As we being a new academic year, we’d like to welcome all our new students. We hope you are settling in well.

In the world of children’s literature, there was some very exciting news yesterday, as the winner of the 2019 Klaus Flugge award was announced. This prize celebrates the most exciting newcomer in the area of illustrated picture books. This year, the award went to Jessica Love for Julian is a Mermaid, a superb story about a young boy who sees some women dressed as mermaids and is inspired to transform into one too. It’s a story that celebrates individualism, freedom and love.

There were six picture books shortlisted for the award this year.

• The Extraordinary Gardner – Sam Boughton
• Looking After Daddy – Eve Coy
• The King Who Banned the Dark – Emily Haworth-Booth
• I Can’t Can Fly – Leilani Sparrow
• Red and the City – Marie Voigt
• Julian is a Mermaid – Jessica Love

All of these books are available in the Curriculum Centre and we would highly recommend them.

CLPE have produced some teaching sequences for all of the shortlisted books, which can be downloaded from their website. 

Finally, you can read more about how Julian is a Mermaid was created by Jessica Love here.