A couple weeks ago, author, editor, and mermaid enthusiast, Kallie George swum over to chat with me about her latest picture book, The Melancholic Mermaid, a delightful tale about a mermaid with two tails!
Publisher's Summary:
Maude likes her two tails, until the other merchildren begin teasing her for being different. She doesn't think things can get worse. But then she is captured by a fisherman. Meanwhile, on land, Tony faces difficulties of his own. Born with webbed fingers, he too is an outcast. Hoping to find acceptance, he joins a circus, but the Ring Mistress is cruel and life there is unbearable . . . until the circus purchases the mermaid. Tony and Maude slowly become friends. Will they find a way to escape not only the terrible circus but also their own sorrows? Two unique characters and two different worlds mean twice the adventure in this new fairy tale with stunning art by Abigail Haplin.
TW-E,L: I seem to get this question all the time from friends and family, so I will ask you what they ask me—why mermaids?
Kallie:
I have always loved mermaids; from the time I was a little girl. I remember spending hours swimming and pretending to be a mermaid. I was probably drawn to them because of books and Disney’s The Little Mermaid. It was actually the very first movie I saw in the theatre. My mom took me. All mermaids are also misfits in a way, as they are neither human nor fish. I am attracted to characters that are misfits as I have often felt like a misfit myself and I think that most people are attracted to misfit characters. Most people, at one point or another, feel like they don’t fit in. Of course, Maude, my mermaid, is even more of a misfit!
TW-E,L: Your mermaid, Maude, is a twin-tailed mermaid, a mermaid born with two flukes and four fins. Visually, did you work with the illustrator of the book, Abigail Halpin, to bring your vision to life, or did she create the look of Maude with only your words?
Kallie:
I was VERY worried about who would be the illustrator and how the illustrator would create a beautiful/pretty looking two-tailed mermaid. I actually had nightmares about Maude looking hideous. I really wanted her to look lovely. Thank goodness my publisher, Simply Read Books, chose Abigail! Abigail depicted Maude perfectly, in my opinion, even though I actually didn’t talk or work with her at all until after the book was done. She brought Maude to life based on the words alone, and her own wonderful imagination and talent.
TW-E,L: Are there any mermaid stories that have inspired or influenced you?
Kallie:
As I mentioned before, I vividly remember seeing Disney’s The Little Mermaid with my mom. I think that the first movie you see in the theater is a big thing. I remember both my mom and I cried at the end (cheesy as that is!). But soon after that I saw an old animation of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, with the tragic ending of her turning to foam—I was equally horrified and fascinated. Now I love the traditional tale. Lately, I’ve been admiring other mermaid books out there such as Ingo by Helen Dunmore and The Keeper by Kathi Appelt.
TW-E,L: Did Maude and Tony’s story come to you in tandem, or did one character’s plight beget the other?
Kallie:
Maude’s story came to me first. I was really upset (I am not sure exactly why now) and my dad took me out for dinner to cheer me up. I was still upset—and began to cry. My dad—ever imaginative—said, “If you were a mermaid, would you be crying now?” I replied, “Probably not, because mermaids live in water and tears are made of water, so...” But then I began imagining mermaids’ tears being made of bubbles. And then I imagined a mermaid crying and why she might be crying—this was the birth of Maude. It was much later, as I was developing the story, that Tony came to me. I knew that I wanted Maude to make a friend, and I wasn’t sure whom. I remember seeing a poster of Cirque du Soleil and getting the idea for Tony.
TW-E,L: Your story leaves the reader feeling as if they just read a classic fairytale, yet the issues Maude and Tony face (bullying, low self-esteem, friendship, self-acceptance, etc.) are quite relevant today, are there any plans to continue their journey in more books?
Kallie:
A few reviewers have mentioned this too, and lots of kids have asked me about the further adventures of Maude and Tony. I am thinking about it! It would obviously have to do with hippocampi, (as I mentioned those in the very last page) and I love the idea of describing and writing about hippocampi because they aren’t that commonly written about.
TW-E,L: Okay, let's have a little fun and play a game of This or That...
SALT OR SUGAR
Kallie: Sugar! My boyfriend loves salt, but I am a sugar gal. I love to eat fruit (apples in particular) more than anything, and I would LOVE to swim in the sweet waters that are described in C.S. Lewis’ book, Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
SHELL BRA OR AU NATUREL
Kallie: I’d have to go with the shell bra. I wear a lot of dresses. I like pretty things, pretty clothing, and delicate jewelry. In fact, to celebrate my book, my super-sweet boyfriend bought me silver shell earrings and a clear locket pendant that has a tiny golden starfish inside with blue beads that he said were mermaid’s tears!
WEBBED FEET OR WEBBED TOES
Kallie: Webbed feet, I think. I think it would help me swim faster.
ONE TAIL OR TWO
Kallie: Two tails, of course! (As Maude knows, two tails means twice the speed, twice the strength and twice the grace!)
TW-E,L: Are there any future projects you can share with us? Anything to keep an eye out for?
Kallie:
Indeed, I am working on a few things—one is an early reader series, another is a fairy tale about winged horses. I keep writing about magical creatures! I love them!
~FIN~
