Roald Dahl Funny Prize Shortlist announced in London

A collection of whimsical animal fables from Monty Python’s Terry Jones has today (Monday 12 September ─ the eve of Roald Dahl Day) made it onto one of the shortlists for this year’s Roald Dahl Funny Prize, which celebrates the funniest books for children. The comical treasury of stories, illustrated by Michael Foreman, is joined on the shortlist for children aged 7─14 by chortle-inducing stories featuring the misadventures of schoolchildren (both alien and human), a stinky troll and comical attempts to get rich quick.

The shortlist for children aged six and under had the judges giggling with glee, with picture books about swashbuckling cats, a limelight-hogging peacock, bedtime monsters, tales of fitting in at school (be it a chicken starting a school for cows or a boy who is just plain different from the rest), and a furry search for a new home.

The 2011 Roald Dahl Funny Prize shortlists are: 

The Funniest Book for Children Aged Six and Under
·        Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere (Puffin)
·        Cats Ahoy! by Peter Bently, illustrated by Jim Field (Macmillan Children’s Books
·        First Week at Cow School by Andy Cutbill, illustrated by Russell Ayto (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
·        Limelight Larry by Leigh Hodgkinson (Orchard)
·        Marshall Armstrong is New to Our School by David Mackintosh (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
·        A Place to Call Home by Alexis Deacon, illustrated by Viviane Schwarz (Walker)
 The Funniest Book for Children Aged Seven to Fourteen
·        Animal Tales by Terry Jones, illustrated by Michael Foreman (Pavilion Children's Books)
·        The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon (Scholastic)
·        The Get Rich Quick Club by Rose Impey (Orchard)
·        Letters from an Alien Schoolboy by Ros Asquith (Piccadilly Press)
·        Penny Dreadful is a Magnet for Disaster by Joanna Nadin, illustrated by Jess Mikhail (Usborne)
·        The Wrong Pong by Steven Butler, illustrated by Chris Fisher (Puffin)

The judging panel comprised: author and Twitter queen Grace Dent; author, Chair of Judges and founder of the Prize Michael Rosen; Horrid Henry illustrator and author duo Tony Ross and Francesca Simon; and Yes Man author and journalist Danny Wallace.

Danny Wallace comments:

‘Some books are funny. Some books are funny-funny. These books are proper funny. Funny with a capital F and an 'unny' that would be capitalised too, if it didn't look weird on the page. Each of these 12 shortlisted books has something unique and uniquely funny about them and is utterly deserving of a prize with Roald Dahl's name on it. They don't talk down, they don't go for the easy laughs, but instead they create worlds and characters that enthrall, inspire, and keep your funny bone properly, professionally tickled.’

Michael Rosen comments:

‘Parents, teachers and anyone hoping to get children hooked on books will find 12 here to have you all giggling and laughing. These are books that are inventive, clever, warm and strong on observing our quirks and foibles. The authors, illustrators and publishers can be proud of what they've produced, and we're proud to present them as the top funny books for children this year. Reading them is a short course in learning how to laugh.’

All will compete to be the winner of their category to receive £2,500, which will be presented at an awards ceremony at the Unicorn Theatre in London on 8 November.

This year, for the first time, the Prize will see schools involved in the judging process. Over 400 pupils from England have been selected to read the shortlisted titles, discuss with their classmates, and pick their favourite funny book in the relevant category for their age. Their votes will then be combined with the votes of the adult judging panel to find the two winners for 2011. Classes who participate can also win a chance to perform to the audience at the award ceremony and to attend a special workshop at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden.

The Roald Dahl Funny Prize is unique: launched to honour those books that make young people, and all of us, roar with laughter. Concerned that the really side-splittingly funny books were being overlooked by other book awards, Michael Rosen created the Prize in 2008 with Booktrust, as part of his work as Children’s Laureate. The Prize aims to reward those authors and artists who write and illustrate their books using humour in their fiction and poetry.