The Moon and Farmer McPhee, written by Margaret Mahy, tells the story of grumpy Farmer McPhee whose animals keep him awake at night by singing and dancing in the moonlight.
The book also received the picture book award at a gala ceremony in Auckland last night.
Working with Mahy was a "great privilege" as she brought "her magic" to the somewhat backwards creation of the book.
It had always been an ambition of his to work with her and so he approached her with the story idea, reversing the usual role of an illustrator.
"It's nice to see a book succeed that is all about people getting off their backsides and looking at things and realising how beautiful the world really is," he said.
Mr Elliot, who has illustrated a wide range of children's books including poetry, short stories, novels and picture books, is now working on a story about a little pig, who is really a little boy, who loves to make noise.
New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards convener of judges Ruth McIntyre said The Moon and Farmer McPhee had "breathtakingly high production standards" and a "delightful message".
"The sheer poetry of the language and the gorgeous luminous illustrations each magnificently complements the other," she said.
Author Ken Catran, of Waimate, won the young adult children's choice award for his book Smiling Jack.
Other category winners were. -Best first book, Hollie Chips, by Anna Gowan; non-fiction, Zero Hour: The Anzacs on the Western Front, by Leon Davidson; junior fiction, Finnigan and the Pirates: A Fine Fandango, by Sherryl Jordan; young adult fiction, Fierce September, by Fleur Beale.
Children's choice awards: Overall winner, Baa Baa Smart Sheep, by Mark Sommerset, illustrated by Rowan Sommerset; non-fiction, Who's Cooking Tonight?, by Claire Gourley with Glenda Gourley; junior fiction, Hollie Chips, by Anna Gowan; picture book, Baa Baa Smart Sheep, by Mark Sommerset, illustrated by Rowan Sommerset.
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