We are delighted to announce that submissions for The Alligator's Mouth 2027 are now open! 

​

The Alligator’s Mouth Award is a children’s book prize for highly illustrated early fiction, set up by The Alligator’s Mouth bookshop and The Bright Agency. The award, returning for its ninth year, celebrates the best books for readers aged 6-8, and champions authors and illustrators.

​

UK publishers are invited to submit highly illustrated early fiction that meets the following criteria:
• The book should be aimed at readers aged 6-8 and have illustrations on the majority of internal spreads. No picture books or graphic novels, please.
• The book should have been first published in the English language on a children’s list by a UK publisher.
• The book should have been first published between 1st October 2025 and 31st December 2026.

​

Please complete one entry form for each book you wish to submit, and email the form and a PDF of the book to award@thealligatorsmouth.co.uk. The PDFs must be finished copies with a double spread per page, under 70MB.

​

Submissions close on Monday 23rd November 2026. Full submission guidelines and entry forms can be downloaded below. If you have an issues downloading the files or submitting, please email award@thealligatorsmouth.co.uk.