There were landmark birthdays: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler toasted 30 years of working together with a hit exhibition at the Lowry in Salford (until 1 Jan) and Benji Davies marked 10 years of bestseller The Storm Whale with a shindig and a fantastic sequel, The Great Storm Whale (Simon and Schuster). Elsewhere, pioneers were celebrated: a British Library show honouring Malorie Blackman's career threw open its doors, free of charge and ready to inspire the next generation (until 25 Feb), while Michael Rosen won the 2023 PEN Pinter prize with the judges praising his rare, invaluable gift: the ability to address the most serious matters of life in a spirit of joy, humour and hope.
Indeed, while serious matters and gloomy times often seemed inescapable in the real world, some of the warmest and wittiest picture book authors came out swinging, with titles reminding children to laugh, rise high and face their fears. Rosen himself published the wonderful The Big Dreaming (Bloomsbury), featuring illustrator Daniel Egneus's gorgeous wide-eyed little bear stocking up on extra dreams in case he ran out during hibernation. Nadia Shireen's hilarious Geoffrey Gets the Jitters (Puffin) depicted the fears of its titular hero as wibbly-wobbly worms that Geoffrey eventually learned to tackle with deep breaths and big chats. The back page's Very Useful Guide, examining types of worry from the Frazzle to the Fret, probably ought to go on the fridge to help the anxious of all ages through the festive season.
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