Hi Catherine, thank you so much for letting me interview you. I’m a HUGE fan of The Rainbow
Flamingo and would love you to answer these ten questions below:
- Can you tell readers what they can expect from your new picture book, The Rainbow
Flamingo?
The Rainbow Flamingo is a great big burst of colour on the outside, but on the inside it’s a
story about that shy little bit of yourself that we all have and which we’re all nervous about
showing to the world. - The book is beautifully illustrated – who is the talent behind the picture and cover? Did
you have any artistic input?
This is my second book with Claire Powell and I love making books with her! Her work is so
gorgeous. It’s a real partnership, as Claire always adds so much depth to the story with her
illustrations. Seeing what she has created is always my favourite part of the process – I do
have a very little bit of input, but for the most part it’s all Claire’s brilliant talent! - Do you have a favourite of the book’s illustrations? If so, which one and why?
I love the opening spread as I love looking at all the different characters that Claire has
created. It really reminds me of seeing a flamboyance of flamingos in Kenya years ago. I can
almost hear them all! - The sentences in the book rhyme beautifully. How much of a challenge was that for you?
I LOVE writing in rhyme, it’s my zen place to be. It can be hard and frustrating, but when it
comes together there’s nothing else like it. For some reason I find that the constraints of
writing in rhyme really help me. - Adele, the lead character, is a rainbow-coloured flamingo amongst a pack of one
thousand. What drew you towards flamingos?
I was at Colchester Zoo one day with my kids and was looking at a group of flamingos. I
literally just thought ‘imagine if one wasn’t pink’. Then I started to explore what that might
look like and how that might feel, and The Rainbow Flamingo was born! I think it works as
the reader already has an expectation that flamingos will be pink, so the reader’s own
experience supports the narrative. - What did your research for this book look like?
Well, I was lucky enough to have seen flamingos in Kenya and in Chile so that helped me to
get a feel for how they congregate etc. I spent some time researching what they eat and
exactly why they are pink and then went from there. - What made you choose Adele’s name?
Ha! I tend to try and find names that fit rhyming patterns to give me some flexibility when
I’m writing in metre. Sorry, that’s not very exciting, is it?! But the fact Adele has an
unstressed first beat really helps it fit into my metre scheme. I also try to have something
that is a known name, but not super common, that fits the character. Adele was perfect! - Adele finds her self-confidence after confiding her concerns to her mum. How did you
manage to portray this so effectively in just a few sentences?
I think this story is really about all the things that we don’t say – the things that we keep
bottled up inside. For me, the core of the story is how it feels to have all those feelings, but not be able to really express them – it’s that choked up feeling that I wanted to evoke. In the
end, Adele’s tears do the talking for her and she is finally able to express her worries to her
mum. I remember being a child and telling my mum something that was worrying me and
having all that worry just float away. Having someone love and accept you is the foundation
for everything – it’s a powerful thing.
- What do you want readers of The Rainbow Flamingo to take away from this story?
I’d like Adele to give little readers the confidence to not worry or hide away those little
different parts of themselves. When we learn to be proud of who we are, we can achieve
anything. - Are you able to tell us what you are working on next in a few words?
Ooh I have just written what I hope will be the second in a series of magical origin fables.
They have been SO difficult to write but I’ve loved the challenge and I’m really excited to
have them out in the world!
Review of Rainbow Flamingo
This book is such an incredibly beautiful read, I mean just look at the stunning cover design! It is so fun and vibrant and shows you all you need to know about what to anticipate inside. We join Adele, a rainbow coloured flamingo that is struggling with her identity given all the other 100’s of flamingo’s around her are pink. Just pink. What’s more the others have events planned to celebrate themselves, and Adele is due to take part. But she is full of apprehension and worry because everyone will soon realise she is different. When she initially looks to confide in her mum, Adele decides not to when she finds her mum preoccupied with other things. Adele takes matters into her own hands, and sets about eating as many different things as she could in a bid to try to become more pink. It doesn’t work, and she then does tell her mum everything, and her mum’s reassuring words are not only beautiful but they signify the change in Adele’s story.
Adele we love YOU, we couldn’t care less if you’re green, pink or blue!
I should mention that all the sentences in this beautiful book rhyme, which gives a flow to your reading, and further add to how beautifully written this book is, and the incredible talent that is Catherine Emmett. Complimenting the text perfectly are the illustrations that adorn every page of this book. They depict the flamingo’s in such detail and with flare, and I fell in love with Claire Powell’s work within this book.
This one young Flamingo, Adele was her name,
Knew under her wings something wasn’t the same.
Whilst quite unremarkably pink from outside…
Inside were some colours she struggled to hide!
After her conversation with her mum took place Adele feels more confident in her unique self, and when she reveals her true self to the flamingo community she is greeted with an outpouring of love and support, and further more she finds that others join her in showing their more colourful side, which further cements Adele’s determination to shine as her beautiful and unique self.
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