We are delighted to welcome Joseph Namara Hollis to the blog.  Joseph has been named winner of the 2022 Klaus Flugge Prize which is awarded to the most promising and exciting newcomer to picture book illustration. A graduate of the Cambridge School of Art at Anglia Ruskin University, he won with his book Pierre’s New Hair, published by Tate Publishing, which tells the story of a bear obsessed with looking good but also desperate to show the world his roller-skating flair. Judge illustrator Emily Gravett said, ‘Pierre’s New Hair made me laugh out loud. What impressed me was the way that Joseph was able to conjure up a whole world for his characters to inhabit. It was our winner because we loved how every aspect of the book fitted together perfectly to make this a quirky fun book to read.’

Can you tell us about your route into illustration?

I’ve always drawn, including when I wasn’t meant to. A serial doodler. But it probably took until the end of a degree in Graphic Arts and Design at Leeds Met to realise I wanted to illustrate, or be an illustrator. Although I had been drawn towards it since studying arts foundation, I wasn’t truly aware what ‘illustration’ meant or that it was something I could do. It took several more years of experimentation to commit to the practice. Or understand what the practice might involve.

This was a lonely practice. Drawing in my makeshift studio between shifts as a support-worker, it sometimes felt like I was going against the grain.  Stark contrast to the atmosphere at Cambridge School of Art, when I began studying an MA in Children’s Book Illustration. That was a tremendously exciting time, surrounded by people with the same hopes and dreams, I knew I was in the right place. The end of the course marked the beginning of the journey to publication. The course’s final exhibition in London, trips to Bologna Children’s Book Fair (organised by Pam Smy and her team of volunteers), and illustration competitions (V&A Illustration Awards & the Macmillan Prize) gave me the opportunity to connect with publishers for the first time. But it would take several more years wrestling with my stories before I could find a way into the industry. During this leg of the journey, I had a partner (now my wife) who shared the same goals as me, so in a sense we were able to keep the team spirit (from Cambridge) alive.

On returning to England, we entered a Picture Hooks speed dating event and it was there, in Edinburgh that we first met (what would become) our illustration agency – Plum Pudding. I prepared work for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair for the third year, but this time with guidance from my agent, Hannah. I was delighted when she struck a deal with Tate Publishing. Hannah had helped me regain confidence writing, and editors Fay, and Emilia at Tate Publishing furthered this. It had been difficult developing the story beforehand (when things didn’t work out it often felt like a failure), but the process with Tate was most enjoyable. The perfect balance between freedom and support.

Are there any illustrators whose work and style have been particularly important or influential to you?

More illustrators than you can shake a stick at! I always mention Richard Scarry, whose work I adored as a child. On reflection his work has been a big influence. A favourite contemporary would be Bjorn Rune Lie, although the style is somewhat different there are parallels between the two. I’m attracted to the inventive characters, and the big worlds they build with intricate details. Wonderful! And witty. I can admire these for hours. And I intend to! – I’ve just ordered a Bjorn Rune Lie screen print!

Congratulations on winning the Klaus Flugge with 'Pierre's New Hair' it's a wonderfully energetic and fun book, can you tell us a little about how you created it?

It is difficult to keep track. I was working on it over the span of several years before working with Tate Publishing (and since having a baby my memory has eroded at an alarming rate).

The key ingredients, or tools would be my little red notebook. This is for the daily writing ritual. Anything goes! Write anything. And it is where the seeds of the idea were planted.

Then I threw myself directly into a tiny dummy book. The small size gave it a ‘throw-away’ nature, which helped relieve the potentially stifling pressure to make anything ‘important’. Playing with the page-turn helped coax the idea along into a sequence, forcing it to unfold page after page helped make it more like a ‘story’. That initial ‘idea bit’ happened fast and was exciting. I must be onto something here!

After that a much more drawn-out process began, wrestling with countless dummy books, experimenting with artwork, writing manuscripts, drawing flat plans, filling sketchbooks with drawings that explored how characters behave or thumbnailing how the sequence could evolve (in terms of page design and such). The story took many forms while this went on. It was often enjoyable, but certainly had its challenging phases (of doubt) too.

