It’s time for our fourth book on the shortlist: Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Halls and David Litchfield, published by Walker Books.
It’s Smriti’s second book on the shortlist this year, and excitingly she has generously given us a second set of answers, along with David, to our Q&A below.
Please read on to find out all about this incredible book and its wonderful characters- not to mention a wealth of insight from its talented writer and illustrator - including which books transported them to magical worlds as children, capturing the truth, and letting imaginations run wild!
About the book:
A girl and her companion fox travel together from a place of loss and despair, through uncertain times, towards the hope of colour, light and life. Along the way, they find friends to guide and support them. Together, they build a glorious future and discover there is a way out of the darkness, into the light of the rainbow. A book with immense hope at its heart, this is a positive message for anyone who’s ever gone through a tough time – and an uplifting, stunning beautiful book about optimism in the darkest of places.
What the Judges said: “Every spread in this book provides its own fairytale, which complements the feeling of hope that radiates from every page. I loved it.” – Viveka Alvestrand
About Smriti:
Smriti Halls is an award-winning, internationally bestselling children’s author whose books include the No. 1 bestseller I Love You Night and Day, T-Veg and Don't Call Me Sweet. She is published in over 30 languages. Her stories, sometimes fast-paced and funny, sometimes lyrical and tender, are always full of heart and speak to the child in all of us. Previously Smriti worked at the BBC and across children’s publishing and television as a writer and commissioning editor for twelve years. She lives in London with her husband and three sons. Find her online www.smriti.co.uk and follow her on Instagram as @smriti_halls_author and on Twitter @SmritiPH.
About Daivd:
David Litchfield first started to draw when he was very young, creating Star Wars and Indiana Jones ‘mash up’ comics for his older brother and sister. Since then David’s work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, books and on T-shirts. David’s first author/illustrator picture book The Bear & The Piano won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2016. He has also illustrated picture books for authors such as Ross Montgomery, Andy Stanton and Sally Lloyd-Jones, as well as book covers for David Almond, Kate Dicamillo, Neil Patrick Harris and many more. David lives with his family in Bedford, England. Find him online at www.davidlitchfieldillustration.com and follow him on Twitter at @dc_litchfield.
And now please read on for Smriti and David’s brilliant answers to our Q&A - cvoering everything from Maurice Sendak and Hans Christian Andersen to the importance of hope.
What was your own favourite picture book as a child?
David: I remember our teacher reading us 'Where The Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak and I was instantly in awe of the drawings. The world and characters that Mr Sendak created transported me from our classroom and little town into a brand new realm of imagination and possibilities. As soon as I got home that day I bugged my mum to buy a copy and I still have the version she bought today (although its pages are now stuck together with sellotape).
Smriti: One of my favourites was a Hans Christian Andersen treasury that I still love today. Lavishly illustrated by Maria Pascual, I’d gaze into the eyes of the magnificent snow queen, the steadfast tin soldier and the wistful little mermaid and be captivated. The tales were unexpected and often laced with a sense of longing and beauty that moved me.
What do you think the best thing about picture books is?
David: There is no other medium like it. The visual nature of telling a story and the relationship between the words and the image is very unique. I think that you read the images just as much as the words and I very much love that about picture books.
Smriti: I love the layers of meaning and complexity that are often buried in something that on the surface appears so simple. And it’s wonderful the way that great picture books continue to reveal truth and impact the reader in new ways, on different readings, time and time again.
What was your favourite thing about drawing the book?
David: I was given so much freedom to just let my imagination run wild with the illustrations. Smriti's beautiful text sparked so many ideas and emotions in me and I tried to visualise these as best I can. I was also able to experiment a lot with textures and colour with this book and try lots of new things with my artwork. I feel that I definitely grew as an artist from drawing this book.
What was your favourite thing about writing the book?
Smriti: My favourite thing was trying to capture a truth that felt entirely universal. I wanted to express this in a way that could apply to a multitude of different circumstances – from small hurts to heartbreak – in a language that would be meaningful to both adult and child readers at once. I felt I was writing something that I’d carried in my head and heart for a long time and conveying those thoughts in careful, tender, hope-filled words was what I loved most.
What’s the best thing about this book?
David: I really love how the book can be open to interpretation. Even though there are clues we never really discover what problems the girl and the fox are aiming to overcome but readers can identify with them and see their own struggles in them.
Smriti: I think the best thing about the book is that a sense of hope breathes through each page. Through the words and pictures, it balances the light and the dark of our lives and reminds us that although dark days are a part of every human story… so too is love and friendship and joy, so too is light and colour and life. There may be rain… but there are rainbows.
credit: Andrew Foster
What was your inspiration for the story/character?
David: I was very much thinking about the struggles faced by refugees when I was drawing this book. The journeys a lot of families and individuals have to face to get to safety and a better life. As I said the book is very much open to interpretation but that’s definitely what I had in my mind when I was drawing it. For me Fox character represented hope. When things were at their darkest the fox was a beacon of light and colour that reminded the girl of where it was she was hoping to get to at the end of her journey.
Smriti: A friend once cheered me up by reminding me that after the rain comes the rainbow. The words “rain before rainbows…” formed in my mind and over the following months the poem began to take shape while I was walking, thinking, dreaming. I began to see a story of loss and hope and restoration unfold. A story that could speak to both personal and collective experience. I feel so lucky that David was able to bring that story to life so stunningly.
What are you working on next?
David: This year I'm chuffed to be working with a number of different authors. I'm just finishing artwork for a new book by Gregory Maguire which is very exciting. I'm also collaborating again with Stacy McAnulty and David Almond which is always a brilliant experience as well as working with the very talented Nell Cross Beckerman. And then towards the end of the year I'm starting work on my own author/illustrator book which will be a Christmas story. So it's all go really :)
Smriti: I’ve got several new stories and ideas in progress and I can’t wait until I’m able to share them with everyone. New books out soon include a brand new Bear and Squirrel sequel with Steve Small called I’m Sticking With You Too, which I’m hugely excited about, as well as collaborations with other wonderful illustrators, some established and some new. There are also some super fun novelty books on the way, to get the very youngest children loving books.
And finally, what do you think has been the best thing about reading with small children during the lockdown?
David: It's been really good for both them and us to remind ourselves that there will be life outside of lockdown and things will start to get back to normal soon. Stories have always had a great power to transport you out of the 4 walls that you find yourself in and I think that that has been even more important this past year.
Smriti: For me the best thing about reading with my family has been about feeling connected with each other and sharing special moments. It has also provided a way of thinking and talking about the wider world at a time when we haven’t been able to venture far from our front doors. Reading together has sparked conversations, brought joy… and provided us ALL (tweens and teens included) with a whole lot of laughter.