The Battle of the Beast by Penny O’Loughlin with a funny and sweet story of friendship and the power of consciously putting one’s mind to something and practising even when it’s hard. Through hilarious mishaps (and one odd goat), the main character discovers that sometimes the heaviest things lift us the most.
Congratulations, Penny! We look forward to working with you, bringing The Battle of the Beast to life. Thank you so much to everyone who entered the prize and a special mention to the other shortlisted authors. Your stories are fabulous! Don’t ever give up.
Due to the success of this inaugural prize we will run it again. The 2027 MidnightSun Picture Book Prize will open in November 2026.