Exploring Environmentalism and More in Emma Pearl’s Saving the Sun

A podcast interview with Emma Pearl on The Growing Readers Podcast, a production of The Children’s Book Review.

Emma Pearl delves into the influence of children’s literature and environmentalism in her work while sharing her personal journey inspired by her great uncle Roald Dahl.

Highlighting the importance of children’s books in fostering imagination and empathy, Emma discusses her picture books Mending the Moon and Saving the Sun, which weave themes of intergenerational relationships and nature. She reveals personal connections behind her characters, emphasizing her deep love for the environment and the transformative power of storytelling. The conversation is a must-listen for both literature enthusiasts and advocates of environmental awareness.

Emma Pearl talks about the:

• Importance of children’s literature in fostering imagination and empathy
• Influence of Roald Dahl on her perspective and writing journey
• Themes of intergenerational relationships and nature in her picture books
• Personal connections behind the characters Luna and Papa
• Environmentalism message in Mending the Moon and Saving the Sun
• Collaboration between authors and illustrators in creating picture books

Listen to the Interview

Read the Interview

Bianca Schulze

Hi, Emma. Welcome to the Growing Readers podcast.

Emma Pearl

Hi, Bianca. Thank you so much for having me.

Bianca Schulze

Oh, my gosh, it’s such a pleasure because Saving the Sun is such a beautiful book. But before we dive into it, I would love for listeners to know where you are calling in from.

Emma Pearl

Oh, so I live in New Zealand, so it’s tomorrow here. We’re ahead of everywhere else in the world, and it’s also supposedly moving towards summer rather than winter.

Bianca Schulze

I love it. So, I have snow in my backyard, and I’m assuming you do not.

Emma Pearl

No. It’s not really very sunny, though, either.

Bianca Schulze

Well, let’s dive in now with this question. I want to start by knowing what drives you and guides you in creating books for kids.

Emma Pearl

Wow. Okay. Well, obviously, I’m a huge book lover, and I love stories, reading, and writing- everything to do with books. But I believe that books for children are the most important books of all. Because that’s when you inspire that love of stories and books, and when you can really fire up a child’s imagination with a book, it’s something really special. And I believe it will help them, give them a lifelong appreciation and skills and empathy and goodness knows what that they won’t be able to get from anything else, really. So, I think children’s books are fundamental building blocks for them, for their future lives, and for the world.

Bianca Schulze

Absolutely. Well, I have to ask this. Have you always loved to read and write? And if so, was there a pivotal moment where you identified as being a reader?

Emma Pearl

I have always loved reading. I was an avid bookworm as a kid, and I think I can’t remember a time when I didn’t read. I was reading long before I went to school. And I think I read differently as a writer now because I’ve read books all my life. But when I started to, I’ve always also always written stories all my life. But about seven or eight years ago, I started to buckle down and think, I want to learn how to do this properly. And at that point, I started to read differently from how I’d read before. It was always just for pleasure before. But then, reading as a writer, you read to learn, to learn the craft, and to see what works and what doesn’t.

I think there was a pivotal moment because I knew I wanted to write for children, but I struggled a bit with knowing that children’s books were somehow less valued in the wider literary world than adult books. But I found this one book that really sort of put that idea to rest, and that was The Girl of Incan Stars by Kieran Millwood Hargrave, which I read in 2016 or something. 2017, when it just came out. And it’s so beautifully written. It’s such a wonderful piece of literature but so full of magic and story, and it’s just a brilliant book. And that was, for me, a turning point because it showed me that you can write for children, but you can still write an amazing book. So that switched me on to middle-grade and young adult books.

I actually bought a couple of young adult books that I devoured, and it wasn’t until sometime later that I realized they were young adult books. And then I thought, oh, gosh, I didn’t know I was reading books for teenagers. I’m a grown adult. What am I doing? But then there’s so many amazing books for young children of all ages now; it’s really impossible to keep up with how many are being produced because there’s just such a wealth of amazing writing and writers out there.

Bianca Schulze

Absolutely. Well, since we’re talking about books that have inspired you, so I have to share that. A book that hooked me as a kid was Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, but then, of course, the Twits. And so, it blew my mind to discover that. And I have to reference Roald saying here that you are the human being that Roald Dahl dedicated The Twits to. So, do you want to elaborate on your connection to Roald Dahl and any influence that he may have had on your desire to become a writer?

