A local author visit made this week extra special at Haughton Green Little Library. We are honoured to be the first ‘stockist‘ of Lainee Perez’s beautifully illustrated children’s book, ‘The Day Manchester Ran Out of Rain‘. Read the full story in the latest author spotlight.
Lainee is also the second local author to choose our Little Library recently We’re taking this as a sign that Haughton Green Little Library is quietly becoming a go to spot for Manchester’s brightest bookish talent and up and coming authors!
Haughton Green Little Library had a lovely surprise this week when local author Lainee Perez stopped by to donate a copy of her beautifully illustrated children’s book, ‘The Day Manchester Ran Out of Rain’. Despite the Manchester rain, Lainee stopped to have a quick chat about her book and the little library.
“I wrote a children’s book earlier this year and whilst I was going through the motions with the illustrator and waiting for everything to be finalised, I was keeping an eye out on the news and local stories, community initiatives and just ways that I could immerse myself in the community. I found out about Haughton Green Little Library in one of the local Tameside news reports and the story about how you’d introduced the library to this community. I just kind of earmarked the little library as a way that I could start to belong as well I guess.”
I asked Lainee about how the story began, and it was with a simple idea: Manchester — the city famous for its endless drizzle — suddenly runs out of rain.
“Obviously we live in Manchester, I’ve lived in Manchester for 20 years and before that I used to live in Blackpool, another rainy part of the North West. I was just inspired by the community and the way Manchester is amazing for coming together when they need to. The story is just a fun and whimsical story book for kids. We follow a young girl, Betsy, on a day that’s seemingly normal until it starts to become apparent that the rain in Manchester has gone missing. Betsy goes on a little bit of an adventure to search for the rain and I suppose something that feels familiar and makes Manchester feel like home.”
Betsy’s search takes her through familiar Manchester places; each one illustrated with beautiful detail.
The book is brought to life by illustrator Sinem Kilic Rabito. The artwork throughout the book brings Betsy’s world to life with warmth and a magical softness to every page. The illustrations are full of character and colour, making the story feel both whimsical and deeply rooted in the place we all know so well.
The combination of Lainee’s gentle storytelling and Sinem’s beautiful artwork makes the book feel instantly cosy – perfect for a rainy Manchester day!
Lainee said it had been a really lovely project to work on and that Sinem had done a really amazing job with her beautiful illustrations.
We spoke about the little library, how it had all started and about my passion for books and reading and how I wanted to share this. Lainee thought it was a lovely thing to have in the community and was delighted to add a copy of her book to it. She hopes families will enjoy discovering Betsy’s adventure inside.
I was just as delighted to welcome Lainee, and we’re very honoured to be the first ‘stockist’ of her beautiful book! The book is now tucked safely inside Haughton Green Little Library ready for children to discover. It’s perfect for a bedtime read, a rainy‑day moment, or perhaps a not‑so‑rainy Manchester afternoon.
If you’re passing by the little library, keep an eye out for ‘The Day Manchester Ran Out of Rain’. It’s a sweet reminder that even when the rain disappears, Manchester’s magic doesn’t.
If you read the book then please share a photo of it on our Facebook or Instagram page – we’d all love to see it.
Follow Haughton Green Little Library on Facebook or Instagram.
You can follow the author Lainee Perez on Instagram here and the illustrator, Sinem Killic Rabito here.
If you’re a local author and would like to donate a copy of your book to Haughton Green Little Library then please get in touch via Facebook or Instagram – I’d love to chat about it!