The shortlist for this year's German Children's Book Prize has been announced / Award ceremony on October 12 in Cologne / Three nominees for the Special Illustration Prize

Berlin, August 5, 2024 - The shortlist for this year's German Children's Book Prize has been announced and includes ten outstanding titles. The selection process began after the submission deadline on May 31, 2024, when the adult jury selected the best books from a large number of applications. Now the tension is rising: the children's jury, consisting of 32 children aged six to ten, is starting its work for the final selection.

This unique approach ensures that the selected works meet the interests and needs of young readers. The children's jury will now read and evaluate the nominated books and finally select the winning book. The winners will be awarded a total prize money of 100,000 euros, making the German Children's Book Prize one of the most highly endowed book prizes in Europe. As the children's jury prepares for the exciting task ahead, the anticipation of the announcement of the winning book grows.

The winning title for 2024 will be announced on October 12 at the German Sports and Olympic Museum in Cologne. The following titles have been nominated: Oh, that's family?! (by Britta Kiwit), Alle machen Sport (by Vale Weber and Liese Macher), Annis wilde Tierabenteuer - Auf in den Dschungel! (by Annika Preil), Bookmän - Alles Konfetti (by Rüdiger Bertram), Die Tierwandler - Plötzlich Eule! (by Martina Baumbach), Kater Chaos - Au Backe, ein Hamster! (by Katja Reider), Reading NERVT! - Books? No, thank you! (by Jens Schumacher), Rebellenzellen - Eine wilde Reise durch den Körper (by Dr. Johanna Klement), Wir sind (die) Weltklasse (by Tanya Lieske), Wo steckt Wuff? On wondrous paths through the city (by Wiebke Rhodius).

Almud Kunert (with the children's book Die Traumspinnerin), Josephine Pauluth (with the children's book Japan) and Ryan O' Rourke (with the children's book Wie?Was?Wow!) have been nominated for the special illustration prize.

According to the current statutes, the winner of the German Children's Book Prize is awarded prize money of 50,000 euros. Second place is endowed with 10,000 euros in prize money, third place with 5,000 euros. Places four to ten each receive prize money of 2,500 euros. This means that anyone who makes it onto the shortlist of ten titles for the book prize is an automatic winner. There is also a special prize for the best illustration, which is endowed with an additional 10,000 euros. The children on the children's jury each receive a book voucher worth 250 euros.

Jasmin Schröter, the founder of the prize: "All of the books selected for the shortlist offer young readers a varied mix of fantasy, adventure and educational content. In the fourth year of our prize, which was launched in 2021, we are all very impressed: the authors and illustrators have created stories with great attention to detail and commitment that stimulate the imagination and invite us to dream."

The German Children's Book Prize was created to awaken and strengthen children's interest in reading. In addition, it is intended to offer creative writers and illustrators a further incentive to deal with the subject of children's books and thus increase the diversity and wealth of ideas in this essential literary segment. The German Children's Book Prize is one of the most highly endowed book prizes both nationally and internationally. More information on the German Children's Book Prize can be found on the website at https://deutscher-kinderbuchpreis.com.