Also worth watching! The #BranfordBoaseAward has a great track record in identifying future stars at the start of their careers. Longlist reminder here 👉 booksforkeeps.co.uk/longlist-ann...

Graphic with photos of the four judges for this year's Branford Boase Award, given to author and editor of the year's outstanding debut novel for children and young people. They are Anjali Patel, Katherine Woodfine, Margaret McDonald and Stephen Dilley. It also includs the logos for ALCS and Walker Books who support the Branford Boase Award.

📢The shortlist for the 2026 #BranfordBoaseAward will be announced *tomorrow* 23 April.

Which of the 24 excellent debuts on our 2026 longlist have our judges chosen? Follow us to find out! #KidLitUK #newtalent

branfordboaseaward.org.uk

#NewIllustrationOfTheDay by Dan Ojari, from a picturebook collaboration with his son Finn: Is This A Plum? It has a hand-made look, and rhyming text & clever cutouts encourage readers to make connections & look for the whole picture. Puffin 23 April. @puffinbooksuk.bsky.social @danojari.bsky.social

#NewIllustrationOfTheDay by American illustrator Lita Judge from The Littlest Elephant, with text by Katherine Applegate. This is realistic drawing put through a cuteness filter. From a story about Ruby the elephant facing fears about growing up. Harper Collins 23 April. @harpercollins.bsky.social

Photograph of Mr Gum creator Andy Stanton. He is sitting on a stool looking directly into the camera and wearing a hat with a badge on it. Photo by Paul Musso for the Hay Festival.

A sketch of Mr Gum, illustration by David Tazzyman.

Since ‘putting a bend in the road of kids’ literature’ in 2016, the MR GUM series has sold more than four million copies in the UK and been translated into 34 languages. Delighted to have a NEW interview with creator Andy Stanton! #booksky #kidlituk @farshorebooks.bsky.social

bit.ly/4vFfY5z

I am delighted to be returning to the London Children’s Literature Festival (the artist formerly known as Barnes Children’s Literature Festival) on Saturday 27 June. I will be talking all things foxes and werewolves and hosting a live episode of #DrawWithRob. Tickets 👉https://tinyurl.com/8v3w6ea9

“Poetry is important for children. Maybe #poetry has never been so important for children!”

Sean Taylor: The CLiPPA Prize List and the Importance of Poetry for Children I’m fresh from the online announcement of the shortlisted books for the 2026 CLPE Poetry Award 2026 (aka the CLiPPA.) This featured five poems read aloud, and it was a spellbinding selection of wha…

Sean Taylor: The CLiPPA Prize List and the Importance of Poetry for Children childrenspoetrysummit.com/2026/04/16/s...

Prepare to meet a heffalump, borogroves & slithy toves in a story that tells us to escape the humdrum! Our NEW Book of the Week is Come Along by Cosmo Sheldrake illustrated by Liniers, a quirky, uplifting read for all. @magiccatpublishing.bsky.social #BookSky

booksforkeeps.co.uk/review/come-...

Everything you need to know about @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social

➡️ bookshop.org/info/about-us

#KidLitUK

Letterbox Library Bookshop UK Since 1983, Letterbox Library has been a leading children's bookseller and education supplier, bringing teachers, librarians and parents the best in inclusive children's books. By “inclusive”, we mean...

Your reminder that you can find highlights from the superb Beyond the Secret Garden columns on our @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social shop front.
@booksforkeeps.bsky.social
@darrenchetty.bsky.social
@booksforkeeps.bsky.social
#notforprofit #coop #workerscoop
#KidLitUK uk.bookshop.org/shop/letterb...

#NewIllustrationOfTheDay by Nicola Killen from her picturebook Ollie’s Busy Bee About a child who makes a bee-friendly garden. Gentle image in monochrome with touches of colour and highlights. Simon & Schuster 23 April.

Children's Literature News April 2026 Children's literature news roundup for April 2026. Michael Rosen wins HCA award, CLiPPA shortlist, UKLA and Jhalak shortlists.

Children’s Literature News April 2026. 📚👍🏼
schoolreadinglist.co.uk/childrens-li...
#kidlit
Children’s book news for April 2026: Michael Rosen wins the Hans Christian Andersen Award, CLiPPA and UKLA shortlists arrive, and Puffin launches its ...

If you don't already, why not give us a follow over on Instagram? We're keen to build a wide network of passionate English and Media teachers and we regularly update our followers with photos, videos and other content related to everything we do here at EMC: www.instagram.com/engmediacent...

A copy of the house at world's end by Monica Dickens.

Good morning! Today's read is The House At World's End by Monica Dickens #booksky

We’re thrilled to reveal this year’s CLiPPA shortlist! 🌟

Featuring works by Sean Taylor, Traci N. Todd, Sam Gayton, Simon Mole & John Agard, it's a true celebration of poetry’s power and joy!

Sign up to the Shadowing Scheme: https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/1RW5-1LFF/clippa26

"Something for everyone!" At a live online event for children in schools across the country, Nicola Davies has announced the shortlist for the #CLiPPA, CLPE #Poetry Award. The Shadowing opens Monday 20 April 👀 Congrats to all the poets 👏@theclpe.bsky.social

booksforkeeps.co.uk/something-fo...

