Alligator’s Mouth Award 2022 – Winner Announced!

11 July, 2022

Indigo Wilde and the Creatures at Jellybean Crescent, written and illustrated by Pippa Curnick (Hodder Children’s Books) was crowned winner of The Alligator’s Mouth Award 2022 at a special awards ceremony on Thursday 7th July.

Now in its fourth year, this children’s book prize celebrates the best highly-illustrated fiction titles for 6-8 year-olds. The award is run by The Alligator’s Mouth bookshop and the Bright Agency, in association with Gardners Books.

Cover shot of Indigo Wilde and the Creatures at Jellybean Crescent, winner of the Alligator's Mouth Award 2022

Highly-illustrated fiction titles can help children build reading stamina and gain confidence at a crucial stage of their development as readers. This year’s panel of judges included award-winning author Joseph Elliott; author-illustrator Sophy Henn, winner of the 2021 Alligator’s Mouth Award; rapping teacher and literacy advocate MC Grammar; Jo Cummins, reading consultant and book blogger; and co-owners of The Alligator’s Mouth children’s bookshop, Margaret Wallace-Jones and Tony West.

Commenting on this year’s awards, former winner Sophie Henn said: ‘It was super tough picking just one book from such a brilliant shortlist but in Indigo Wilde Pippa combines her brilliant text and glorious illustrations to such effect that you just can’t help but jump in and be swept along on this hilarious and fantastical adventure! A wonderful winner! The Alligator’s Mouth Award is truly special, celebrating the wonder that is illustrated fiction, an area that is often overlooked and even undervalued. But these books provide a vital link in a reader’s journey, they support those who are struggling with reading and even convert non readers into readers. And they demonstrate that, when done well, combining pictures with words creates absolute magic.’

You can see the full shortlist for the Alligator’s Mouth Award 2022 here.

Alligator's Mouth Award logo