The medal is named after the 19th-century English illustrator of children’s books Kate Greenaway (1846–1901). When I was a kid my dad went to a psychic. He asked them about his children and they said that I should be a movie director and that I would be as famous as Spielberg. I never forgot about that. I get a lot of inspiration from the innovation film and languages of film and picture book illustrations are very similar. Growing up in Nova Scotia, what aspects of your early years there influenced your creative work? And in what ways? Smith’s genius is evident in how so much meaning is conveyed with loose dark lines and blurry images. Reflections abound. Perspective shifts constantly. She appears to be alone. Why would a parent let a child ride on public transport alone? She does not seem fearful. Maybe it is a journey she makes regularly? For example, she signals for the bus to stop and steps off, confidently, into cold sunlight and shadows. After she alights, some text appears, and we realise that she is speaking reassuringly to someone who seems to be lost. Who can it be? Smith’s illustrations create a fascinating mix of the bustle of urban life but also the quiet of snowfall, the beauty of an empty park, and the small areas of a city just right for a little cat to survive. The images bring a contemplative tone to the book, giving space and opportunity to breathe and feel deeply. 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

Small in the City by Sydney Smith - LoveReading4Kids Small in the City by Sydney Smith - LoveReading4Kids

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. The content of this hard cover picture book offer some lovely observations – visual and textual. The initial four panels with silhouettes and blurred streets convey the sense of unease. A child roams around the city, encountering a range of scenarios and offers advice that may, or may not, be of comfort to a stranger in the town.Four year old Charlie was too frightened by the illustrations to finish it, even when guided by his mother. He spent little time looking at the illustrations, and couldn’t relate to the text when it was read to him. As the girl (or boy—it could be either) makes her way through dark and sometimes foreboding scenes, she describes the people “who don’t see you,” and the disorienting sights and sounds of the city. Sydney Smith tells us about Small in the City– how it developed, working on the narative and images, and how it relates to his other titles: When Amber runs, it’s the only time she feels completely free-far away from her claustrophobic home life. Her father wants her to be a dutiful daughter, waiting for an arranged marriage like her sister Ruby.

Small in the City TeachingBooks | Small in the City

Author and illustrator Sydney Smith wins second Kate Greenaway Medal for Small in the City (Walker Books) Small in the City is a handsomely illustrated, child-led story of a child travelling alone in a city on a very important quest.Maryland state’s capital city of Annapolis is a beautiful, leafy small city. It is sprinkled around a number of creeks on the Severn River’s estuary as it pours into Chesapeake Bay. Annapolis played an integral role in the final phases of the American War of Independence: Congress sat in Maryland State House, the oldest Capitol in the US, while the city was the US capital, briefly, from 1783 to 1784. Today you can explore the colonial architecture and rich history, or take a sailing trip in the bay. Boutique shopping in Annapolis Downtown is another popular pastime here. When snow falls on the ground, and all the trees are bare, everything changes ... including the white rabbit!