What does it mean to you winning the award and knowing that such a prestigious panel of judges selected 'Pierre's New Hair'?

I have great admiration for the judges, their decision fills me with gratitude. For me, it is permission. Permission to keep doing what sometimes feels nonsensical, uncertain, and impractical, whilst at the same time an absolute necessity.  I feel like I can enter the arena with them fighting my corner. It’ll give me momentum. Fearlessness. Which is extremely useful when wrestling with the creative forces!

The illustration and text combine to tell a wonderfully funny story.  Traditionally humour is often under-represented in prizes, how important are funny books?

We all need something to help lift our spirits. Something safe to retreat to and give us warmth. You won’t get that from the news, or social media. I love hibernating with books like The Wind in the Willows, The Day No One Was Angry and Skunk and Badger. Is it the anthropomorphism that makes these funny? I find it endearing, and those books certainly make me laugh.


The humour in Pierre’s New Hair is almost unintentional, it is more so a biproduct of trying to invest deeply in Pierre’s character. I don’t think there are jokes as such, instead personality injected bit by bit. Drawing after drawing. Curiosities emerge. Genuine interests seep in.  And this all ends up appearing funny, juxtaposed in an animal world. I’ve never really thought about it, but I’m sure if I tried more proactively to be funny, it would be a terrible experience. And involve more tears than laughter.

Do you have plans for what you will be working on next?

Quantum Physics (to clarify, I’m referring to illustrations for a quantum physics institute, I’m not intending to conduct any scientific experiments myself, no plans for a career change… yet) and a story about a miserable hedgehog.

I’m also keen to embark on entirely new ideas. Recently, I’ve been focusing a great deal of energy on raising my first child and teaching at university. But with the little one starting nursery and reducing my hours as a lecturer I’ll have more time to invest in my practice again. Play time! 

What would a dream commission be for you?

Every commission is a dream commission! Each project consumes so much energy, I wouldn’t take on anything that didn’t feel like a dream commission. There are far more efficient ways to pay the bills.

I’m excited about all elements of illustration and would like to stretch myself outside the area of children’s book illustration (although I’m not sure there are enough hours in the day). I wonder what happens when there are a different set of rules. It might be exciting to explore some ideas that are less child friendly.

However, perhaps more urgently, I want to keep exploring my own ideas as a children’s picture book maker and see how far I can push those boundaries. There’s so much to learn.

The winner of the Klaus Flugge traditionally goes on to judge the award the year after they have won.  Is there anything you'd particularly like to see among the contenders when you are a judge?

A great picture book will lead you on an unexpected journey, an element of surprise can be captivating. With that in mind, I’ll try to avoid going in search of something specific and let the books lead the way.

When an artist is lost in the moment wonderfully authentic things happen. It’s thrilling to see someone embrace spontaneity and take risks with their work. It’s great to see moments of unfiltered passion. Moments might be the keyword because those moments need to be cradled carefully to communicate eloquently. Light and shade (or yin and yang) add depth to a story. It’s wonderful when a picture book attains that ‘perfect’ balance.

A huge thank you to Joseph Namara Hollis for the fantastic interview and to Andrea Reece and the Klaus Flugge Prize for the opportunity!

Gallery images: 

One - Showing the cover rough and final cover image for 'Pierre's New Hair'

Two - An early rough

Three - Cover image for 'Not in the Mood'

Four - spreads from 'Pierre's New Hair'

Five - photograph of Klaus Flugge Prize winner Joseph Namara Hollis holding award

Six - Klaus Flugge with 2022 winner Joseph Namara Hollis and judges 

Eva Eland grew up in Delft, Netherlands. She studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York as well as at the Cambridge School of Art, where she received a distinction in children’s book illustration. Eva won the 2020 Klaus Flugge Prize with When Sadness Comes to Call, which also won a V&A award, book cover category.  Where Happiness Begins was published in 2020.

