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Riddell, whose books feature finely detailed, humorous
illustrations bursting with life, said he wanted to unleash
children's imagination.
"I want to put the joy of creativity, of drawing every day, of
having a go and being surprised at what one can achieve with
just a pencil and an idea at the heart of my term as Laureate,"
he said in a statement.
His "Goth Girl the Ghost of a Mouse" is a parody of a gothic
novel and won the 2013 Costa Book Awards in the children's
category.
Riddell said he wanted to use his two years as Children's
Laureate, run by the charity Book Trust, to explore ways of
bringing words and pictures together.
"I'm interested in illustration in all its forms... as a way of
drawing people into books and stories," he said.
Like previous laureates such as Michael Rosen and "Gruffalo"
author Julia Donaldson, Riddell said he would champion the role
of reading in schools.
"I want to help and encourage every school to do more for
readers: if they have nowhere to read, create a space with a few
books; if they have a bookshelf, have two; if they have a
reading room, aim for a library."
Riddell is the ninth laureate and takes over from Malorie
Blackman.
(Reporting by Simon Falush; Editing by Michael Roddy and Raissa
Kasolowsky)
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