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School Library Association Announces 2025 Shortlists for the Information Book Award

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The School Library Association (SLA) has announced the shortlists for the Information Book Award (IBA).

The shortlisted books cover a diverse range of themes, from exploring different cultures to managing emotions, how the world works to how others experience it. The 2025 IBA shortlist shows the endless possibilities for engagement with information books, spanning everything from burps to jellyfish and art to physics.

The panel of judges were impressed by the quality of entries and have narrowed the titles down to a shortlist of 12 books, across three age categories.

 

Age 0-7 Category

Along Came A … Burp!, Saskia Gwinn, illustrated by Paula Bowles (Templar Books)

Me and My Hair, Kimberley Kinloch, illustrated by Jessica Gibson (Usborne)

This Book Will Make You an Artist, Ruth Millington, illustrated by Ellen Surrey (Nosy Crow)

What is AI?, Neal Layton (Hodder Children’s Books, Hachette Children’s Group)

Age 8-12 Category 

Amazing Asia, Rashmi Sirdeshpande, illustrated by Jason Lyon (Quarto)

How to Walk on the Moon and Other Incredible Ideas About Physics, William Potter, illustrated by Richard Watson (Arcturus Publishing)

Inside Story: How the News Works, ITN Productions, illustrated by Terri Po (Templar Books)

The Jellyfish Garden: Explore their Curious World, Paola Vitale, illustrated by Rossana Bossù (Post Wave Children’s Books)

Age 13-16 Category

Black History for Every Day of the Year, David and Yinka Olusoga, illustrated by Kemi Olusoga (Macmillan Children’s Books)

The History of Information, Chris Haughton with Loonie Park (DK Children’s)

Queerbook, Malcom Mackenzie, illustrated by Emily A. Foster, cover illustrated by Madelén Foss (Red Shed, Farshore)

Seriously HAPPY, Ben Aldridge (Quarto)

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in November. Four Children’s Choice accolades, one in each age category and an overall winner, will be chosen by schools participating in the IBA Book Club. Last year’s overall Children’s Choice winner was Unspoken by Kwame Alexander.

There’s still time for more schools to get involved and vote for their favourite books. Thanks to funding from the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) 90 schools that signed up to the IBA Book Club early will receive a free set of the shortlisted books in their chosen age category. Three schools will receive a Golden Bookmark, giving them the chance to record a video presenting one of the Children’s Choice awards, which will be played at the ceremony. All schools can purchase the shortlisted books at a discounted price from Peters.

Barbara Hayes, CEO at ALCS, says ‘We are thrilled to congratulate the shortlist for the 2025 Information Book Award. Information books are vital for engaging young readers and expanding their knowledge, and we are delighted that so many participating book club schools are receiving their choice of books.’

Clare Bowles, CEO at Peters, says ‘We’re pleased to see such an exciting line-up of shortlisted titles again this year, highlighting some of the brilliant information books being produced for children and young adults in the UK. Non-fiction can be a great way to get readers hooked – as there’s bound to be something for every pupil! It’s great to see coverage of such a wide range of topics, with everything from AI to art, philosophy to physics and more.’

Victoria Dilly, CEO of the SLA says, ‘The titles on the shortlist represent how exciting and engaging reading information books can be for children across the age ranges.  They cover everything from the animal kingdom to Ai, from the human body to the stoics, using engaging text and beautiful, bright illustrations to draw the reader in. For librarians and teachers these books offer an ideal route into reading and encouraging curiosity about the world we live in. The opportunity to explore culture, discover new places and ways of understanding each other leaps off the pages of these shortlisted titles. I feel excited for all the readers who will have access to these books through the IBA Book Club, thanks to our generous funders, they are all in for a treat.’

The winner will be announced at an award ceremony in London on 27th November.

Kate Winter wins the 2024 Klaus Flugge Prize for most exciting newcomer to picture book illustration

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Kate Winter is the winner of the 2024 Klaus Flugge Prize awarded to the most exciting and promising newcomer to children’s picture book illustration. She won for her book The Fossil Hunter (Puffin Books), which tells the story of Mary Anning, the 19th century palaeontologist whose discoveries in the cliffs of Lyme Regis transformed scientists’ understanding of the world. Via atmospheric watercolour illustrations, the book skilfully tells Mary’s personal story and details her discoveries and their scientific impact. This is the first time an information picture book has won the award.

The Klaus Flugge Prize judges describe The Fossil Hunter as a beautiful book and admire Kate Winter’s observational skills.

Judge award-winning illustrator Petr Horáček says, ‘The Fossil Hunter stood out even in a very strong shortlist. It is a beautifully produced book in which the informative text, the story and the illustrations are in perfect harmony. The energetic, well drawn and painted illustrations are a real treat for a reader of any age.’

Fellow judge and 2023 Klaus Flugge Prize winner Mariajo Ilustrajo adds, ‘I am fascinated by the amount of work Kate has put into the creation of this book, especially as it is her debut book. She shows great observational skills throughout. Her paintings are fresh, but delicate. There is a sense of place and atmosphere in all the images and way she uses light and the colour palette is exceptional. Many congratulations to Kate, The Fossil Hunter is utterly stunning, a true work of art.’

Kate Winter says, ‘Thank you to the Klaus Flugge Prize for championing creativity and children’s book illustration. It was such a treat to be shortlisted among this group of talented illustrators and visual storytellers. To win the prize is amazing and makes me ever more grateful to Mary Anning and her inspiring life story that is so visually rich and such a gift to an illustrator. Thank you to the Klaus Flugge Prize for this award and for recognising the hard work that went into this book. 

Making a book, like raising a child, really does take a village. I am forever grateful and in awe of my team at Penguin, who supported me and nurtured my creativity throughout the process and who are so dedicated to bringing important stories to children’s book publishing. I’m also grateful to my tutors on the MA in Children’s Book Illustration who taught me at Cambridge School of Art and who helped me develop my illustrative voice and find stories I felt passionate about.

She highlighted the challenge facing illustrators saying, ‘I’ve worked in creative industries all my life and it’s a very hard gig. We need to support our visual artists and highlight their importance in the world. Picture books are some of the first images our children see and bring new ideas and perspectives to young people. They really can effect change. I’m forever grateful to those who recognise the value of the visual arts, support creativity and champion children’s book illustration as an art form. Thank you, Klaus Flugge, for your part in this.’

Alongside Petr Horáčék and Mariajo Ilustrajo, this year’s judges are Olivia Ahmad, Artistic Director at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration; and Alex Forbes, founder of independent bookshop Fourbears Books. The panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, Director, Hay Children’s Festival.

The announcement was made on the evening of Wednesday 11 September in the library at CLPE, Webber Street, London SE1.

Kate Winter wins £5,000.

The 2024 Klaus Flugge Prize shortlist in full is:

The Crown, Emily Kapff (Walker Books)
The Dream Book, Bia Melo, (Templar)
Henri and the Machine, illustrated by Olga Shtonda, written by Isabelle Marinov (Templar)
Farah Loves Mangos, by Sarthak Sinha (Flying Eye Books)
Bright Stars of Black British History, Angela Vives, written by J.T. Williams (Thames & Hudson)
The Fossil Hunter, Kate Winter (Puffin Books)

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