With such a broad range of illustrations and all the different approaches to storytelling in the longlist of this year’s Klaus Flugge Prize - the prize for the most exciting newcomer in picture books - it has been very inspiring for me to delve into and analyse the books. The shortlist contains five very distinctive books, that feel fresh, original and demonstrate a high standard of work. Parents, children and book lovers in general are lucky with all the new picture books they can choose from these days.

The fact that the books and illustrations are very different from each other in how they look and what they accomplish, reminds me of just how many functions a book can have. Picture books can be these beautiful and rich objects we can share with each other, talk about, enjoy and be comforted by. They can invite us to reflect on our life, our relationships and put our feelings into words and images, giving us the vocabulary we might need to deal with some of the more complicated issues in life. They can offer an escape and stir our imagination, make us wonder and test our own understanding of the world and our preconceived ideas. Some might even encourage us to be brave, as they remind us of the things that truly matter and that we can always return home.

Illustration, and especially the space between text and image and how they relate to each other, has such a vital importance to bring all these elements out in a book. It can build worlds for the words to live in. For children, a picture book can be their first encounter with art and art, in turn, I think, can help stimulate an appreciation for the beauty that can be found all around us. An appreciation that will enrich our lives and help to cultivate a sense of childlike wonder.

To have a prize that is focused on illustration alone, and that encourages new talent by celebrating their work and giving them more visibility, is hugely important in a time where so many new books get published every year, and new makers might otherwise get lost.

The longlist for the Klaus Flugge Prize is well worth perusing, as each of the books has their own story to tell and there are some exceptional and original new voices in illustration that I’m sure we will see more of in the future.

From these books, five of them stood out in particular, and make up this year's shortlist.

My Red Hat by Rachel Stubbs is a tender tale, full of love, showing the relationship between a grandfather and child. They share stories, adventures and dreams together and we get a sense of all the things that a grandparent might want to pass down to their grandchild, and the encouragement they can offer to go and discover the world on their own. This story unfolds in a very organic way and at a gentle pace, from spread to spread, with the red hat as a visual and thematic thread holding the words and images together. The unusual landscape format and the hand drawn typography fit the story and the illustrations perfectly.

Rachel Stubbs cleverly depicts childhood, with all its ups and downs, and the moments when you might get lost but are found again and return home, ‘to where you belong’. The looseness of the marks and the delicate lines add to the gentle and imaginative atmosphere and the limited colour palette gives it that extra nostalgic flavour, cherishing the innocence of childhood and the special bond that can exist between child and grandparent.

A book that stands out for its very original approach to the illustrations is While You’re Sleeping, illustrated by John Broadley and written by Mick Jackson. The book takes us through a night and its creatures, workers and wanderers. With its absence of a story arch or protagonist, there is a consistency and rhythm to the words and images that could work like the perfect bedtime lullaby.

The bold lines, limited colour palette and collage of patterns are reminiscent of the great English print-makers of the thirties and forties like Eric Ravilious and Edward Bawden, yet it feels utterly unique and there is an otherworldly quality to the artwork, with its wonky perspectives and stiff characters, adding a layer of mystery to this whole different world that seems to emerge at night.

The way the light is depicted in this book caught my eye - for the dark nighttime spreads we see beams of yellow light, with the indoor spaces like the hospital using the white of the page to indicate brightly lit spaces. Time passes slowly in this busy night, with clever transitions from the left hand to the right hand page, some compositions framed by walls and lamp posts, and other spreads bleeding off the borders creating a sense of vastness and timelessness. Though this book doesn’t tell a conventional story, it leaves you with a lot of threads of little narratives and a diverse range of characters you could make your own stories for. The illustrations are so rich with detail, that you will have plenty of room to meander through this book, and its night, and wonder about all the different lives that people are living simultaneously, and maybe in doing so, one might slowly drift away to sleep.

