Writing an Environmentally-focused Children's Book: In Conversation with Will Hamilton-Davies
Recently, Madeleine Spoke to the young author, Will Hamilton-Davies, about his inspiration and process behind his environmentally-focused Children’s Book, The Shrew With The Flu. He also left some sound advice for other young creatives hoping to make an impact through their work.
The Shrew with The Flu by Will Hamilton-Davies. Illustrated by Jennifer Davison.
Will’s book The Shrew with the Flu tells the story of a small shrew whose illness causes him to lack a sense of smell, in addition to his pre-existing poor eyesight. The shrew starves and soon realises he can make use of his ears to find food. However, he ends up over-indulging and reducing his home forest to a dire state. Through sadness and determination, the shrew regrows plant-life and vegetation, which in turn, promotes the return of the forest’s inhabitants such as bees, snakes, and birds, restoring the forest to its wildlife-diverse state.
Arguably, inspiring children with environmentally conscious messages could encourage a whole generation of minds fighting to care for the world around us. Will commented,
“I’d like to think that the stories they [children] read and the kind of information they’re given is designed to empower them to have an impact on the world around them […] Ultimately, it’s about connecting children and people to their actions and the consequences of their actions, whether that be good or bad. And I just hope that in reading a story, that [it] helps them to better connect the dots.”
Illustrated by Jennifer Davison. Animated by Marie-Charlotte Yao.
I found out that Will had a very influential role in the creation of his book, possibly due to his love for watching the process unfold. When asked what his favourite part of the process of creating the book was, he responded,
“I went through a really unusual process with The Shrew with the Flu, [involved] in every aspect of it […] sketching out the designs of the illustrations before it goes to an illustrator […] looking at all of the print run aspects days before it went out to print, so I felt like I got a good insight into the process. […] For me the best bit is seeing how somebody takes my own vision for anything and breathes their own style into it. […] Jen was just magical in the way that she took that and applied her own style to that vision, creating something which now I just think is incredible.”
Interested in what motivated Will to create such a book, I discovered that passion and concern are important underlying themes for Will’s work. These include his concern with the environment and common human emotions such as greed.
“Naturally, the things that you’re concerned about like your anxieties or the things you’re passionate about seem to work their way into your writing […] For me, that just seemed to be the environment and greed, self-awareness and looking after the planet around us.”
Evidently, Will has a strong passion for the environment. However, not everyone grows up with this attitude. Will expressed that his passion for the environment is something he has learned, and shared that it may be the case that older generations did not have the knowledge available to them to make an impact on their children’s attitudes toward the environment.
“I think a lot of people our age have almost grown up with parents that maybe didn’t know so much about how to care for the environment, it wasn’t something that was at the forefront of conversation […] I think it has taken me to be more considerate and more reflective of what I do and how that impacts the world around me, to really realise the importance of caring. I’d like to think I am now [passionate about the environment], but definitely not from the beginning, and I think that’s a big part of it- learning about your impact and learning about the power of acting.”
Will Hamilton-Davies (middle) with his brothers holding copies of The Shrew with The Flu.
Will Hamilton-Davies reading his debut children’s book to schoolkids.
It is clear that constantly learning new methods and attitudes is important for Will, both as an author and personally. Perhaps the wider world needs to be aware that learning and developing as companies and organisations can make a greater impact on attitudes. I asked Will what he would like to see people or creators doing more of when it comes to the environment.
“I think it’s very easy to try and scare people into acting and use fear as a driver for doing something positive and productive, and from my experience, incentivising people is always so much more powerful than trying to scare them into doing something. […] For me the most important thing is that the conversation is being had with the people that are open to change but aren’t there yet […] looking at a book like The Shrew with the Flu, what it’s really trying to do is show you that from a first-hand perspective – we’re going to ride that roller coaster together, then hopefully come to a similar conclusion, and it comes from a place of empathy I think, rather than trying to teach a lesson.”
Will’s response highlights the difficulty of incentivising people when they are bombarded with negative imagery, and the importance of having a positive outlook and influence on the world when it comes to how we, as humans, can contribute for the greater good. Will also expresses the need to reach people who are not already on board with the environmental message. He talks about how it can be very difficult to change attitudes and opinions when individuals are surrounded by similar opinions-
“If you’re stuck in an ecosystem which only thinks as you do it’s really difficult to ever feel a different way unless something changes”.
I proceeded to ask whether Will believes the arts can make a strong impact on environmental attitudes, and his response demonstrates his belief in the effectiveness of the sector.
“From my perspective, the arts is really where we develop our opinions and attitudes […] everything you ever read is shaping your own knowledge about the world around you, and I think if books can do anything, it’s really to put you in somebody else’s shoes and give you the ability to see something from a new perspective, and perspective seems to be the most important thing when it comes to changing somebody’s attitude.”
Throughout my interview with Will, it was clear that his concern with troubling emotions such as greed, and with humanity’s role in caring for the environment have been worked into his book in every aspect- yet portrayed with the strong, positive light of change. It is a wonderful thing to project positivity onto children as a means for change, rather than the all-too-common scare tactics many of us have grown up with. Through his awareness of these issues, passion for the world around him and innate positivity, Will has created something that will no doubt leave a beneficial impact on the world around us and those who inhabit it.
So how can other creatives join in with this, and make an impact with their work? Here is Will’s advice for other young creatives hoping to make an impact.
“I always say to people that there’s two things that are really important if you want to have success with what you’re doing,[...] it’s how much you try, and how much you care. Often, if you really care, you try a lot harder […] it seems to be the only way you don’t get tired of something […] you seem to have almost endless amounts of energy to throw at it.”
If you wish to read The Shrew with the Flu, it is now available for purchase via big retailers like Amazon, Waterstones, and Foyles.
You can find Will Hamilton-Davies on Instagram @willhdofficial and on Twitter @WillHDOfficial.
You can find more illustrations from Jennifer Davison on Instagram @jen_sketch.
Madeleine Smith
Madeleine Smith is a BSc Psychology graduate and MA Communication Design student from the North East of England, studying in Norwich. Her designs and artwork create solutions and responses to the climate crisis, nature and local environments, fulfilling her passions for both art and the natural world. She also runs her own small business, selling illustrated prints reminding people of the beauty of their own country and local landscapes.
You can find more of her work on Instagram @maddy.illustrates.