The winners of the 2022 James Cropper Wainwright Prize were announced at a ceremony at the London Wetland Centre this afternoon.

The Biggest Footprint: Eight Billion Humans. One Clumsy Giant by Rob and Tom Sears wins the Children's Prize. "This unique, innovative book by the writer/illustrator Sears brothers uses statistics to present the challenges of climate change in a new light, in a fun, accessible and empowering story that will inspire younger readers to make the world a better place."

The Biggest Footprint

By reimagining the whole of humanity as one massive giant, writer/illustrator brothers Rob and Tom Sears take a revelatory look at the damage humanity has inflicted on the planet and how we might begin to rectify it, in an empowering story that will inspire younger readers to make the world a better place.

Despite not being the smartest of creatures, the giant is beginning to understand the problems it has created for Planet Earth’s future, and how it might be able to fix them. Using brain-bending statistics about humanity’s impact on the planet, this is an accessible look at climate change for readers of 9+.

Chair of Judges and CBBC Presenter, Gemma Hunt commented:

"This totally unique and highly innovative book captured all our imaginations. It's an empowering, insightful tale that helps us all, at any age, understand and take ownership of the biggest threat of our lifetime. Such a clever and original book that feels totally deserving of our inaugural prize for children."

Highly commended was the 2022 Yoto Carnegie Medal winner, October, October by Katya Balen, Illustrated by Angela Harding.

Now in its nineth year, the Prize is named after much-loved nature writer Alfred Wainwright and is awarded annually to the books which most successfully inspire readers to explore the outdoors and to nurture a respect for the natural world. A £7,500 prize fund will be shared by the authors of the three winning books, with each receiving a specially commissioned original artwork by paper artist, Helen Musselwhite.

Rob and Tom Sears have collaborated to create zoo exhibitions and ice cream van designs, sitcoms, books, newspaper cartoons and movie scripts. They remain ‘hopeful about what's next for humans and the planet,’ despite everything they learned while researching the book.

www.wainrightprize.com

#WainwrightPrize22

#JCWP22