Autumn performances 2024 › Hull

Sydney Smith performance

Author and illustrator Sydney Smith, winner of the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award, is coming all the way from Canada to Hull to talk to us about his life and work. Find out how he creates his pictures, listen to him read his books and look at his exquisite illustrations on a large screen as he tells you the stories. With the chance to watch Sydney paint live on stage and ask him questions, this event will inspire children to read, write and draw!

"The children really loved Sydney's performance and they very much enjoyed their afternoon with Sydney working with them in the classroom."
Teacher, primary school in Exeter

Every child attending this performance will receive a **FREE** copy of __My Baba's Garden__ to take home and keep! cover

Every child attending this performance will receive a FREE copy of My Baba's Garden to take home and keep!

Venue:
Hull New Theatre, Kingston Square, Hull , HU1 3HF
Date:
Tuesday 22nd October
Time:
10:30 am
Duration:
Approx. 1 hour
Age range:
Years 2, 3 and 4
Tickets:
£7

Sydney Smith

Sydney Smith is an award-winning Canadian illustrator and author. He was born in rural Nova Scotia and started drawing at an early age. Since graduating from NSCAD University, he has illustrated multiple children’s books, including Town Is by the Sea, and Small in the City, which have both won the Kate Greenaway Medal. He was awarded the extremely prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration in 2024.

Praise for My Baba's Garden

It’s an extraordinary book about love and family, full of lyrical writing, and Smith’s illustrations are sublime. An original, heart-squeezing hug of a book.

Irish Independent

Watch:

Take a little tour of Sydney's studio, and watch him paint a picture

Book tickets for an event and receive two free books for your classroom

How to book tickets

Free Workshops!

The Children’s Bookshow will allocate four free in-classroom workshops to schools attending this performance with 30 or more children. Book tickets for this event to have a chance of being chosen to receive this fantastic opportunity.

Find out more:


We feel it is so beneficial for our children to have the opportunity to meet authors and to hear them talk about their work. The children themselves are so enthusiastic about reading after these events that we feel they are an invaluable contribution towards our children becoming both skilled readers and lovers of reading.

A teacher in Liverpool


The details

  • Please arrive at the venue at least 20 minutes before the start of the performance, so that you have enough time to find your seats and and use the bathroom. Our start times are strictly governed by the theatres that we work with and by the start and end times of the school day. If you are unavoidably delayed, please get in touch with your Children’s Bookshow contact as soon as possible.
  • Depending on the time of the performance, you may want your children to bring a packed lunch. (Please contact the theatre directly to check if there is a suitable space.)
  • Parking facilities vary from theatre to theatre; please check the theatre website for details.
  • Please contact the theatre directly for risk assessment information.
  • Please ensure your children have visited the bathroom before the show starts, or ask them to wait until after the performance ends. A constant stream of children getting up to go to the toilet is very distracting for our performers and other members of the audience.

Still have questions? You can find our FAQs here.

Have any questions? Get in touch

Jo Daley

Your contact for this performance is Jo Daley, she will be happy to answer any queries you have:

Email
jodaley@thechildrensbookshow.com
Phone
07769 216493