Lucy Reynolds & Katie Hickey - The Raindrop Falls

Following the success of The Thousand Year Tree, a beautiful picture book published in 2024 and co-created by the children of Guildford's Weyfield Primary Academy, we are delighted to launch a fantastic new sequel, The Raindrop Falls, at this year's Guildford Book Festival. 

This stunning new picture book celebrates rivers and raindrops, from their source to the sea, exploring the wild ecosystems that weave through our watercourses, and the ways in which humans have used, impacted upon, and conserved these precious habitats today and through the ages. 

This very special book has been created by the Y5 children of Godalming's St Mark & All Saints Primary School, in partnership with the Surrey Hills Society; author LucyReynolds; illustrator, Katie Hickey; Surrey Hills National Landscape; the Guildford Book Festival; and the Old Dungate Press.

The book will be shared exclusively for the very first time at this year's Guildford Book Festival, and we are delighted to have been lead partners in this project. 

Join children's author, Lucy Reynolds, and children's illustrator, Katie Hickey, for a fun, interactive and creative family event, perfect for little nature lovers, to learn more about this special co-creation project, discover the publication process behind the book, and explore the beautiful story of Surrey's waterways through the ages. 

Perfect for ages 5+, this warm, welcoming event is sure to inspire budding young storytellers and illustrators everywhere with the wonder of rivers and waterways.  

Psst! If you're looking for an inspirational summer holiday project, why not enter the endpapers competition that accompanies production of the book? We're inviting children all across Surrey to create artwork to the theme of 'Rivers & Raindrops'. Winning entries will be published as the inside covers for The Raindrop Falls.

The Thousand Year Tree is on sale through Waterstones HERE. The Raindrop Falls will be available exclusively for sale at the event, together with The Thousand Year Tree. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lucy Reynolds is a writer and poet with a passion for inspiring children to notice the world around them, in all its rich diversity.

Lucy’s verse is characterised by a gentle humour and attention to detail that bring the natural world warmly to life. She is fascinated by the detailed workings of plants and wild creatures, and the connection that can be made when we pause and carefully enquire.

Lucy’s love of all things wild drew her to study the two great noticers of nature, Thomas Hardy and G.M. Hopkins, for her PhD in 19th Century Poetry from Oxford University.

Together with illustrator Jenna Herman, Lucy has created three children’s books: Parrots Don’t Live in the City! (2017); Hedgehogs Don’t Live in the City! (2018); and We Are Family (2022). Lucy is available for author visits, creative writing workshops and speaker engagements. Please visit www.doodlesandscribbles.co.uk to find out more.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Katie Hickey is an illustrator based just outside of London in the Surrey Hills. After graduating from Falmouth in 2016, she began working across different fields of illustration, finding a happy home specialising in children’s publishing. When she’s not illustrating, she loves to cook and travel, taking inspiration from the places and people she meets along the way.

This event is a family event aimed at 5 to 12 year olds

Babes in arms are free.