Emma Pearl

Yeah, he was my great uncle, so he was my mum’s uncle, my grandmother’s sister. My grandmother was his sister, rather. And he lived down the road from us when I was growing up, so we saw a lot of him. He was like the focal point of the family, the sort of one that held everyone together. So, it was a big extended family, but everyone gravitated towards Gypsy House. He was absolutely a big influence in my childhood in general, not just my love of books.

He kind of taught me how to swim—by bribing me with a big box of chocolates—the width of his swimming pool. And he was just a huge presence, a big character. He was like a cross between Willy Wonka and the BFG to me as a little kid because he was very tall and he was full of mischief, but he also had a big heart, so he was an amazing person to have in my life. Yeah, I love him. And, yeah, when I was seven or eight, I can’t remember which, he dedicated the Twits to me, which was just phenomenally exciting. And I feel so lucky because it’s one of those books that’s still in print all these years later, so I can still go into a bookshop and open it up and see my name in the front, which I do quite often. And it’s just exciting.

Bianca Schulze

That’s so special.

Emma Pearl

Years old. It was exceptionally exciting.

Bianca Schulze

Yeah, exactly. All right, so when you do sit down to write, what does a typical writing day tend to look like for you?

Emma Pearl

I try to get all my admin boring stuff out of the way first, so sort of clear my desk and clear my mind, and that sometimes takes a whole morning, or it depends, but there’s not often a lot of writing time left at the end of that. But I find that I can’t focus on the writing if there’s other things that I need to get out of the way. So, I have to do all the dull stuff, and then I can sit down and write. I mean, because I write from picture books to young adult, there’s always a wide range of things that I’m working on, so if I’m stuck in one, I can move on to something that’s not only a different story, but it’s a completely different age range. So, it’s a very different skill set, almost.

But in some ways, that’s a little bit I’m all over the place, but in some ways, it’s really good to just be able to shift to what you feel like doing at a particular time. So, yeah, every day is different because there’s other stuff that has to get done as well, obviously. But I try to write whenever I can, and it usually ends up being I don’t know. I don’t know, honestly, how many hours a day doing it, but as many as I can. There’s never enough.

Bianca Schulze

Yeah, I love it. I’m one of those writers that, as you said, life is busy, and there’s always so many other things to do. So, I don’t write every day, but if my ideas are coming and they won’t leave me alone, then I know that I have to sit down and write. But I don’t know about you, but I find my ideas come when I actually literally don’t have any time to sit down and write. Like, why are they coming now?

Emma Pearl

Isn’t it? Yeah. In the middle of the night, especially.

Bianca Schulze

Yeah, exactly. All right, well, what’s one thing that you do every day that you think would be the most surprising or maybe the most relatable to listeners?

Emma Pearl

I play Wordle.

Bianca Schulze

Me too.

Emma Pearl

I find it really helps me to sort of focus my mind, and then I feel like I’ve done something silly for myself, and then I can focus on proper stuff. It’s just a little ritual, I suppose. Love it.

Bianca Schulze

Have you done Wordle today already?

Emma Pearl

Yes, I have.

Bianca Schulze

I got it in three. How about you?

Emma Pearl

I don’t know. I think I got it in four today, but I might have tomorrow’s one because I’m in New Zealand, so I might be ahead of you.

Bianca Schulze

I wonder about that, too. So, we won’t talk about actual words. I love it. All right, well, Saving the Sun is the follow-up picture book to Mending the Moon. So, will you share a bit about Mending the Moon and then how it led you to write Saving the Sun?

Emma Pearl

Sure. Okay. So, Mending the Moon is the story of Luna and her grandfather, Poppa. They see the moon fall out of the sky one night, and they put it back together again and get it back in the sky with the help of the animals on the mountain.

And Saving the Sun is the same characters; it’s a different setting. They’re on holiday on a tropical island, and they see the sun fall out of the sky into the ocean. They have to get it back up in the sky and set it alight again. So, they’re very similar structures as stories. They’re both sort of folk-taley elements because the moon story becomes like an origin story for the markings on the moon, and the sun story becomes an origin story for sunsets.

So, yeah, they’re kind of both about nature and magic and working together and harmony and looking after the planet and all those lovely things. I actually wrote them the first drafts of both those stories and two other stories involving Luna and Poppa, all at the same time, quite a few years ago. And yeah, I think I wrote the four stories in a week.

Bianca Schulze

Wow.

Emma Pearl

And then worked on them a lot. They’re very different to what they were, first of all. But then I was lucky enough to get a like on PB pitch on Twitter from Kayla Tostevin at Page Street Kids with the Moon story. So, that one went on to get a book deal, which was very exciting. And then, a few months later, we got the sun story accepted as well. So that was very exciting.

