlisted titles, until the end of July 2026.

National reading charity Coram Beanstalk also return as a partner, running a competition that offers UK schools the chance to win a full set of the longlisted books. The competition will run until 2nd June 2026 – schools can find out more and enter via the Coram Beanstalk website.

The shortlist will be announced in May 2026. The winner will be announced at the award party in June 2026.

Keep up to date with the awards at www.thealligatorsmouth.co.uk/award and on Instagram at @alligatorsmouth.