Five books have been shortlisted 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.

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

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)

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

Children’s Author Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Children’s Author Tọlá Okogwu joined the judging panel this year.

Rashmi Sirdeshpande commented: “It’s a superb shortlist of joyous, creative and captivating illustrated stories. Exactly the kinds of books publishers need to invest in if they’re serious about inspiring and encouraging a whole new generation of readers.”

Tọlá Okogwu also said: “The quality of this year’s entries made selecting a shortlist very difficult. These books span the full range of what great children’s fiction can do, from humour to heart, and each one holds the power to show a young reader just how magical reading can be.”

Joining Rashmi and Tọlá on the judging panel is Alex Latimer, who won the 2025 award with Gordon the Meanest Goose on Earth (Oxford Children’s, Oxford University Press), Teacher & Bookstagrammer Alex Puddick, Author and Illustrator Thiago de Moraes 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: “Choosing a shortlist is both a wonderful and a challenging task. This year, we have so enjoyed the originality, variety and verve of the submissions. The shortlist offers fun, adventure, friendship, amazingly inventive illustrations, maps, innovative ideas and stories, and brilliant jokes. It’s a wonderful list of books to celebrate the Year of Reading - well done to all the authors and illustrators!”

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

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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.