Knock! Knock! Who's There? The Shortlist For The Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2010!

Quentin Blake proves his enduring appeal by scooping a nomination in both age categories

Beloved children's illustrator Quentin Blake's connection with Roald Dahl continues to be celebrated with a nomination in both categories for this year's Prize. Over the years, he has illustrated all but one of Roald Dahl's books for children and has become synonymous with the dark wit that has kept generations of children up reading by torchlight.

Blake is honoured on this year's shortlists for a book about a woman with magical 'pockets galore', which tickled the fancy of the judges for the six and under shortlist, and for - in what is his second Roald Dahl Funny Prize shortlisted collaboration with the comedian David Walliams - a book about the truly honking Mr Stink, which the judges found delightfully disgusting for the seven to fourteens.

Joining him on the shortlists are titles containing both dancing and reading dogs, cross-species adoption, a scary monster, a genius's underpants, a boy-mad teenage girl, an ogre, the luckiest boy alive, a walking fish and a mischievously messy duo.

All will compete to be the winner of their category to receive £2,500, which will be presented at an awards ceremony in London on 17 November.

The Roald Dahl Funny Prize was founded in 2008 by Michael Rosen as part of his Children's Laureateship. It is the first prize of its kind; founded to honour those books that simply make children laugh.

The shortlists are:

The Funniest Book for Children Aged Six and Under

Angelica Sprocket's Pockets by Quentin Blake (Jonathan Cape)
Dogs Don't Do Ballet by Anna Kemp, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie (Simon & Schuster)
Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates (Jonathan Cape)
The Nanny Goat's Kid by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross (Andersen Press)
One Smart Fish by Chris Wormell (Jonathan Cape)
The Scariest Monster in the World by Lee Weatherly, illustrated by Algy Craig Hall (Boxer Books)

The Funniest Book for Children Aged Seven to Fourteen

The Clumsies Make a Mess by Sorrel Anderson, illustrated by Nicola Slater (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Einstein's Underpants and How They Saved the World by Anthony McGowan (Yearling)
The Incredible Luck of Alfie Pluck by Jamie Rix, illustrated by Craig Shuttlewood (Orion Children's Books)
Mr Stink by David Walliams, illustrated by Quentin Blake (HarperCollins Children's Books)
The Ogre of Oglefort by Eva Ibbotson (Macmillan Children's Books)
Withering Tights by Louise Rennison (HarperCollins Children's Books)

The judging panel comprised the comedian Shappi Khorsandi; author, founder and Chair of Judges Michael Rosen; author and winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2009's seven to fourteen category Philip Ardagh; illustrator Bruce Ingman; and journalist and author Nicolette Jones.

Story inTelegraph