Author and illustrator Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick has won the Bisto Children's Book of the Year for There.
The winner was announced as “unanimous choice” at the awards ceremony in the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin yesterday.
The judges said her book was “like a philosophical poem”. It also won an award for illustration.
She was presented with a cheque for €10,000.
The book tells the story of a little girl who starts off on a journey constantly questioning its length and destination as she explores the world in search of truth and independence.
“The adult can read an awful lot into the inter-textuality and illustrations yet it remains a simple book about finding one’s place in the world and environment,” said judging panel chairwoman Maire Uí Mhaicín .
This was Fitzpatrick's third time to win the award. Her picture books You and Me and The Big Blue Seaand Izzy and Skunkwon the top prize in 2001 and 2003.
Bob Burke was "thrilled" to receive the Eilís Dillon Award for his debut book, Third Pig Detective Agency". "I'm still trying to get my head around it" said the Limerick man.
The book, which took him about a year to write, focuses on the life of Harry Pig.
Burke said he had only really dabbled in writing before he really decided to give it a go.
Other awards included Children's Choice Award winner Jane Mitchell for her book Chalkline.
The award was chosen as part of the Bisto Shadowing Scheme to mark the 20th anniversary and to encourage young readers to be part of the awards.
More than 200 children from specially appointed “junior juries” made up of school children from first class to first year read and judged each book.
Mitchell was presented with a cheque for €2,000. The Bisto Honour Award was awarded posthumously to Siobhán Dowd for her book
Solace of the Road.