Poetry and big issues take the lead in children's books as Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals announce 2019 longlists

Published on: 19 February 2019 Author: Catriona Wightman

The 2019 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal longlists have been unveiled, showcasing the brilliant children's books and illustrators of the past year.

Illustration: Gabriel Moreno

The Carnegie Medal is awarded to an outstanding writer of children's fiction, while the Kate Greenaway Medal honours distinguished illustration.

20 books are currently being considered for each prize, with big issues including mental health, human rights, grief and the rights of refugees all being covered in the lists.

And two books made it onto both lists: The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, and Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor and Loki by Kevin Crossley-Holland and Jeffrey Alan Love.

A range of genres also feature, including poetry, graphic novels, verse novels, fiction and a novella.

This year, a third prize will also be given out; the Shadower's Choice Award will be voted for by children who are shadowing the Medal process, in an attempt to give young people a bigger voice.

Alison Brumwell, the chair of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals judging panel, said: 'I am overwhelmed by the calibre of this year's longlists. The authors and illustrators recognised this year for their outstanding achievements have produced works which entertain, challenge, inspire, and even outrage.

'The 40 books selected by judges offer intimate insights into family life, superb world-building and thoughtful, incisive explorations of complex themes and issues.

'Young readers have the opportunity to encounter characters in a diverse range of narratives who both reflect their own experiences and build empathy for different ways of living. This year's shadowing groups will have plenty to debate and discuss!'

The Carnegie Medal 2019 longlist in full

1. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (Electric Monkey)
2. Rebound by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile (Andersen Press)
3. The Colour of the Sun by David Almond (Hodder Children's Books)
4. The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Usborne Books)
5. The Weight of a Thousand Feathers by Brian Conaghan (Bloomsbury)
6. Moonrise by Sarah Crossan (Bloomsbury)
7. Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor and Loki by Kevin Crossley-Holland, illustrated by Jeffrey Alan Love (Walker Books)
8. My Side of the Diamond by Sally Gardner (Hot Key Books)
9. Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay (David Fickling Books)
10. A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge (Macmillan Children's Books)
11. A Different Boy by Paul Jennings, illustrated by Geoff Kelly (Old Barn Books)
12. The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane, illustrated by Jackie Morris (Hamish Hamilton)
13. Hilary McKay's Fairy Tales by Hilary McKay, illustrated by Sarah Gibb (Macmillan Children's Books)
14. Things A Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls (Andersen Press)
15. The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X.R. Pan (Orion's Children's Books)
16. The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf (Orion's Children's Books)
17. Station Zero by Philip Reeve (Oxford University Press)
18. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Chris Priestley (Faber & Faber)
19. The Land of Neverendings by Kate Saunders (Faber & Faber)
20. Mud by Emily Thomas (Andersen Press)

The Kate Greenaway Medal 2019 longlist in full

1. A Stone for Sascha written and illustrated by Aaron Becker (Walker Books)
2. The Day War Came by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb (Walker Books)
3. This Zoo is Not for You written and illustrated by Ross Collins (Nosy Crow)
4. If All the World Were... by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Allison Colpoys (Frances Lincoln First Editions)
5. Bob's Blue Period written and illustrated by Marion Deuchars (Laurence King)
6. Ocean Meets Sky written and illustrated by Eric Fan and Terry Fan (Lincoln Children's Books)
7. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill (Bloomsbury)
8. The Last Wolf written and illustrated by Mini Grey (Ladybird Books)
9. Beyond the Fence written and illustrated by Maria Gulemetova (Child's Play Library)
10. Mary's Monster written and illustrated by Lita Judge (Wren & Rook)
11. The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen (Walker Books)
12. Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor and Loki by Kevin Crossley-Holland, illustrated by Jeffrey Alan Love (Walker Books)
13. Julian is a Mermaid written and illustrated by Jessica Love (Walker Books)
14. Mrs Noah's Pockets by Jackie Morris, illustrated by James Mayhew (Otter-Barry Books)
15. You're Safe With Me by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Poonam Mistry (Lantana Publishing)
16. The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane, illustrated by Jackie Morris (Penguin General)
17. Suffragette: The Battle for Equality written and illustrated by David Roberts (Two Hoots)
18. Illegal by Eoin Colfer & Andrew Colfer – illustrated by Giovanni Rigano (Hodder Children's Books)
19. Animals with Tiny Cat written and illustrated by Viviane Schwarz (Walker Books)
20. The Family Tree by Mal Peet – illustrated by Emma Shoard (Barrington Stoke)

The shortlists for both the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals will be unveiled on Tuesday, 19 March, while the winners will be announced at a special event at the British Library hosted by Konnie Huq on Tuesday, 18 June.

The winners will each receive a £5,000 cash prize, a specially commissioned gold medal and £500 worth of books to donate to their local library.