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Alligators Mouth Award 2023 shortlist

by Sophie Green

The Alligator's Mouth have announced their shortlist of authors for this year's award! The Alligator's Mouth Award champions both authors and illustrators of highly illustrated children’s fiction.

Borrow a beautifully illustrated short chapter book, perfect for primary school children.

Marv and the Pool of Peril, by Alex Falase-Koya and Paula Bowles

Marvin's life is perfectly ordinary until one day he discovers a superhero suit with infinite powers. In this story, supervillain Shadow takes over the water park with her army of robot sharks. Armed with his super-suit and robot sidekick, Pixel, Marvin dives into action to become the invincible, unstoppable MARV!

Borrow Marv and the Pool of Peril

Mike Falls Up, by Candy Gourlay and Carles Ballesteros

Mike and his dog Bowow are relaxing in the Chocolate Hills when the ground starts to tremble and the next moment a gaping hole appears. Before Mike can stop him, Bowow jumps into the hole. Then a note floats up. Party. Come now. Just fall up. There's no time to wonder what it means - Mike jumps in and falls into the most topsy-turvy of adventures.

Borrow Mike Falls Up

Princess Minna: The Enchanted Forest, by Kirsty Applebaum and Sahar Haghgoo

Princess Minna loves to sort out mix-ups and mishaps in the kingdom! In this full-colour, illustrated chapter book, join her on a funny, exciting adventure to wake a sleeping prince and much more - all in time for tea. Princess Minna lives in Castle Tall-Towers with the King and Queen, Raymond the Wizard and her best dragon friend, Lorenzo. There are often mix-ups and mishaps in the kingdom and Princess Minna loves to sort them out! She can tame unicorns, kiss frogs and fight dragons (apart from Lorenzo) and she is very good at fixing things before it's time for bed.

Borrow Princess Minna: The Enchanted Forest

Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise, by Elys Dolan

Rex is king of the dinosaurs: carnivores want to be him and herbivores want to be eaten by him. That is, until a pesky Ice Age comes along and he winds up frozen solid in a glacier. When he wakes up, 65 million years later, human beings rule the roost - and if they get their hands on Rex, he'll wind up in a zoo - or, worse: a MUSEUM. Lucky for him, Rex isn't the only undercover creature in town. He's whisked out of danger by the one and only Bigfoot, who has been surviving among the humans undetected for years.

Bigfoot and his friends show Rex how to get by in the humans' world, and soon there's only one thing left for him to do: GET A JOB. But that's easier said than done - and with a meddling nine-year-old neighbour to deal with, and the constant risk of discovery, life couldn't be harder for a dinosaur in disguise.

Borrow Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise

Rudy and the Wolf Cub, by Paul Westmoreland and George Ermos

When Rudy finds a lost wolf cub at the skatepark, he knows he has to help him. Rudy tries everything he can think of to find the cub's pack, but they're nowhere to be seen, or smelled, and time is running out. Can a howl in the night change the fate of the little cub? How-how-harrooooow!

Borrow Rudy and the Wolf Cub

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