Meet the shortlist: Steve Small (on The Duck Who Didn't Like Water)

We can’t believe it, but it’s time to look at our fourth shortlistee already! Please meet the multi-talented author and illustrator Steve Small, who graces the OBP shortlist for the second year in a row - and TWICE! He’ll discuss his other nomination, I’m Sticking with You Too (with Smriti Halls) in the coming weeks. For now., he talks to us about his incredible first solo book, literary sidekicks, and a very rainy camping trip! Thanks so much, Steve!

The Duck Who Didn’t like Water (Simon & Schuster)

This book has a brilliant double act – do you have a favourite picture book sidekick from when you were little?

Thanks! Nice of you to say. What a good question. I think it has to be Eeyore. I was fascinated by how unexpectedly morose this wonderful donkey was. I had never seen much attention being given to someone with this reluctant and hideaway personality, and yet each story set in A A Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood that featured Eeyore, was all the richer for his bracingly taciturn presence.

The duck really doesn’t like water – is there anything surprising that you don’t like?

Cars and Velcro.

How did you come up with this story?

A peek inside The Duck Who Didn’t Like Water courtesy of Steve Small and Simon and Schuster

I loved hill walking when I was younger. When I was in my mid-twenties, I once pitched a tent at night in the Black Mountains in Wales and woke up on a wet morning to find puddles outside everywhere and one small one inside my tent too. My tent was only just drier than outside. I went away to ( of all things) get some water to boil on my stove for some tea and came back to find a Duck walking into my tent.

As the years went by, I forgot about it and then found myself thinking about that duck when I was doodling about three years ago.  

What do you think is the best thing about this book?

I think it looks at the idea of how to share our time with someone who might sometimes have different views and, I hope, playfully examines the art of compromise and the importance of flexibility. Plus, there’s a Frog that says Ribbit a lot which always gets a chuckle out of me.

Please tell us what makes you most excited about being on the OBP shortlist TWICE this year!

Phew.

Making books is still very new to me and has a certain ‘pinch me, am I dreaming this’ quality. I have always loved picture books. But they were always rather like admiring your neighbour’s amazing flower garden from your second floor flat. Great to look at but I have no idea how much effort it took and I didn’t think it likely that I’d ever get round to try growing one myself. Then I found myself illustrating ‘I’m Sticking With You’ which went on to be nominated last year. That was a real honour and a surprise. I went on to make a fun sequel to that book, and also try my hand at making a Solo book too. And now, BOTH of them were nominated this year. What’s the word for gobsmacked and nonplussed and extremely thankful all rolled into one?