Small in the City

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I knew that before I got too carried away I needed to look at other books about snow and the city. But I was terrified that the story I was working on had been written before. Part of me was braced for that crushing discovery. Edward Gorey was a master of ambiguity in the way he combined his text and the way he framed his images. Implying a gruesome death or a hideous crime is so much more impactful than just showing it. The darkness of his stories was also quite thrilling. Obviously, he wrote for himself. It must have created problems for his publishers when his mysteries were too gruesome to be marketed to children, but he answered to his own mind and the results were innovative and singular. A challenge can also drive you as an artist. What do you foresee as the next approach that may provide a creative risk for you? What is the most significant change you have seen within your work as your career has progressed? Did it surprise you?

The river Ljubljanica passes beneath Ljubljana’s castle (Alamy) 3. Ljubljana, Slovenia (pop 285,000) Being small can be overwhelming in a city. People don’t see you. The loud sounds of the sirens and cyclists can be scary. And the streets are so busy it can make your brain feel like there’s too much stuff in it. We follow our little protagonist, who knows all about what it’s like to be small in the city, as he gives his best advice for surviving there. The first picture book that the award-winning Sydney Smith has both written and illustrated is a story about feeling small in the city — and finding your way home.

The beautiful and affecting cinematic-like illustrations were produced with ink, watercolor, and gouache. The author/illustrator is Canadian, precluding the book’s eligibility for the Caldecott Medal. But SMALL IN THE CITY is quite exceptional, and I anticipate seeing it included on any number of Best of the Year lists. I shall choose Malaga over Cordoba, Seville and Granada. Constrained by the mountains and the Med, it is used by most visitors as a hopping-off point for the Costa del Sol or the white villages, but it shouldn’t be — it’s finally capitalised on its Picasso connection to become a boutique destination with real cultural clout. The use of line, reflection, and perspective masterfully evoke a bustling gray city, making this thoughtful book an artful choice”— School Library Journal, Starred Review

Fortunately, the streetwise kid telling Sydney Smith’s atmospheric story has some advice for fellow kids negotiating a city: which alleys to use as shortcuts, and which to avoid; which trees to hide in and which houses to stand outside to hear music, be warmed by a hot air vent or even be given free fish. Tens of thousands of young people who shadow the Medals have also been reading and debating this year’s shortlists and have voted for their favourites to win the Shadowers’ Choice Awards. Announced today by a selection of young Shadowers, the Shadowers’ Choice for the Carnegie Medal is Run, Rebel, a debut novel by Manjeet Mann, about a girl who runs in quiet rebellion to escape an arranged marriage. The Shadowers’ Choice for the Kate Greenaway Medal is Starbird, illustrated and written by Sharon King-Chai, a mythical tale of a singing Starbird caged by a Moon King.

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Now was the time to sketch and build up reference material. I began the search for the authors and artists that brought out the right tone and perspective from me. As a writer, this book got me thinking about my approach to storytelling. Is there a way to incorporate something unexpected? To surprise the reader? Have I experimented enough? Author and illustrator Sydney Smith wins second Kate Greenaway Medal for Small in the City (Walker Books)