Michael Rosen wins Hans Christian Andersen award The former children’s laureate missed the announcement of the award in Bologna due to post-Brexit passport rule changes

Just making sure Bluesky #BookSky #KidLitUK is all-a-buzzing with the news that “our” @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social has been awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award for writing.
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...
@ibbyuk.bsky.social

(All in spite of #PassportWoes)

A bright blue square. In the top left hand corner is an illustration of a group of birds flying in a point to the left. In the top right hand corner is an illustration of a group of birds flying in a point to the right. In the centre of these illustrations is the title NaPoWriMo 2026. Beneath this, in the centre of the square, is a spiky black circle with white text reading 'Prompt 15'. Beneath this is text which reads “I’ve often written about long/short journeys: a road trip the length of a car rolling down a drive, a safari on an urban bus ride. What’s the longest journey you can make in the shortest distance? Write the expedition which takes place during a quick jaunt around the block.” At the bottom of the square is the name Julia Bird.

We're now halfway through #NaPoWriMo 2026! Take a moment to reflect on the journey so far, and where it might lead you next, with Julia Bird's thoughtful prompt. Julia founded Blown Rose, a press who have a stall with us at this year's Free Verse Festival. Tickets are FREE at the link in our bio.

I’ve always loved dandelions - such happy flowers! Had a mini-ode in the last issue of children’s poetry mag Tyger Tyger:
#ukkidlit #kidlituk #ukpoets #poetrysky

tygertyger.net/dandelion-by...

#NewIllustrationOfTheDay by Robert Sae-Heng from How to Build a Chocolate Bridge with text by Roma Agrawal, an entertaining exploration of materials, with experiments that use the wrong ones. Laurence King 9 April. The colours and vignettes on each page are enticing. @hachettechildrens.bsky.social

Today’s the day we discover the shortlist for the CLiPPA! Sign up for the live announcement ⬇️ #poetry

Logo for the English 4 - 11 Picture Book Awards, run by the English Association the National Association for the Teaching of English, and the United Kingdom Literacy Association.

Have you seen?

The English Association @englishassociation.bsky.social has revealed the shortlist for the 2026 English 4-11 Picture Book Awards, the best children's picture books of the year. Congratulations to all the authors and illustrators 💐#KidLitUK

booksforkeeps.co.uk/shortlist-fo...

Three Irish editors on an Italian adventure. Left to right: Matthew Parkinson-Bennett, Sinéad O’Callaghan and Siobhán Parkinson

Here we are at Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2026! #BCBF #BCBF26 #BCBF2026

Thanks as always to Culture Ireland for the financial support to make being here possible, and @childrensbooksireland.ie for the practical, emotional, spiritual, and caffeine-related support!

Visual asset. Mauve background. Pale yellow award logo top right corner with “highlights” underneath. Reads, “THE STREET “Kate Rafiq Dune Books” Followed by book cover. Cover is a dusky sky (purples/pinks), orange/purple horizon. Moon low down. Little blob creatures, in black and white, in foreground.

Text against mauve background reads: “The life of a small community comes under threat from a creeping colonising force as it exerts blockades and checkpoints, assaults on civilian infrastructures, damage to resources and, finally, evictions. And yet, this displaced population continues to exist and even thrive by reasserting their traditions, their culture- and, by never losing the hope of return. A timeless allegory on war and displacement which also feels like a very modern parable for our times. Playful, ‘nonsense’ words, endearingly “floopy” anthropomorphic characters and a balmy, sunset palette keep the narrative appropriate for young children’s minds, allowing them to navigate the injustices laid bare by the text safely and, indeed, with some optimism”.

Mauve background. Text reads: Publisher description: “Boo lives with his family, In their house at the end of the street. They’ve lived there for years, They built it from skyblocks and mooncrete. Zig is a teacher, Pax is a nurse, Their love is as wide as the whole universe. Their smoots are flooping with joy, In their house at the end of the street. All is well…except for the dreaded Klang! A lyrical, heart-warming tale about standing up to bullies and staying connected, even when all hope seems lost.”

We may not be running the award in 2026 but we’re still here to celebrate the social justice books published in 2025 which would surely have stood proud on our longlist.

Enjoy our picks of rabble-rousing 2025 titles,starting with: @katerafiq.bsky.social
THE STREET

#LittleRebelsAwardHighlights2026

Photograph of award winning illustrator Jon Klassen. He is wearing a cap and tan shirt. Photo taken by Carson Ellis.

The logo for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award which features a sketch of Astrid Lindgren.

Canadian illustrator and picture book artist Jon Klassen is the recipient of the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, given annually to a person or organisation for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature. #booksky

booksforkeeps.co.uk/jon-klassen-...

#NewIllustrationOfTheDay by author/illustrator Marie Dorleans from her picturebook The Blanket, translated by Katy Lockwood-Holmes. About a boy afraid of everything without his blanket. Hand-drawn with graphite pencil & watercolour & finished digitally. Floris Bks 23 April. @florisbooks.bsky.social

ICYMI the groundbreaking #jhalakprize reaches its 10 years milestone this year!

#KidLitUK

A photograph of Michael Rosen, poet and children's author.

Logo for the Hans Christian Andersen Award presented by Ibby International Board on Books for Young People.

Michael Rosen @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international distinction given to authors & illustrators of children’s books @ibbyuk.bsky.social #booksky #KidLitUK

Cai Gao receives the Award for Illustration

booksforkeeps.co.uk/michael-rose...

Yes! The @ibbyuk.bsky.social list is out!

11 books which “show a wide range of disabilities and backgrounds and provide authentic, respectful representations and reflect the growing numbers of ‘own voice’ and ‘lived experience’ books.”
#KidLitUK