Book week costume ideas: the coolest (and easiest) characters for 2023, according to booksellers

From print-out character masks to ‘the most delightful witch’, literature aficionados share their suggestions for the Children’s Book Week costume parade

‘I wanted to be No 1. But a certain JK Rowling came along’: Jacqueline Wilson on rivalry, censorship – and love

Raised by a ‘scary’ father and a ‘terrible snob’ of a mother, the Tracy Beaker author has always understood the loneliness that marks so many young lives. But at 77, she’s never been happier

Christine Baker obituary

Editor with the Paris-based publisher Gallimard Jeunesse who was determined to give British children’s books a presence in France

Gerald Rose obituary

Children’s illustrator whose picture books with his wife, Elizabeth, and authors such as Ted Hughes, are enjoyed worldwide

Picture books for children – reviews

Rose Tremain and JJ Bola become the latest novelists to turn their hands to writing for young children with tales about a magical metal bird and a boy overcoming his anger

Dogger to the rescue: how my mother’s books brought joy to the children of Ukraine

After the death last year of children’s author Shirley Hughes, her son took hundreds of her books, including the award-winning Dogger, to libraries in Ukraine

Mary Rayner obituary

Children’s author who devised the adventures of the Pig family and illustrated stories including Dick King-Smith’s The Sheep-Pig

The Guardian view on children’s reading: a gift that should be for all

Editorial: With stressed families less likely to have time and money to spare for books, young readers are losing out. It’s time to boost school libraries

Graham Oakley obituary

Illustrator and author widely admired for The Church Mice, his series of children’s picture books

Steer clear of ‘mediocre writing’ by celebrities for Christmas, authors plead

Books by TV personalities and other high-profile figures will top bestseller lists, but critics say professionals lose out

The best children’s books of 2022

From a four-legged celebration of the seasons to a fiery tale of women who turn into dragons, our critics look back over the year and pick their favourite titles for children and young adults

‘I love writing for children’: Emma Thompson and Axel Scheffler on their amazing shaggy dog story

The Oscar-winning actor and the Gruffalo illustrator have teamed up to create a tale about a scruffy hound. They discuss corgis, comic books and how their friendship began

Best children’s and YA books of 2022

Journeys through music, history, magic and more, plus the standout books for young adults

The Guardian view on Goodnight Moon: a classic for a reason

Editorial: Margaret Wise Brown made a point of listening to children, and trying to see the world as they saw it. She has been rewarded by decades of loyalty

‘At first she didn’t like my drawings’: Axel Scheffler and Julia Donaldson on three decades of collaboration

In a rare joint interview, the creators of The Gruffalo talk about baddies, Brexit – and the bumpy beginning to their partnership