Bianca Schulze

I love it, obviously, the folk-taley, the myth on sunsets and whatnot, but I love the intergenerational aspect of it between Luna and Poppa. So, were the characters inspired by other family members? Are they completely fictional? Why did you choose Poppa and Luna?

Emma Pearl

They are completely fictional, but there’s a little bit of me in Luna, and there’s a little bit of my dad in Poppa, I think because my dad was quite old. He was nearly 60 when I was born, I think, so he was more like a grandfather in many ways, but I had a very special relationship with him. And I think that relationship is reflected in the Luna and Poppa relationship. So, yeah, completely fictional, but also drawing on real life, which is, I suppose, what all stories are about.

Bianca Schulze

Exactly. And then, obviously, you must have a deep love for nature and the environment. Is that a fair assessment?

Emma Pearl

Yes, absolutely. Yeah. I think, like many people, I feel quite overwhelmed by all the disasters and the doom and gloom about the environment and the planet and all the terrible things that we’re doing to it. And I suppose these stories are my way of trying to do something about it or trying to process all that trauma, I suppose, and turn it into something positive. So, yeah, nature is just such an endless source of wonder and magic, and I wish that we would look after it better.

Bianca Schulze

Absolutely. Do you want to share a highlight from Saving the Sun? You could read a bit if you would honor us with that.

Emma Pearl

Sure. Yeah. So here it is. Beautiful cover. Sara Ugolotti’s illustrations are just stunning. I love them so much. They’re incredible. So, I’m going to show you this page, which is probably a bit of a spoiler, but never mind. This is the penultimate spread. I think you can see it properly there. So, they’ve just fixed all the problems and got the sun back up in the sky again. And I’ll just read the page for you. The sun burned brightly, a great ball of fire. Once again, daylight had returned. Everything was as it should be. From that day forward, the sun would never go swimming again, and in gratitude for the Splendor restored, it painted beautiful colors across the sky. Every.

Bianca Schulze

Sarah Ugolotti’s artwork is just so luminous. It’s perfect for just adding that glow. Even when the sun in other spreads is not up in the sky, she just has this glow. And I think the animals are all really adorable, so that’s really inviting for the kids. And then the other thing I really love about her artwork is the texture of her digital brushstrokes. There’s so much texture through the sky as the colors change, and the tree trunks have different patterns in them that just bring this depth to the artwork. I think it was such a magical pairing of her art with your words. Did you get any say in selecting the illustrator? How did that work out for you?

Emma Pearl

I did, actually. I was quite surprised, to be honest. But, yeah, the publisher sort of gathered together a short list, or a long list, I guess, of possible illustrators and sent all their stuff through to me. And, yeah, I don’t know if my vote was the casting vote, but I certainly had a say. And, yeah, I’m just thrilled with how they’ve turned out. She’s just amazing. And the moon book is the same. The Sun Book is very warm and glowing and hot, and the Moon Book is a kind of nighttime magic luminescence. It almost glows in the dark. They’re both just wonderful. So happy with the illustrations.

Bianca Schulze

When you first got your physical copy of Mending the Moon, what went through your mind? Do you remember when you saw the artwork in your hands?

Emma Pearl

Yeah, I mean, obviously, I’d seen the artwork developing the sketches and then the final art on the screen, but it’s a very different thing. Holding the physical book in your hand. It’s amazing. Hard to explain, really. Someone else has interpreted the world that you’ve created and brought, put it to life, but so much better than you could ever imagine yourself. It’s phenomenal.

Bianca Schulze

Yeah, absolutely. Well, obviously, the illustrators have to have the great story that you wrote. And then that’s what I just love about picture books, though, the way that that artwork just elevates the words and brings them to life. And I’m sure there’s authors that have written stories and didn’t get a say in the illustrator and maybe wished for something different, but I’ve never spoken to anybody that had that experience so far.

Emma Pearl

Yeah, it’s amazing. It’s just a form of magic to me, the sort of marriage between words and pictures that’s just wonderful.

Bianca Schulze

Yeah. And I think that translates to if you think about the majority of people who are reading picture books are typically a caregiver or an educator in a classroom. But I tend to think of a cozy picture book setting with a caregiver, a parent, or a grandparent sitting next to their little one, possibly on their lap, snuggled under a blanket, and just the warmth of Saving the Sun. To me, it’s so ideal for that particular scenario of just snuggling up with a loved one with a cozy blanket, or it’s summer where you are, so maybe they go on a picnic blanket out in the sun. But it’s such a wonderful read. So, what impact do you hope that Saving the Sun has on readers?

