Rachel Bright on big feelings, funny animals and why reading is a magic portal

The “Love Monster” and “Lion Inside” creator on rhyme, confidence and inspiring readers at Emirates LitFest

Award-winning author and illustrator Rachel Bright has a rare talent: she helps children name big feelings—worry, confidence, kindness and change—without ever making storytime feel like a lesson.

With 45 books to her name (and millions of copies sold worldwide), her characters, from Love Monster to The Lion Inside, have become modern picture-book favourites for families everywhere.

Rachel is appearing at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, and her message to parents is refreshingly simple: model reading. Show how much you love it.

Here, she shares what hooks young children, why animals make such powerful emotional storytellers, and the one question she’d love every family to ask after a book.

What hooks young readers?

The $64 million question! For me, it’s when a book makes you feel something and leaves you a little changed by the back cover. Picture books have a magic tension where the words end and the pictures begin, and that space holds the alchemy. I never rest until every word has earned its place in those precious story times between children and adults.

Rhythm matters too. If it feels good to say, it will feel good to hear. I love surprises and moments of astonishment, and I’m always trying to write big ideas in small packages—ideas that connect whether you’re two or 102. Connection is the secret ingredient for a magical book.

Which childhood books shaped you most?

I grew up in a house full of books, and stories were worlds I could dive into. Winnie the Pooh felt quiet and gentle and safe, but still full of adventure.

My two favourite books are Where the Wild Things Are, a big idea in a small package, with illustrations that shaped my love of ink and printmaking, and The Neverending Story. I was captivated by the idea that a reader could become part of the story, even the hero. I still get goosebumps talking about it.

What comes first when you start a book?

It’s different every time. Sometimes it’s a title, sometimes I see a character, and often I’m writing indirectly about something I’m learning. What never changes is the big idea—something I want to encapsulate in the few words a picture book offers, in a profound way, a funny way, or both.

Why animals for emotions?

I love writing about animals because they help us transcend surface differences and connect on a deeper level. We can all see ourselves in them somewhere, no matter what our lives look like. We all feel happy, sad, afraid, brave—the whole spectrum. Telling these stories through animals helps us all relate.

Children express emotions freely, and I always say there is no such thing as a bad emotion—they are our guidance system. I like writing about befriending feelings and finding ways to navigate them, and animals (plus dinosaurs and monsters!) felt intuitive for that. I always let the story and the idea decide.

Why do “wobbly” characters resonate?

Because it’s the fundamental truth of life. We’re all imperfect, and our imperfections, or our uniqueness, make us perfect as we are. Life isn’t about doing everything perfectly the first time. It’s about learning, evolving, connecting and loving, and doing it all with as much soul and purpose as possible.

What does rhyme do for early readers?

Rhyme is a delight to read aloud and to repeat. Picture books are a special form of literature—no other is shared in quite the same way. I think of picture books as poetry, so rhythm is hugely important. I read my stories aloud to myself more than 100 times while writing, so I can hear where the rhythm needs work.

For children, it’s like learning a song they can join in with. They can finish the last lines and know what’s coming. That confidence is part of the joy.

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