I was immediately drawn to the painterly and colourful illustrations by Charlotte Ager for Child of Galaxies, written by Blake Nuto. I was already familiar with her work, and it was interesting to see how she managed to bring her world and visual vocabulary to this text, and give a lot of abstract and big ideas a sense of place to simmer, allowing them to expand their meaning further. The fluid quality of the textures, marks and sketchy pencil lines, combined with a changing colour palette that help shift moods and meaning, fit the poetic text perfectly. Sometimes the words are paired with bold compositions, using what looks like collage with painted paper, or using the very spacious white of the paper itself, creating a lot of room for interpretation. Other times the text is accompanied by a more sensitive and emotive image, with shades of a limited colour palette and directional painted marks, or, for example, looming tree figures that frame a child. Scale, colours, textures and mark making are used to great effect by Charlotte Ager. The meditation on nature and the beauty all around in the illustrations, even when ‘shadows persist’, will offer the reader a lot of opportunities to reflect on the abstract ideas the text offers.The diverse range of characters makes this book feel inclusive and directed to all of us, just like the text reminds us we’re all made ‘from the stuff of the stars’.

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost is a classic story in its essence, about a shy little ghost wanting to make friends, who overcomes his own fear and reaches out. A story that will be relatable and comforting for those who experience similar shyness and insecurities (though I bet at times we all have a little bit of Gustavo in us and will recognise the universal fear of not being seen and invited to play). It’s hard not to like this character or not identify with the moments of longing and hesitation (oh, just imagine the anguish of missing a good opportunity like getting ‘eye-scream’ because you were too shy! Or wanting to get close to the girl you love but not knowing how to make yourself noticed).

This book is filled with details, textures, references and full of the strangest, yet adorable, creatures, that reappear throughout the book, with a lot to discover on each spread, making this book a joy to read and I imagine one to read again and again, reminding little ones that they are not alone.

The structure of the story and the pairing of text and image are very well crafted, there is not a word too much, and though the images are full of details to be enjoyed, it never feels cluttered or distracting, which is a remarkable feat. There is a strong sense of place, grounded in warm and muted colours, with Mexican influences and many references to The Day of the Dead, classic horror films and monsters. The palette of muted colours contrasted with warm orange and Mexican pink, and clever use of negative space as well, are integral to the storytelling and add to the sense of drama, and calm, where needed. Everything in this book, from cover to the final end papers, appears to be very considered, yet there is a light and playful touch that feels very generous and authentic, and Flavia Z Drago, not unlike Gustavo playing the violin, seems to reach out to us, the reader, by sharing her passion for illustration, storytelling and monsters, uncovering some of our deepest fears and longings with this very universal story.

I’m Sticking with You, illustrated by Steve Small and written by Smriti Halls is a character driven story, exploring friendship and the push and pull we can sometimes experience within relationships, especially with those people that are so very different to ourselves.

Bear and squirrel are very loveable characters, and Steve Small has allowed himself to zoom in on them, using only minimal background elements and props to nudge the story along, on otherwise crisp, white pages. The disparity between text and image is where the story is told and where the deadpan humour lays. The timing, scale and body language of the characters are always spot on, adding to the comedy and betraying Steve Small’s background in animation. There is a lovely twist in the book, emphasised by using a black background, and a change of direction to where the characters are going. Here we finally get to see and read the perspective of squirrel, who, after announcing he needs more space, actually misses his overBEARing friend a lot. An almost empty page shows his sudden understanding, and creates a very effective pause before he rushes back and we near the end of this story.

Looking at all these shortlisted books and seeing the different ways in which they excel and exemplify what illustration can do, reassures me that there are so many ways to tell a story, and so many stories to tell still. But also just how important it is to cultivate your own, unique (visual) storytelling voice as a picture book maker. The essence of the stories might not be new in any way - but the ways they are told feel original and personal, and give the reader the possibility to connect with the story, ideas and characters. I can’t wait to see what Steve Small, Flavia Z Drago, Charlotte Ager, John Broadly and Rachel Stubbs have in store for us in the future.

Find out more about the Klaus Flugge Prize on the website.