Emma Pearl

Well, I would love it if it could be the book that would ignite a love of reading in anyone, and not that I would ever know if that happened or not, but that would be wonderful. But I think the message of the story, if you like, is just about looking after the planet and working in harmony with it instead of against it and not taking it for granted. So, looking for the magic and protecting it.

Bianca Schulze

Beautiful. Is there anything else that you think we as listeners should know about you as a person, you as a writer, or anything about Saving the Sun that you really think we need to touch on today?

Emma Pearl

I don’t know. I can’t think of anything. But it’s really hard as a non-bestseller to get much traction in terms of sales and exposure and just getting the word out there about your books. And it’s hard being in New Zealand because I can’t do in-person promotion like I would be able to if I lived in the States or even in the bookshops in New Zealand, which don’t even want to stock the books. So, it’s like, yeah, just spread the word. It would be wonderful to think that the book could get into libraries and into the hands of little people and grandparents. I think it’s a book that grandparents will particularly enjoy sharing with their grandchildren.

Bianca Schulze

Yeah, absolutely. Well, if listeners were to just take one thing from what we talked about today, what would you want that one thing to be?

Emma Pearl

To find the book that lights that fire in a child. A lot of children don’t enjoy reading, and I believe it’s mainly because they haven’t found that book yet that speaks to them. And there is a book for every child out there that will do that for them. But you have to just look for it, search for it, and it will give the child so much if you can open that door for them.

Bianca Schulze

Yeah, absolutely. I think one of the easiest things to do is to just go and get a library card for your kid, that physical moment where they get to sign up for themselves, and they get their own library card. And at our local library, kids can check out up to 50 books at a time. And I think a lot of people don’t realize that you could walk in and walk out with ten books, and you could do that every single day. So, imagine with a preschooler if you just go into the library as even just a weekly or a monthly activity and just load up with so many books because, within that big pile of books, there’s got to be something that resonates.

Emma Pearl

Absolutely. Yeah, libraries are magical places, and librarians, too, if you need advice on what to get out, they always have a wealth of knowledge about children’s books. So, yeah, I have fond memories of the library as a child, and I took my own children to the library as often as possible. And yeah, it’s a magical place, and it’s free, which is the best thing of all.

Bianca Schulze

Exactly. And I think a lot of people actually don’t know this, at least in the can. If there’s a picture book you wanted to say, somebody listening today is like, oh, I’m definitely going to go read Saving the Sun by Emma Poe. They can either go to the bookstore, they can go to the library, and if you go to the library and it’s not in the catalog, a lot of people don’t know that most libraries on their website have a spot where you can go in and you can type in a request for the librarian to add it to the collection. I’ve definitely done that a few times now where I’ve been like, oh, I wish they had this book in the library. I love it. I think other kids would love it. And so, I’ll go in and add it in there any way all the time.

Emma Pearl

That’s one of my favorite things to do. I think my local library is fed up with me.

Bianca Schulze

I do it all the time. Well, I’ll definitely be going to check and see if my library has Saving the Sun in it, and if they don’t, I’m going to go donate a copy to them, or I’m going to add it to their little request slide. Well, Emma, Saving the Sun is truly—it’s just so beautiful. It’s so magical. Your words and the artwork just came together in such—the synergy is perfection. And as we said, it’s great for shared reading, particularly with loved ones. I love the intergenerational aspect of it, so I love the message to readers to look for the magic in nature and to take care of the planet, as you said. And so I want to thank you for writing the story and for taking the time to come on the show today and share it with us.

Emma Pearl

Thank you so much.

About the Book

Publisher’s Book Summary: After an especially sweltering day, the ocean sparkles and twinkles so invitingly that instead of slipping beneath the horizon, the sun plunges into the ocean itself.

When the sun sinks and loses its fire, Luna and Poppa’s yearly vacation on Summer Island suddenly goes dark. Luna knows the sun needs their help―the sky looks all wrong, and it’s neither day nor night! But it’s a big job to do all on their own.

To bring back daylight, they must think of creative solutions, seeking help from the local dolphins, monkeys, birds, and more. With the power of teamwork and imagination, can they find a way to return the sun to its rightful place, and set it ablaze once more?

This imaginative tale will enchant readers as Luna, Poppa, and their new friends of the sea, beach, and air rise to the challenge of fixing the sky once more and―literally―save the day.

Buy the Book

Show Notes

Thank you for listening to the Growing Readers Podcast episode: Saving the Sun. For the latest episodes from The Growing Readers Podcast, Subscribe or Follow Now.