A Triumph for “Muffin und Tört”: Adam Stower Wins the 2025 German Children’s Book Prize / The other shortlisted titles also impress with their extraordinary creativity / The only children’s book prize awarded by children

Heeslingen, Rostock-Laage, October 11, 2025.“Muffin and Tört! 1: With the Vikings”—this is this year’s winning title at the German Children’s Book Prize, which was awarded today in Rostock-Laage. The story of the laid-back cat Muffin and his companion Tört captivated the 32 children on the children’s jury the most. And so the winner is Adam Stower. The author is a successful British children’s book illustrator and writer, known for his funny and heartwarming stories. With Muffin and Tört, he has created a duo that brings the joy of reading to children above all. It is a humorous children’s book that is particularly well-suited for beginning readers aged seven and up. The text is short and concise, and there are many large illustrations, so even inexperienced young readers can have a lot of fun.

The story centers on Muffin the cat and his companion Tört. Above all, Muffin loves peace and quiet, snacks, and his little basket. His life takes a wild turn, however, because he lives with the wizard Tatterich, who not only turns his last little tart into a lively rabbit (Tört), but also casts a spell on the cat flap so that it leads straight into all sorts of adventures. Tört, the former sweet pastry, on the other hand, loves all kinds of variety and is full of energy—though he can only say his own name. In this first volume, they must help the Vikings and chase hungry trolls.

For the third year in a row, the two juries have awarded a special prize for the best illustration in a children’s book—this year to Vitali Konstantinov, whose drawings in the book *Geniale Augen* directly appeal to children’s natural curiosity and imagination while bringing the diversity of the animal world to life in rich detail. His multifaceted illustrations are not merely decorative; they carry the narrative, give it depth, and make it immediately comprehensible.

At the German Children’s Book Prize, it’s not just the winners who take center stage; the other outstanding titles also deserve great recognition. This year’s children’s jury awarded second place to the book *Wonder und ich* by Britta Sabbag and Igor Lange—a touching story that particularly won over young readers. The honorable third place goes to the children’s book “Little Grimlin and the Big Portion of Courage” by Barbara Rose and Laura Bednarski, which aims to inspire courage with great empathy and imagination. These rankings show that every book on the winners’ podium inspires in its own way and helps foster a love of reading and discovery. The German Children’s Book Prize makes it clear that the courage to tell original stories, explore different perspectives, and tackle diverse themes is what makes children’s literature special—and that every award-winning work holds an important place in the bedrooms and hearts of many young readers.

Jasmin Schröter, founder of the German Children’s Book Prize: “Our hope to encourage even more authors and illustrators to give free rein to their creativity has come to fruition. This year’s book prize season has once again surprised and delighted us with numerous outstanding new releases. My heartfelt congratulations go out to this year’s award winners. I thank both juries for their tremendous dedication and the many hours they have invested. I also thank the Children’s Book Prize team, who coordinated everything behind the scenes and prepared the award ceremony here at Rostock-Laage Airport with such passion.”

According to the statutes of what is likely the most lucrative German book prize, the prize money will no longer be awarded to a single author, as was the case in the first two years: The winner of the German Children’s Book Prize will receive prize money totaling 50,000 euros. Second place is awarded 10,000 euros in prize money, and third place 5,000 euros. Fourth through tenth place each receive prize money of 2,500 euros. This means that anyone who made it onto the shortlist of ten titles for the book prize is a winner in any case. In addition, there is a special prize for the best illustration, which comes with an additional 10,000 euros. The children on the children’s jury each receive a book voucher worth 250 euros. 

The German Children's Book Prize is awarded each year around the time of the Frankfurt Book Fair and honors not only outstanding authors but also the importance of high-quality children's and young adult literature. The prize aims to help inspire the creation of even more books that foster the imagination and creativity of young readers. More information about the German Children’s Book Prize is available on the website athttps://deutscher-kinderbuchpreis.com.

Adam Stower, winner of the German Children's Book Prize. Photo: German Children's Book Prize
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Adam Stower, winner of the German Children’s Book Prize, and Jasmin Schröter, founder of the prize. Photo: German Children’s Book Prize
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All winners of the Children's Book Prize (from left): Britta Sabbag, Vitali Konstantinov (Illustrator's Prize), Adam Stower, Barbara Rose. Photo: German Children’s Book Prize
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The award winner at the book signing. Photo: German Children's Book Prize
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Photo: German Children's Book Prize. Download a higher-resolution image at:https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54847154461_6210d72dbc_4k.jpg