This annual prize, generously funded by Nicholas Allan, author of The Queen’s Knickers, is awarded to an outstanding children’s original illustrated book for ages 0-7.
It will recognise books that strike a quirky, new note and grab the attention of a child, whether this be in the form of curiosity, amusement, horror or excitement.
The winner will receive £5,000, as well as a golden Queen’s Knickers badge, as depicted in Nicholas Allan’s original book.
The runner-up will receive £1,000 and a silvered badge.
The Queen’s Knickers Award is now closed for submissions and will re-open in Autumn 2026.
The 2026 Queen’s Knickers Award shortlist
George Kirk and illustrator Ana Gómez for Bessie’s Bees (Templar, Bonnier Books UK)
Katie Clapham and illustrator Nadia Shireen for The Tour at School (Walker Books)
Lu Fraser and illustrator Paddy Donnelly for Ava and the Acorn (Hodder Children’s Books, Hachette Children’s Group)
Nancy Vo for Boobies (Faber Children’s)
X. Fang for We Are Definitely Human (Pushkin Children’s Books)
Peter Bently and illustrator Claire Powell for The Princes and the Pea (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
This year’s Queen’s Knickers Award shortlist showcases just some of the fantastic variety, technical skill and narrative ambition that exists within illustrated books for young children, and the overall quality of these titles made selecting the runner-up and winner both a delight and a challenge.
From bold, body-positive non-fiction to inclusive LGBTQ+ fairytale retellings; heartfelt environmental rhyming tales to joyful neurodiverse representation; hilarious school stories to deadpan extraterrestrial encounters, these books and their creators help illuminate the path towards a lifelong love of reading for every child.
Discussing the shortlist with my fellow judges was a joy and a privilege, and I felt deeply inspired by the myriad ways each title celebrated children’s experiences and broadened their horizons, provided comfort and reassurance, or revelled in riotous humour.
—Harry Woodgate, 2026 Queen’s Knickers Award judge
If you are interested in buying any of the books shortlisted here, please visit Bookshop.org. A percentage of each sale will go to the Society of Authors Access Fund, providing access grants to help authors attend events, residencies and retreats.
The 2025 Queen’s Knickers Award winner
Tiny Fisscher, translator Laura Watkinson and illustrator Herma Starreveld for Bird is Dead (Greystone Kids, Greystone Books)
Photography © Natalie Thorpe
The 2025 Queen’s Knickers Award runner-up
Swapna Haddow and illustrator Yiting Lee for Little Dinosaurs, Big Feelings (Magic Cat Publishing)
Photography © Natalie Thorpe
2024
- Benjamin Zephaniah and Nila Aye for People Need People (Orchard Books, Hachette Children’s Group)
- Yoko Mori for Teddy’s Midnight Adventure (Pushkin Press)
2023
- Winner: Olaf Falafel for Blobfish published by Walker Books Ltd
- Runner-up: John Agard and Satoshi Kitamura for When Creature met Creature published by Scallywag Press
2022
- Winner : Alastair Chisholm and David Roberts for Inch and Grub (Walker Books) £5,000
- Runner-up: Mick Jackson and John Broadley for While You’re Sleeping (Pavilion Children’s) £1,000
2021
- Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Daine Ewen for Never Show a T-Rex a Book (Puffin) £5,000
- Runner-up: Alex T. Smith for Mr. Penguin and the Catastrophic Cruise (Hachette) £1,000
2020
- Elena Arevalo Melville for Umbrella (Scallyway Press) £5,000
- Runners-Up: Didier Lévy and Frederic Benaglia for How to Light Your Dragon (Thames & Hudson) £1,000
With thanks, the judges of the 2026 Queen’s Knickers Award:
Ella McLeod
Ella McLeod is a writer, poet and podcaster, who lives in South London with her fiancé and cat. She also co-hosts Comfort Creatures on the Maximum Fun Network. Ella loves Shakespeare, the Harlem Renaissance, mythology, ramen, and firmly believes in the radical power of dreaming. Rapunzella is her debut novel.
Jasmine Richards
Jasmine Richards read English Language and Literature at Oxford University and has over 18 years of experience in children’s publishing. She was the Lead Editor on the multi-million-selling series Beast Quest and has written a dozen books for children, including The Unmorrow Curse and Myth Keeper. Jasmine has also been a screenwriter on Disney’s PJ Masks and BBC’s JoJo and Gran Gran. In 2019, she founded Storymix, a multi-award-winning fiction studio dedicated to centring children and teens of colour in stories filled with joy and adventure. In 2023, Jasmine received a prestigious special commendation in the Editor of the Year category at the British Book Awards. She is also a Bookseller Rising Star and the creator of The Write Beach Hut, a creative sanctuary by the sea which is designed to nurture and empower writers and creatives through workshops, mentoring, and affordable writing retreats.
Harry Woodgate
Harry Woodgate (pronouns: they/them) is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books including Grandad’s Camper, Grandad’s Pride, The Butterfly House, Timid and many more. They are passionate about writing and illustrating inclusive, uplifting stories that inspire children to be compassionate, creative, curious and proud of what makes them unique. Harry’s debut author-illustrator picture book, Grandad’s Camper, won Best Illustrated Book at the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2022, followed by Children’s Illustrated Book of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2023. It received a Stonewall Book Award Honor from the American Library Association, and was nominated for the CILIP Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal for Illustration. Harry’s books have also been recognised by various other awards including The Week Junior Book Awards, Little Rebels Prize and Diverse Book Awards. Their debut middle grade series, Cinnamon Crumb: Baking Detective, will be published by Usborne Books in September 2026. When they’re not making books, Harry enjoys baking, cycling, countryside dog walks and exploring bookstores and botanic gardens.
Nicholas Allan
Nicholas Allan is a full-time writer and illustrator. He published his first book, The Hefty Fairy, in 1989 and has since written over thirty children’s books. Many of his books are bestsellers, including The Queen’s Knickers, Father Christmas Needs a Wee, Jesus’ Christmas Party, Cinderella’s Bum, Heaven, and Where Willy Went. His books have won awards, been translated into twenty languages and adapted into television shows and West End musicals.
Nicholas has also been the Chairman of the Society of Authors’ Children’s Group and is currently the Patron of the Isle of Wight Children’s Literary Festival.