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What do vampire sheep, unusual jobs and a school for thieves have in common?

They're all themes of books included in this year's shortlist for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.

The bookshop's judges have shortlisted 18 books across three categories - illustrated books, books for younger readers, and books for older readers - with a winner in each.

The winners of the categories will then compete for the overall title of Children's Book Prize Winner 2024 which will be announced in March.

Let us know if you've read any of the shortlisted books and fill us in on the books you are enjoying and give us some reading recommendations in the comments below!

Natalie Labarre's Incredible Jobs You've (Probably) Never Heard Of is among the books in the illustrated category.

It's been praised for being "highly original and filled with inventive detail".

The Secret Elephant, a true story of a friendship between a zookeeper and a baby elephant during the war by Ellan Rankin has also made the list.

They're up against The Queen Next Door by Marcela Ferreira, Wolf and Bear by Kate Rolfe, The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage and Whose Dog is This? by Andrew Sanders.

A book by author Emily-Jane Clark has made the shortlist in this category with a story about two young heroes who must save the world from bloodsucking sheep.

The Beasts Of Knobbly Bottom: Attack of the Vampire Sheep! joins Vivi Conway And The Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones.

Also on the shortlist is JJ Arcanjo's mystery Crookhaven: The School For Thieves, about a child sent to a school for thieves to become a modern-day Robin Hood.

Joining them is The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, My Name is Sunshine Simpson by G.M. Linton and Greenwild: The World Behind The Door by Pari Thomson.

On the Older Readers shortlist is Girl, Goddess, Queen is a retelling of Persephone by Bea Fitzgerald.

It's joined by a young adult crime thriller Promise Boys by Nick Brooks and Mel Darbon's What The World Doesn't See. It's a novel about grief and disability.

A book about finding the strength to speak up against hate and fear called You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud has also made the shortlist.

Alongside these are Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis and Friendship Never Ends by Alexandra Sheppard.