Favourite Book to Share Award

Petr Horacek has won the 2008 Southampton Favourite Book to Share Award with his book Butterfly, Butterfly.

The Award, promoted by the Library Service and Adult and Community Learning, is given for a book to share between pre-school children and their parents. Any book published in 2007 for pre-schoolers was eligible for the award. It was a close race between the six books on the shortlist, and Butterfly, Butterfly came out on top of a very strong field, including books by the Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen, and other well-known authors.

This is the sixth year of this unique and popular local book award, which was voted on between April and July this year. Sets of the books and voting slips were available in libraries and also taken out to pre-schools and parent and toddler groups. Over 4,000 adults and children voted, recording the highest vote ever for the Award.

Butterfly, Butterfly is a simple story about a little girl looking for a butterfly in the garden and all the other colourful creatures that she finds there. It features clever cut-out pages and a final beautiful pop-up butterfly.

Petr, who is a prolific author and illustrator of books for the youngest children, will receive his award in a presentation by the Mayor of Southampton on 16 October at Shirley Library in front of an audience of parents and children.

Total votes for the shortlist

Bear in the Cave 797
Butterfly, Butterfly 1003
Monkey and Me 560
Boy on the Bus 813
Tip Tip, Dig Dig 694
Tucking In 285

Shortlisted Titles

Michael Rosen (illus. Adrian Reynolds) The Bear in the Cave, Bloomsbury, 9780747577652	Penny Dale, The Boy on the Bus, Walker Books, 9781406301472	Emma Garcia, Tip, Tip, Dig, Dig, Boxer Books, 9781905417599
Jess Stockham, Tucking In, Childs Play, 9781846430466	Winner! Petr Horacek, Butterfly, Butterfly, Walker Books, 9781844288441	Emily Gravett, Monkey and Me, Macmillan, 9781405089494