We are back for week two of the blog tour celebrating our brilliant shortlisted titles! This week we focus on the Books for Younger Readers category. Three titles are vying to win and for the next three days, we will bring you a special Q&A with the creators behind the titles. First up, meet Murray and Bun by Adam Stower, published with Harper Collins.
How does it feel to be nominated for the Children’s Book Award? This is the only book award that is voted on solely by children across the UK.
I am absolutely over the moon that Murray the Pirate has been nominated for the FCBG Children’s Book Award! It’s SO important to hear the opinions of children about the books they read, and they are never shy about telling you what they really think. So the fact that this award is voted on solely by children across the UK makes it more special than ever!
Tell us more about your book.
Murray the Pirate is about a cat called Murray, a rabbit called Bun and a magic cat flap that sometimes leads to the garden, but mostly leads to ADVENTURE!
This time Murray and Bun find themselves in the time of pirates. Kidnapped by the dreaded Captain Patch and his scurvy crew they are flung into a search for a secret island and a lost treasure.
Together Murray and Bun face walking the plank over shark-infested waters, a treacherous journey over mountains and through swamps, and an ENORMOUS sea monster called Margaret….all of which is exactly why Murray would far rather stay at home and enjoy a snack under a warm blanket.
Murray the Pirate is the third Murray & Bun book (but I have made sure that the books can be read in any order).
What do you hope that readers will take from reading your book?
Mostly I hope that readers will fall in love with Murray and Bun and have fun reading about their adventures.
I hope this story sparks my readers’ imaginations, and gives them a few thrills and a bellyful of giggles along the way. I hope they love all the illustrations and visual gags that I have so much fun including in these stories.
I hope they feel inspired and comforted by the warmth, generosity and kindness with which Murray & Bun approach any situation, and by the loyalty and friendship they share.
Where do you find ideas and inspiration for your books?
My stories always begin in my sketchbooks. I love drawing from my imagination and often I will come up with a little character or a scene that seems to have more to say, a story to tell. Those are the seeds of my ideas.
Then I draw on my own life, my family and friends, stories I loved growing up, and it all goes into the mix to hopefully grow into a new story of my own.
In Murray the Pirate, Murray and Bun are based on me and my brother Matt. I have always been a little bit like Murray, who prefers a quiet life and home comforts. Matt, on the other hand, was much more like Bun. He loved adventure and would jump in with both feet and boundless optimism…and worry about the consequences later. It’s a good mix, and even now I try to be a little bit more like Bun and embrace adventure.
Murray in the book is named after my own cat, Murray. They both love snacks and snoozing most of all.
And, I mustn’t forget Captain Ivor Patch, the pirate captain, who was inspired by a man I met in a pub…
Are you working on anything exciting that you can tell us about?
Yes! I’m working on my fifth Murray and Bun adventure which is very exciting. It is inspired by the sorts of adventure movies I loved best when I was growing up. It’s going to be great fun!
And, I have just finished a new picture book, written and illustrated by me, which will be coming out in Autumn 2026. It’s about a little acorn who has a big adventure.
What advice would you give children keen to be an author or illustrator in the future?
My main advice for budding authors and illustrators is to keep practicing! Whether you are writing stories or drawing pictures, get a notebook or sketchbook and have fun filling it with ideas. Draw/write about all sorts of different things, different characters and different feelings.
Never worry about making mistakes. We all make mistakes and it is an important part of growing and learning to be better at writing and drawing.
Keep a note of all your ideas, even if they are just a tiny sentence or a little doodle of a character, add them to your notebook/sketchbook. You never know – they might be the seeds of your best seller one day!
Keep your ears and eyes open. Stories are all around you.
Draw, write and read for pleasure. Enjoy!
Children across the UK are encouraged to get involved. Copies of the books can be purchased at a discount from our partner supplier Heath Books here https://www.heathbooks.co.uk/federation-of-childrens-book-groups-childrens-book-award-2026/ and online voting will be opened on Monday 23rd March here https://fcbg.org.uk/childrens-book-award-2026/
The deadline for voting is 12 noon on Friday 8th May and category winners and the overall winner of the most popular children’s book published in 2025 will be announced at a ceremony in Birmingham on 13th June, attended by representatives from all our local groups and livestreamed on the FCBG YouTube channel.
