Rachael Davis: 'I think the key when writing picture books is to never lose sight of the child reader'
BY Katie Smart
9th Feb 2022
Rachael Davis started her journey towards becoming a children's author on our online picture book courses back in 2018. Her brilliant debut picture book I am NOT a Prince, illustrated by Beatrix Hatcher, is out now from Orchard Books (Hachette Children's).
We caught up with Rachael to find out more about her time studying with us, her path to publication and what she enjoys about children's picture books...
You took our online course Writing a Children’s Picture Book in 2018, followed by our Illustrating a Children’s Picture Book course in 2020 – what was your experience of studying online with us?
The CBC course was where my career as a children’s author all began. I had a little baby at the time, so the flexibility to watch the videos and do the weekly tasks in my own time was perfect for me. I loved engaging with the other students in the forum and many of them have become life-long friends!
How did the course impact your approach to writing?
Before the course, I didn’t know anything about the technical side of creating picture books. Through Sarah McIntyre’s and David O’Connell’s videos, I learnt about the 12-spread picture book format. This is an absolute must, and so many things click into place once you understand how the publishing industry structures picture book stories. My editor on the course was Karl Newson who was so encouraging and gave great feedback on our assignments which gave me the boost I needed to keep writing after the course finished. We stayed in touch via social media, and it still blows my mind to know he has a copy of I am NOT a Prince!
'I am NOT a Prince is a powerful, colourful, cheerleading read that's wonderfully illustrated. It's an empowering, happy-hoppy story that says "Be who you want to be" and don't take no croaks about it.' – Karl Newson
Many of our students form writing support groups. Are you still in touch with any of your course mates?
Yes! This is one of the things I loved most about the course. Having a critique and/or support group for writers is so important and I have kept in touch with several of the students on the course. I’d like to give a big shout out to Simon Yeend, Delia Black, Katherine Bassford and Sue Lancaster.
Your picture book I am NOT a Prince, illustrated by Beatrix Hatcher, is out now from Orchard Books. Can you tell us a bit about the story and the inspiration behind it?
My debut picture book I am NOT a Prince, illustrated by Beatrix Hatcher, is an inclusive, rhyming fairy tale for the 21st century that challenges gender stereotypes. On a misty lagoon in a fairy tale land, young frogs wait patiently to be turned into princes. When Hopp refuses to be kissed and turned into a prince, the magical frog sets off on an adventure to prove you can be whatever you want to be.
I drew on my own lived experience as a marginalised mixed-race Black-British cis woman. Growing up I often felt stereotyped and pigeon-holed by my race and gender – and sometimes still do! I wrote the picture book text I wished I had as a child, a twisted fairy tale, to remind me that you don’t have to conform to what others think you should be, you can just be yourself. I wanted to write a story that was inclusive to as many children as possible. I hope lots of children can relate to it, including the LGBTQ+ community.
What does a typical writing day look like for you?
With two young children, there’s no such thing as a typical writing day for me! After the course, I used to spend most of my writing time developing ideas and plotting to the 12-spread structure. Since signing with my agent, Alice Williams, I have been very fortunate to secure book deals with several publishers for projects ranging from reading scheme books to middle-grade non-fiction. So, now my writing time is even more varied! It’s been a baptism of fire discovering that being an author involves much more than writing and editing, there is marketing, events, social media and a heap of other stuff in between. I’m loving it!
You also run the review blog Picture Book Perfect, what do you think makes a picture book stand out?
I’m so glad you asked this, because the CBC course is the reason I started my blog! In the very first week of the course, we were giving a 'market research' task. It was the first time I had ever analysed a picture book critically. I enjoyed it so much I decided to have a go at reviewing them. I knew I wanted to showcase picture books that aligned with my passions for inclusive storytelling, mental wellness and STEAM. So, what makes a picture book standout for me, and subsequently review it on my blog? Originality, an authentic voice and most importantly, a book that captivates my daughters. I think the key when writing picture books is to never lose sight of the child reader.
What recent picture books have you enjoyed reading?
Oh, I could write an essay on this as I typically read around 20 new picture books a month. Two that stick out in my mind from 2022 are Yes You Can Cow by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Rikin Parekh, which has an incredible twist on the much-loved nursery rhyme Hey Diddle, Diddle with a beautiful message of the power of 'yet'; and Alex and Alex by Ziggy Hanaor and Ben Javens which introduces gender neutrality in a beautifully simplistic way to young children. My four-year-old INSTANTLY connected with these two books, and that is always a sign that we’ve found a winning picture book.
Finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
My next book, A Mind Like Mine, illustrated by Islenia Mil, challenges mental health stereotypes and will be published 5 July 2022. It features 21 inspirational people from throughout history right up to the present day who have lived with a variety of mental health conditions. A Mind Like Mine breaks down stigma and shows children that mental health disorders need not stand between them and their dreams. It is a book very close to my heart, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.