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Lila and the Secret of RainAn Interview with Picture Book Illustrator Jude Daly
Lila and the Secret of Rain by David Conway is illustrated by South African Jude Daly. In this interview she talks about the process of illustrating this beautiful book
Jude Daly’s elegant, lyrical style of illustration softens this sometimes sad story of a little girl trying to save her village from the ravages of drought, and delivers a gentle make-believe tone that carries the reader along through the sadness to the happy ending. How do you know if you want to illustrate a text or not?I largely rely on my gut response to first reading a story offered me. If, by the time I’ve finished the reading I feel unreasonably possessive of it, that I HAVE to illustrate it, then I try and move on to thinking more logically. If the story comes via a publisher, then I assume they feel it is right for today’s market (not that publishers are always right!) and don’t concern myself much with the marketing side of things. If it has come directly from a writer then I try to apply the same thinking myself. Is a publisher going to accept the book? Will it be marketable? What I wouldn’t do, though truth is I have yet to be tested, is to tackle a story that a publisher is throwing big bucks at because they reckon it will be a dead cert big seller, if it does not make my heart skip a beat. How long does it take you to complete a picture book?I take about nine months from starting the rough dummy to delivery of the finished art. That’s why I have to feel something for the story. To spend that time working on a project one feels nothing for must be very difficult. Not impossible but jolly difficult. Just noticed, the nine months thing! How did the story of Lila come to you? Lila was offered me by my editor at Frances Lincoln Publishers. I liked the sparseness and seeming simplicity of the text. Can you pinpoint what It was about the storyline that attracted you?Straight away, I was concerned about little Lila, her grown up worries and desperation. Also, the preciousness of water was in my mind as, at that time, our water was being rationed. And, having never coped well in the heat I too wanted the sun to stop shining and for it to rain and rain and rain. I wanted to make this happen for Lila and could do this by illustrating the story. And then there were the shapes and colours of Lila’s Kenya. Those graceful tall people would be sheer pleasure to draw. Always elegant and dignified. The beauty of their rich brown skins, simple red clothing, and colourful beadwork amidst a vast parched landscape. Then on every page, that too-big, too-yellow sun against an always too-bright blue sky. I was hooked. What Is the first step you take when you start a project like Lila? The first thing I do is background research. Because my pictures are not realistic this is not very evident, but I do the research in order to give me the confidence and licence to create my version of the story’s world. Read a Review of Lila and the Secret of Rain Read about how picture book writers Margaret Mahy and Niki Daly found ideas for stories.
The copyright of the article Lila and the Secret of Rain in Writing Picture Books is owned by Helen Brain. Permission to republish Lila and the Secret of Rain in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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