Make a Picture Book Competition

We are inviting children and young people aged four to 18 years to create their own picture book. The prize for the creator of the winning picture book is a free author event and 50 printed copies of the winning book!

The competition will run until Saturday 29th April, with the winners announced in June. Children's picture book illustrator and author Neal Layton will choose the winning picture books. If you know children who are inspired by drawing or love writing short stories, or if they need encouragement to do either, this is a great project to get them involved in a creative project. Its inclusive nature makes it ideal for children who are more reluctant readers and writers, or who prefer the support of group projects to individual work. At Secondary level, the competition is a great library activity and it can be incorporated into art and design classes. We have been hugely inspired by the feedback we receive from librarians and teachers about the impact the project has had on young people. The competion includes four categories: Young Creators (4-6 years); Primary Award (7-11 years); Secondary Award (11-18 years) and Achievement Award (for the school with the most enthusiastic approach to the competition). Picture books can be created individually, in partners, in small groups or by whole classes, and young people can use any media in making their picture books. Each setting that has taken part, or individual entrants, will receive a certificate thanking them for entering the competition and a letter with feedback from the judges. Picture books can also be returned, where stamped, addressed envelopes are provided. Competition Guidelines are available via the links, below, together with entry details for the competition. The winning picture books will be shared on ReadingZone. You can download last year's winners on this page, too.