Coralie Bickford-Smith’s The Fox and the Star is Waterstones Book of the Year for 2015.
The illustrated children’s book beat out Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman and Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train, which were among the eight titles shortlisted for the award. Waterstones booksellers select the winners of the award. “Every year, our booksellers nominate the book that caught their imagination more than any other, the one they believe truly stands out, in any genre,” explains the bookseller’s site.
The fable tells the story of Fox who loses his friend Star and has to go into the forrest alone in order to deal with the loss. “Each elegant and stunning page has been thoughtfully created in orange, black and white by designer Coralie Bickford-Smith, whose vibrant style is influenced by the work of William Morris and William Blake,” explains the bookseller’s site.