S. Childs Wins Christopher Award for “Henri and the Magnificent Snort"

Solana Beach, Calif-based author Samantha Childs and illustrator Hannah Farr, Cornwall, England, have won Christopher Awards for “Henri and the Magnificent Snort,” (ages 6 and up, Sea Lavender Publishing). It is one of 12 books for adults and young people as the Christopher Awards program marks its 75th year.

When a lovable French bulldog gets bullied in doggie daycare because of his loud snort, he learns to celebrate his uniqueness and shares a welcoming message of kindness and respect. According to the website, the book was inspired by the author’s childhood experiences of being bullied when starting a new middle school. This theme is interwoven within the book with the true story and lovable characteristics of Henri the Frenchie, including his journey moving from New York City to Southern California.

Samantha Childs lives, writes, and daydreams by the Pacific Ocean. She earned her BA with Honors in Literature from Claremont McKenna College, her JD from UCLA School of Law, her MFA in Nonfiction Writing from Columbia University, and she studied Shakespeare at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford University. As a child she dreamed of becoming a children’s book writer, and, following in her beloved Grandma Peggy’s footsteps, she has now written her first—the Christopher Award winning book. Samantha loves animals, nature, traveling, writing, art, dancing, photography, and anything creative and imaginative.

Hannah Farr is a British illustrator and pet portraiture artist living by the Atlantic Ocean in Cornwall, England, with her dogs Maggie, the shih tzu, Megan, the Staffordshire terrier, and Marnie, the French bulldog. (Maggie and Marnie are illustrated within the pages of the winning book along with Hannah’s angel pups Molly, the black pug, and Charlie, the French bulldog.) Hannah earned her BA with Honors in Illustration from Plymouth College of Arts. She spends her days capturing people’s fur babies’ love and energy in paint form and working on her online shop.

Henri (pronounced “Henry”) is the author’s French bulldog and the star of “Henri and the Magnificent Snort.” He spent his puppyhood in New York City, before moving to San Diego, California. Henri inspired, delighted, and touched hearts all over the world, directly and through his Instagram account @henrilefrenchie. He was known for his goofy sweetness, wholehearted innocence, dogged positivity, comical personality, and endless lovable traits – including his magnificent snort! This 25-pound Frenchie helped to make the world a better place, and countless individuals have reached out to Samantha to share how Henri changed their lives. Henri brought joy and love and sunshine wherever he went and continues to do so, whenever you think of him.

Christopher Awards were also given to creators of 11 TV/Cable shows and feature films.

The Awards celebrate authors, and illustrators as well as writers, producers and directors whose work “affirms the highest values of the human spirit” and reflects the Christopher motto, “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”

Tony Rossi, The Christophers’ Director of Communications, said, “We’re often told that we can better understand a person if we walk a mile in their shoes. While that may not be physically possible, our book, film, and TV winners allow us to do that through engagingly told stories that introduce us to people and places different from our own, yet relatable in a variety of ways.”

The Christophers, a nonprofit founded in 1945 by Maryknoll Father James Keller, is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of service to God and humanity. More information about The Christophers is available at www.christophers.org.