Then, as snow falls around her, the girl shares her tips for navigating the city: don’t cut through this alley, avoid this yard with the scary dogs, you can hide in this tree. Small in the City’ is full of faith and compassion, and gorgeous to look at, as well.”— The Washington Post 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.

What is the most significant change you have seen within your work as your career has progressed? Did it surprise you? 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. This emotionally resonant ode to the resilience of small creatures in a big, loud world is tender and timeless—and a masterful merging of art and text.” — The Horn Book, Starred Review 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. But if you know where to find good hiding places, warm dryer vents that blow out hot steam that smells like summer, music to listen to or friends to say hi to, there can be comfort in the city, too. Congratulations to our 2021 Medal winners, to independent publishers Knights Of and Walker Books, to our Shadowers’ Choice winners,it’s such a wonderfully diverse range of stories and always exciting to see how engaged children and young people are in voting for their favourites. A huge thank you to those voters and to all the children, librarians and teachers who participated this year without whom the Medals would not be possible.”

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Setting descriptions, poems, diary entries, dialogue, letters of advice, lost posters Main Outcome: 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

It might even become a city-state in time, which might stop the Scottish and English fighting over it for the 138th time, a prospect we’d be wise not to discount these days. Wednesday 16 th June 2021: The winners of this year’s CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the UK’s oldest and best-loved book awards for children and young people, were revealed today. Both winning books were announced at a virtual, daytime event, hosted by University Challenge Star and author Bobby Seagull and livestreamed from The British Library. A child braves strange streets in search of a mysterious someone in this gorgeous story about love and loss.”— People Magazine

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I read the book again to see if it had been obvious all along and I just hadn’t been paying attention. September 3, 2019 Our interview begins with Sydney’s response about his role as an illustrator and a storyteller. This is practically a wordless book. I love the artwork; it's gritty and rough and towering and it brings up feelings of being Small in New York. It's a great bit of art. There is beauty in the harsh lines.

Small in the City’ is the best picture book I’ve seen so far this year, and among the most moving I know. For the right child it will be revelatory.”— The New York Times Book Review Both winning books are published by independent publishers. Look Both Ways delivers the first win for Knights Of, in its first year to have a longlisted title; Small in the City is the 16 th win for Walker Books (4 Carnegie Medals and 12 Kate Greenaway Medals), which had nine books featured in this year’s longlist. Independent publishers had a strong showing on this year’s longlist, with 29 of the 40 books coming from independent presses.

It may occur around the world but I have found there is a certain allergy to pride in the communities I grew up in. “Don’t get too big feelin’ ” translates to “Pride comes before a fall”. For the people of many rural communities, fortune is fleeting and not to be trusted. My grandmother often said “I didn’t ask for much and that’s just what I got”. It can be difficult at times to admit having goals and dreams. What’s even worse is when they come true. Or, there are lots of good hiding places in the city, like under a mulberry bush or up a walnut tree. Now in its third year, this award has evolved out of CILIP’s Diversity Review, which identified opportunities to empower and celebrate the young people involved in the Medals through the shadowing scheme.