Winners of the Early Years Awards 2009 announced!

Booktrust today announces the winners of the 2009 Early Years Awards. The winning books all exemplify the remarkable creativity in words, design and illustration necessary to encourage young children to read.

The winners were announced at a ceremony on the evening of Wednesday 23 September at BAFTA. 

The winner of the Baby Book Award:

Chick by Ed Vere (Puffin)

The winner of the Pre-School Award:

Oliver Who Travelled Far and Wide by Mara Bergman, illus. Nick Maland (Hodder Children’s Books)

Best Emerging Illustrator:

Box of Tricks by Katie Cleminson (Jonathan Cape)

Wendy Cooling presented the winners for each category with a cheque for £2,000 and a customised trophy. The best emerging illustrator was presented with a specially commissioned piece of original artwork donated by the children’s illustrator and judge Neal Layton.

The publishers of the three winning titles were presented with certificates naming them as one of the Booktrust Early Years Awards Publishers of the Year.

Wendy Cooling, MBE and Chair of Judges:

‘The winning books have that wonder that is so important for very young children; they will be read over and over again and adult readers will not complain at the “Again please!”  There’s originality, imagination and excellent design in all three, always as much to enjoy in the pictures as in the words. These books hold the magic that really will lead children into reading.’

The Booktrust Early Years Awards aim:

• to celebrate, publicise and reward the exciting range of books being published today for babies, toddlers and pre-school children

• to promote and make these books accessible to as wide an audience as possible

The Booktrust Early Years Awards are supported by the national Bookstart programme and their sponsors and the Unwin Charitable Trust.