Do check out the picture gallery below showing:
Cover illustration and spreads for My Red Hat
Cover illustration and spreads for While You Are Sleeping
Cover illustration and spreads for Gustavo the Ghost
Cover illustration and spreads for I'm Sticking with You
Photograph of Eva Eland, copyright Signefotar

A big thank you to Eva Eland for a fantastic blog overview and to the Klaus Flugge Prize for the opportunity.

As followers and friends of the Little Rebels Awards, the Youth Libraries Group is delighted to feature a celebratory blog on the day of its announcement!  Running for 8 years, the Little Rebels Award is designed to recognise the rich tradition of radical publishing for children aged between 0 and 12 in the UK.  The award is given by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers and was established in conjunction with Letterbox Librarywho now jointly administer it with founder member of the Alliance or Radical Booksellers, Housmans Bookshop.

Seven titles make up the strong and wide-ranging 2020 shortlist.  Videos comprising an introduction and information about each title presented by the authors and some illustrators of the shortlisted titles can be found on the National Shelf Service.  The stellar shortlist this year is as follows…

Sofia Valdez                                                 Future Prez

Tracey Corderory, ill Tony Neal                Sneaky Beak

Gill Lewis                                                       The Closest Thing to Flying

Jane Porter, ill Maisie Paradise                  The Boy who Loved Everyone

Smriti Halls, ill Robert Starling                   The Little Island

Bali Rai                                                           Now or Never: A Dunkirk story

Phoebe Swan                                               King Leonard’s Teddy

At a special virtual ceremony hosted by Patrice Lawrence, the winner of the 2020 award was announced.  The winner is The Boy who Loved Everyone by Jane Porter and Maisie Paradise Shearring.  Subtle and understated it is a powerful picture book about love, friendship and the ways in which these can be shown.  Judge, author and educator, Shaun Dellenty said, ‘In these challenging and divisive times, the most radical act of all I surely to love; The Boy who Loved Everyone brims joyfully with it.’

Head of Children’s Book Promotion for BookTrust, Emily Drabble described the book as ‘A deceptively deeply radical book on expressing love.’  While author and critic Darren Chetty praised ‘the story’s sincerity, and its willingness to embrace uncertainty.’

It is hard to imagine a time when the unifying qualities of love and compassion have been more important.  Massive congratulations to Jane Porter and Maisie Paradise on winning this year’s award and to all of the 2020 shortlist which arouse curiosity and change the ways in which young readers see and think about the world in which they live.

We are pleased to welcome Jake Hope to the blog to talk about this year's shortlist for the Klaus Flugge Prize.  Jake was a judge on this year's award and is the author of Seeing Sense: Visual Literacy as a Tool for Libraries, Learning and Reader Development.

Illustrations in picture books can help to shape our early understanding of who we are, of the world that surrounds us and of the ways we feel.  Since its inception, the Klaus Flugge Prize has showcased some of the vibrant innovation and technique that new artists are bringing to the form.  This year’s shortlist has been no exception and the books brilliantly shine a light upon the different roles illustration can play.

Like many of the best picture books, Kate Read’s One Fox works on many levels.  It helps provide a foundation for learning with its humour, drama and visual rhythm. It’s a vibrant counting story about a sleek sly fox who has three plump hens on his mind, but there’s a pleasing twist in the tale.  The lively combination of print and collage lends a real textured quality to the art.

Emotions and feelings can be complicated and hard to verbalise in early childhood.  Seeing and feeling the effect of these can thus be an incredibly powerful experience.  This is certainly the case in Eva Eland’s When Sadness Comes to Call.  It is a masterpiece of minimalism that shows real understanding of the format of the book, there’s great control in the use of a limited palette and in the fluidity of the line but each is saturated with depth of emotion.

Childhood can be a time of great adventure, of discovery and wonder.  This is captured brilliantly in Helen Kellock’s The Star in the Forest.  The interplay between light and darkness creates real impact and achieves an intimate dialogue between ‘reader’ and ‘book’.  Readers are taken on a journey into the heart of the forest and are reminded of the boundless quality of imagination!

