What is the Children's Laureate?

Lauren Child has been appointed the tenth Children's Laureate, and will stay in the job until 2019.

Dame Jacqueline Wilson took on the role in 2005, while Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson was laureate between 2011-2013.

The role is awarded once every two years to a writer or illustrator of children's books.

But what do they actually do?