A Greenford primary school assistant headteacher who has spent more than 13 years encouraging children to read, write and use their imaginations has followed her own advice by publishing her first children’s book.
Zainab Shahid, Assistant Headteacher and English Lead at Selborne Primary School, has written …But It’s Raining!, a picture book for children aged three to seven.
Set in London, the book follows six-year-old Ming Mei, who is convinced rainy weather ruins everything before beginning to discover its importance and beauty.
Ms Shahid began her teaching career in Ealing before spending five years teaching at a British international school in Dubai. She later returned to the borough and progressed into school leadership.
Her experiences of working with children in Ealing have also influenced the book. Ms Shahid says the name Mei was inspired by a pupil at her school, although the character herself is fictional, while its multicultural cast reflects the children she sees in classrooms and playgrounds across the borough.
Before the book was published, Ms Shahid’s Reception class brought the story to life in a school assembly.
For EALING.NEWS’ Essential Seven, Ms Shahid talks about becoming an author, how Ealing’s children influenced her writing and what happened when her pupils discovered that “Mrs Shahid” was now a published author.
1. After more than 13 years working in primary education, what made you decide that now was the time to write and publish your own children’s book?
After more than 13 years of encouraging children to read, write creatively and, above all, use their imaginations, I thought it was probably about time I took my own advice on board! I’ve always had a creative side and loved storytelling, but working in education, particularly leading English, has shown me just how powerful a good picture book can be. Eventually, I decided to stop simply telling children to be brave with their ideas and do something with one of mine. That little idea became …But It’s Raining!
2. Was the story, or any of its characters, inspired by children you have taught or experiences you have had during your teaching career?
There are definitely little pieces of my teaching life woven into the book. The name ‘Mei’, for example, was inspired by a child currently at my school who is of half-Chinese heritage, although Ming Mei herself is a fictional character rather than being based on her. After so many years working with children, you naturally absorb their wonderful questions, curiosity, expressions and ways of looking at the world. And a child complaining about the British rain certainly isn’t difficult to imagine! Those everyday moments helped shape Ming Mei’s voice and her journey from frustration to appreciation.
3. How much did working with children in Ealing influence the book and the way you approached writing it?
A huge amount. Ealing is wonderfully multicultural and working with children here has taught me that they connect most with stories that feel both familiar and reflective of the world around them. It has also taught me that children are very discerning readers – they’ll soon let you know if something isn’t interesting! So I wanted the language to be accessible and playful, the illustrations to draw them in, but also to leave them with a bigger thought: perhaps the things we complain about every day are sometimes the very things we should appreciate.
4. You have chosen to feature a diverse group of characters. How important was it that the children in the book reflected the diversity you see in Ealing and West London?
It was really important, but I wanted it to feel completely natural rather than diversity becoming the “message” of the story. Ming Mei is British Chinese and the other characters represent different cultural backgrounds, much like the children who sit together in classrooms and playgrounds across Ealing every day. As a British Pakistani author and educator myself, representation is something I care deeply about. I want children to have that lovely moment of recognising themselves in a book, while also meeting characters who may look or live differently from them. That, to me, is what a truly inclusive bookshelf should look like.
5. Have pupils at Selborne Primary School had a chance to read or hear the book yet? If so, what did they make of their Assistant Headteacher becoming a children’s author?
They certainly have! Before publication, my Reception class actually brought …But It’s Raining! to life through a class assembly, which was incredibly special to watch. Since then, children have heard the published story and seen the finished book, and there’s been something quite surreal about hearing “Mrs Shahid” and “author” in the same sentence! I think it has also given me a lovely opportunity to show them that the writing process we talk about in school – having an idea, drafting, improving and eventually sharing it – really can lead somewhere beyond the classroom.
6. You started your teaching career in Ealing, spent five years teaching in Dubai and then returned to Ealing. What brought you back, and what does it mean to you to now be working and writing here?
Dubai was an amazing chapter of my life and career. Teaching in an international school gave me experience of children, families and cultures from all over the world, but ultimately Ealing was home. I trained locally, began my teaching career here and returned to continue progressing into leadership here too. There’s something quite lovely about coming full circle: I left Ealing as a relatively young teacher, came back with five years of international experience and now find myself an Assistant Headteacher, English Lead and, unexpectedly, a children’s author too! Having my first book celebrated within the same community where my teaching journey began feels particularly special.
7. Are you planning any readings, workshops, school visits or other events in Ealing connected with the book?
Yes – and this is the part I’m particularly excited about. As a teacher, I could never imagine simply writing a children’s book and not actually getting out there and sharing it with children!
I’m also exploring local Storytime sessions, including a potential event at Ealing Broadway, and I’ve recently been connected with the Ealing Book Festival’s Local Authors Showcase Team. I’d love …But It’s Raining! to become more than a book children read – whether through storytelling, creative activities or conversations about gratitude, weather and the world around us.
The book can be purchased on Amazon by clicking here.
