Scotland's favourite children's books of 2016 have been announced in a ceremony in Glasgow.

Simon Puttock, Ross MacKenzie and Danny Weston are the winners of the 2016 Scottish Children’s Book Awards, annual prizes organised by the Scottish Book Trust.

Each winning author receives £3000.

Nearly 30,000 votes were cast in this year’s awards, which are judged in three age categories - Bookbug Readers (3-7), Younger Readers (8-11) and Older Readers (12-16).

Children across Scotland were encouraged to read the three shortlisted books in their age category and to vote for their favourite.

Midlothian-based author Simon Puttock won the Bookbug Reader’s (3-7 year olds) category for his picture book Mouse’s First Night at Moonlight School, illustrated by Ali Pye, published by Nosy Crow.

Mr Puttock won a 2006 Award for Little Lost Cowboy, and appeared on both the 2008 and 2010 shortlists.

He said: "What does it mean to me to win the award? Apart from it meaning me being enormously, but happily, surprised, it means being able to take huge pleasure in the fact that Ali's and my book is out there, having an unpredictable but entirely satisfactory life of its own.

"What more could we wish for?"

Renfrew-based author Ross MacKenzie won the Younger Readers (8-11 year olds) category for his novel The Nowhere Emporium, published by Floris Books.

He is a former winner of a Scottish Children’s Book Award in 2011 for fantasy adventure Zac and the Dream Pirates.

He said: "These awards are extra-special because it's the readers who make the final decision.

"Children don't often get the chance to have a voice on this sort of scale, and I believe it's important for them to know that they have that voice and that their opinions matter."

Edinburgh-based author Danny Weston won the Older Readers (12-16 years old) category for his book The Piper, published by Andersen Press.

He has published three novels under the name Philip Caveney with Edinburgh-based publisher Fledgling Press.

He said: "I am absolutely thrilled to have won this award, especially because it has been voted for, not by critics and industry insiders, but by the people who matter most; the young readers for whom the story was actually written."

Jasmine Fassl, head of Schools at Scottish Book Trust, said: "It’s a well-worn statistic that a love of books is more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status.

"Initiatives like the Scottish Children’s Book Awards are intended to instil a love of books in children right from the very start, by making the process of reading fun, interactive and collaborative."