Don't Call Me Grumpycorn, The Hospital Dog and Pirates vs Monsters among the titles in the running for the Bishop's Stortford Picture Book Award

Bishop's Stortford College Prep School librarian Lizzie Hall writes about the magic of storytelling...

Dear Reader. Now in its 12th year, the annual Bishop's Stortford Picture Book Award invites schools to participate by sharing the shortlisted books and casting votes for their favourite titles.

Join children's book author and illustrator - and last year's winner - Ross Collins as he introduces a show of short films from this year's shortlisted authors and illustrators, before announcing this year's winner!

Also, we have an extra special treat - an exclusive preview of a Draw With Rob Draw-Along! Join in and cast your vote at www.festivalofliterature.co.uk.

Here's this year's shortlist...

Bear Shaped by Dawn Coulter-Cruttenden

Jack and Bear are the best of friends. Jack loves Bear because he makes him feel brave. But one day Bear disappears and Jack suddenly feels all alone with a big Bear-shaped hole in his heart.

Word soon gets around that Bear is missing and Jack starts to receive kind messages from strangers all over the world.

Then the toy bears start to arrive. Though the bears start to heal Jack's sadness, none of them are Jack's bear.

Perhaps there is something Jack can do with them to help the other people with bear-shaped holes.

Dog Gone by Rob Biddulph

Every dog has his Dave (or otherwise-named human) but, on a walk in the park, the adorable Teddy the pug loses his!

And when Teddy finds himself at the shed of the terrible troll in the woods, he might find more than he bargained for - a new friend.

Don't Call Me Grumpycorn by Sarah McIntyre

Unicorn, Narwhal, Mermaid and Jellyfish are ready for an adventure and, as Unicorn quite rightly points out, nothing is more adventurous than travelling into space.

But when the four friends disagree over which planet to visit first, Unicorn most definitely turns into a very grumpy grumpycorn and decides to go off on his own.

Will Unicorn see the error of his ways? Will he realise that friendship is what makes everything fun? Will he finally stop being such a grumpycorn?

Inch and Grub: A Story About Cavemen by Alistair Chisholm (author) and David Roberts (illustrator)

Two cavemen invent everything! But will they be happy?

Inch and Grub are cavemen. Grub's cave is bigger and he says that makes him the best. So Inch adds a water feature to his cave.

But Grub has made fire! So Inch makes a chair. And a house. And a car. Grub, meanwhile, has made a castle and a train and a radio!

And so the contest spirals and spirals until they each have a huge wobbling pile of stuff. But what happens when the piles collapse?

A funny story about being competitive and how stuff is not what matters in life.

Llama Glamarama by Simon James Green (author) and Garry Parsons (illustrator)

Larry loves to groove and mooooove, but will the others disapprove?

Larry the llama's big secret is that late at night, when no one is watching, he loves to dance.

Then, one day, he stumbles upon the Llama Glamarama!

Will this raucous celebration give Larry the pride he needs to bring his dance back home?

Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival

Meesha loves making things. But there's one thing she finds difficult to make - friends.

She doesn't know quite what to do, what to say or when to say it, and she struggles reading and responding to social cues.

But one day she discovers that she has a special talent that will help her to navigate challenging social situations and help her to make friends.

Pirates vs. Monsters by David Crosby (author) and Lee Cosgrove (illustrator)

Pirates Hector, Sue and George are crafty, bold and all very proud about besting some of the most grizzly, gruesome monsters.

But are they telling the truth? A few new visitors might just set the record straight.

The Day the Banana Went Bad by Michelle Robinson (author) and Tom Knight (illustrator)

When Banana is thrown into the reject bin with the other misshapen fruit and veg, he decides that enough is enough - after all, he may be a little bit bruised but that doesn't mean he's any less brilliant!

So be proud of your bumps and celebrate what makes you different. Because going bad can sometimes be very, very good.

The Hospital Dog by Julia Donaldson (author) and Sarah Ogilvie (illustrator)

"Here is a dog, a Dalmatian called Dot,

Is she quite ordinary? No, she's not!"

After their breakfast and a swim in the sea, Dot and her owner Rose jump on the bus to the hospital.

Dot loves visiting the children of Wallaby Ward and they're always pleased to see her too. From a crying baby to a bored teenager – a pat, a stroke and a cuddle with Dot cheers everyone up.

But the work of the hospital dog doesn't stop there and when one of her patients is in trouble, it's up to Dot to save the day!