There is something joyous about close looking, the act and art of uncovering new details finding new dimensions to stories.  This playful quality abounds in Puck Koper’s energetic Where is your Sister?  With a three tone palette, inventive use of patterns and incredible style this is a book full of laugh-out-loud moments and games!

Illustration can also help to relay detailed and complex information and ideas, helping to make this more relatable and easier to understand.  This is certainly true of Sabina Radeva’s On the Origin of Species which relays the enduring nature and the scope of Darwin’s remarkable impact on science and the natural world.  Composition and design is employed to great effect in this stylish and wide-reaching book.

The winner of this year’s Klaus Flugge Prize will be announced tonight (16 September), at 6.00pm, but with such a cornucopia of imagination, experimentation and innovation, the real winners are readers whose worlds are enriched and enhanced by such outstanding illustrated books.  Congratulations to each of the shortlisted illustrators and the publishing teams behind these incredible books.

Thanks to Jake for the blog.

Established in 2000, in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Awardis given annually to the author and editor of the outstanding debut novel for children. Uniquely, it also honours the editor of the winning title and highlights the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.

Last year’s winners were Muhammad Khan and his editor Lucy Pearse for I Am Thunder.  The winner of the 2020 award will be announced in a special online ceremony at 6.00pm on Wednesday 9 September.  We are delighted to welcome Layla Hudson of Round Table Books, one of the judges for the 2020 Award, describes the process and the 2020 shortlist

Being a judge for the 2020 Branford Boase Award has been an absolute honour. Since starting my bookselling career back in 2016, I’ve always wanted to be part of a judging panel and to share my thoughts with other judges about which books we thought were winners. Although, of course, it’s very tricky to choose one winner out of twenty books, I enjoyed the challenge immensely! It was also fun to do such critical reading; as a blogger I do tend to keep things in mind when it comes to needing to review a book, but this was on a whole different level. I found myself keeping notes and highlighting parts that I wanted to discuss, which isn’t something I usually do. 

Of course, this year things were very different with our judging meetings and discussions. Back when I was first chosen to be a judge, I was looking forward to meeting my fellow judges in person and chatting books over cake. With lockdown, meetings had to be changed. We all met and spoke over Zoom, brought our own cakes if we wanted, sat with our stacks of books but were able to still chat passionately about the things we’d read and discuss our top favourites on the list. It was interesting to hear my fellow judges’ thoughts on the longlist, and was also great to get into discussion about our thoughts on particular books. Every reader is different, and my fellow judges Julia Eccleshare, Muhammad Khan, Sue Bastone and Victoria Dilly were an absolute delight to work with. Many passionate talks and agreements were had during our Zoom calls, and although we weren’t together, this didn’t stop us from running over our allotted meeting times with our discussions. 

The 2020 shortlist has been incredibly strong, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading these books. Some of my new favourites came from this shortlist alone! Each book is so different which really shows the variety of books published today, and there are so many themes and topics discussed throughout. A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby not only talks about grief, but has the topic of change throughout the book as the main character navigates through the ups and downs of starting secondary school, The Million Pieces of Neena Gill by Emma Smith-Barton delicately discusses teenage mental health, and Frostheart by Jamie Littler is a triumphant adventure that has a core message of finding your voice. The shortlist also showcases some different and intriguing takes on traditional book publishing. For example, Bearmouth by Liz Hyder is written phonetically as the character is learning to read and write as you go through the book, which I’ve never seen before! A Good Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson includes interview transcripts and video descriptions, whilst also showing parts of the main characters essay as she writes it, and The Space We’re In by Katya Balen has coded chapter titles that you can decipher with the key at the start of the book. The editing process that the books have gone through is also to be applauded - there are some brilliant editors in the world of children’s publishing, and the books longlisted goes to show these talents.  There is a wealth of new talent in the book world, and I was also proud that there were some books by Black authors and authors of colour on the list too. I hope that publishers continue to work hard to champion their books by diverse authors, and hope to see more featured in future awards.

Many thanks to Layla Hudson for her insightful thoughts and views on judging this year's Branford Boase Award and on the shortlist.