11 March 2015
We're excited to announce that Oliver Jeffers and Chris Haughton are among the 10 authors shortlisted today for the 25th Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year Awards. The winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held on May 19th at Dublin’s Light House Cinema. Chris Haughton is a former CBI Book of the Year Award winner, having claimed the overall award in 2011 with A Little Bit Lost. The judges had this to say about Chris's entry for this year, Shh! We Have A Plan;
Three determined but incompetent baddies and a whole world of humour in a story that is perfectly paced and revealed visually with the minimum of words through vibrant, carefully chosen colours and inventive collage. A perfect picturebook that provides space for the reader to make predictions, to draw inferences, to activate prior knowledge, to discuss, appreciate and really enjoy the expressive (and impressive) artwork. Every art-room, every classroom, every home should have multiple copies.Of Oliver Jeffers' Once Upon An Alphabet, the judges declared that;
Every school, every home, every person should have at least one copy, as this is a book that bears repeated readings. Each letter of the alphabet is introduced with its own story, that weave in and out of one another asking the reader to make connections and cross-references. Although this is an alphabet book, the cleverly constructed stories and quirky line drawings make this the perfect read for children of all ages.
Founded in 1990, The CBI Book of the Year Awards are the leading children’s book awards in Ireland. They are a celebration of excellence in children’s literature and illustration and are open to books for all ages written in English or Irish by authors and illustrators born or resident in Ireland and published between January 1st and December 31st each year.