19 Feb 2025

Two Plum Titles Longlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2025!

We’re thrilled to announce that two of our Plum illustrators, Moesha Kellaway and Rhian Stone, have book titles in the longlist for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2025!


Here are the longlisted titles illustrated by our very own Plum illustrators:


Slug Life - Moesha Kellaway

Slug Life by Moesha Kellaway and published by Rocket Bird Books introduces little readers to Stevie, the grumpiest slug in the world! Stevie is taking part in a self-esteem class because humans think slugs are “gross” and “yucky”, but they don’t know how amazing and misunderstood slugs are!

This slime-tastic non-fiction picture book will have your little ones both laughing out loud and full of wonder when they read the true fun facts about slugs and why they’re actually pretty cool creatures: from being able to regrow bits of themselves to their liquid crystal slime enabling them to climb walls and ceilings like Spider-Man!


About the illustrator:

Moesha is small town in Somerset. She graduated from Arts University Bournemouth with a First degree in illustration and now lives in Central London. She can often be found with her sketchbook and a mix of drawing tools in her bag - ready to draw at any point using inspiration from her childhood growing up in the countryside, her adoration of nature, people watching and new adventures! Many of her illustrations contain a playful use of shapes, textures, colours, and characters.



 


Check out the full longlist for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2025 here. A huge congratulations to Moesha, Rhian, and all of the great minds behind the longlisted titles for the Klaus Flugge Prize, and many thanks to the folks at the Klaus Flugge Prize for recognising these brilliant books!

The Klaus Flugge Prize is a prestigious award celebrating the most exciting newcomers to picture book illustration. Celebrating its 10th awards this year, the prize was set up in 2016 in honour of celebrated publisher and founder of Anderson Press Klaus Flugge, regarded as an esteemed figure in the world of picture books. The aim of the Prize is to showcase published picture books but debut illustrators, and over it’s decade run has quickly cemented itself as one of the most significant and recognised children’s book awards in the industry.



Grandad's Star - Rhian Stone

Grandad’s Star, written by Frances Tosdevin, illustrated by Rhian Stone, and also published by Rocket Bird Books, is a truly beautiful book in illustration and story. A little girl is enthralled by the stories her astronomer grandad tells her, but one day he starts to forget the stories, and eventually he even forgets her name.

But in this thoughtful, visually stunning book that explores the sensitive topics of Alzheimer’s, dementia, and grandparents growing old and forgetting things, this little girl finds that the love between her and her Grandad traverses across galaxies: and shows the reader than no matter how brightly it shines or dim it becomes, love is always there.


About the illustrator:

Rhian is a self-taught illustrator based in Kent. She works mainly with gouache and pencil, with a little pastel thrown in. Her love of illustration is rooted in her passion for all things spooky and historical, having grown up on a diet of folklore, magic and myths. These themes run throughout her work. When she’s not working, you can often find her reading in a coffee shop somewhere or scribbling away at her next idea.
The shortlist will be announced on 15th May 2025!