He went on to study illustration at the Glasgow School of Art, graduating in 1994 and in the same year he won the Macmillan Children’s Book Prize for The Sea Hole. Our fifth shortlisted story is I Am A Tiger by Karl Newson and Ross Collins (Macmillan Children’s Books). Perhaps I wasn't in the right frame of mind, or perhaps this one wasn't for me, but in the end I found the murine hero here less funny and more annoying, as he tries to convince each of the other animals that they aren't who they think they are. Find five differences between tigers and mice – their size, their colour, their fur, things they can do, the noise they make, what they eat. I knew there'd be some other animals disputing Mouse's claim, and I knew at some point a tiger would have to turn up, and that mouse would handle each of these scenarios with simple but effective and convincing (or not!

Karl Newson is a best-selling, multi-award-winning children's book author, whose stories are published in 30 languages around the world. Mouse has a three-quel publishing in August (and I have plans for her that I’m hoping might happen one day). Mouse is a great character, becoming all the more interesting when he discovers he isn’t really a tiger after all. Norman the bear loves honey, so he thinks up an ingenious plan to get his paws on as much as he can eat - by enrolling at Bee School!

Except that while you and I, and most of mouse’s friends can quite clearly see what type of animal stands in front of them, it would seem that mouse has other ideas. With vibrant artwork by award-winning illustrator Ross Collins, and delightful characters created by rising star Karl Newson, this I am a Tiger is a story that will amuse and entertain everyone, from young children to adults, from the smallest mouse to the biggest tiger. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. It’s a fantastic independent book seller that will actually be responsive and select appropriate books for you. After identifying the other animals as something other than what they are, based on their characteristics, the mouse sallies forth to catch his lunch.

Ross: Simply getting kids interested in reading, stories, drawing, imagination, quiet time with someone they love, words, pictures – how long have you got? When the expected tiger makes its appearance, the mouse doesn't bat an eye as it declares, "You're not a tiger.Delightfully funny and original story about a small and cheeky mouse with very big ideas and no shortage of confidence. My three and five year olds have been roaring with laughter at this - the first time we read it lead to three more consecutive readings and the laughter was still strong and contagious too!

Torn between the awesomeness of the confidence and the quirky way of showing that categorization can be a little arbitrary, but iffy on the whole what I say matters and messing with what the other animals think they are. Karl: The idea for it came when I thought about how silly it could be for something to confidently declare it was something else - something that it clearly wasn't!And how you feel can fit a time and a mood and a place – it can change… make it work for you when you need it.

Growing up he was particularly fond of drawing the bionic man and precariously swinging backwards on chairs.A picture book: This Book Can Read Your Mind by Susannah Lloyd and Jacob Grant is fantastic fun and will have you full of giggles.