Author Kallie George’s story about a mermaid is a heartwarming tale that shows children how to be resourceful when faced with a challenge. Read the interview Audra Rundle did with Kallie and learn what inspired her to write about a topic that isn’t often discussed in children’s books.
Audra Rundle (AR): Melancholy is not a mood commonly covered in children's books; what inspired you to write about children feeling melancholy?
Kallie George (KG): Although melancholy might not be a common emotion discussed in children’s books, I think that a lot of children do feel melancholic and suffer from sadness that lasts more than just momentarily. I was one of those children—I went through a period of my life when I was sad and I didn’t know what to do about it. Everyone tried to help me, but ultimately I realized that I needed to help myself, too. Maude, my mermaid, goes through the same realization that she must draw upon her own strengths to help her overcome her melancholy.
AR: The illustrations for The Melancholic Mermaid are unique and gorgeous. How do they compare to the visions you had in your head while writing the story?
KG: I think the illustrations are better than the ones I had conjured in my head. I was SO worried about how an illustrator would depict a two-tailed mermaid. Abigail did it perfectly.
AR: Did you do any research on mermaid folklore when creating this story, or did you create your own?
KG: I did do a lot of research to create this story, and in particular a lot of mermaid research. I knew two-tailed mermaids existed in folklore and I wanted to find out more about their stories. I didn’t really use much of this research when creating my own myths about the two-tailed mermaid world, but I always like to know what is out there already. I also adore research in general.
AR: Do you plan to write any more books about Maude and Tony having adventures?
KG: I am not sure yet! I definitely left the story with Maude and Tony taking off of more adventures, and lots of kids have asked me about what happens next. Right now, however, I am too busy working on other tales about new characters. I may indeed come back to Maude and Tony, however. I’ve had a few kids write to me about what happened to Maude and Tony and I love their stories.
AR: If you were to meet Maude in real life, what would you say to her?
KG: I think I would want to thank her for allowing me to write about her!
AR: What is the primary message you would like readers to pull from The Melancholic Mermaid?
KG: One big message is that our differences are our strengths, and the other message is the one that mentioning before: that when you are sad a lot of people might help you, but ultimately you must help yourself too!
AR: What is your favorite reaction you've witnessed or heard about a child having to The Melancholic Mermaid?
KG: There are really too many moments to pick just one, but this week I came back from a trip for Raise-a-Reader, a fabulous program in BC which gives a book to every child. I visited four schools in Pentiction, presented to the kids about how I wrote the book and then every kid received a copy of my book, which I signed to them. It was one of the most beautiful things to see all these children so amazed that this was THEIR book that they could take home. They were all reading it and hugging it to their chests, and telling me so honestly how much they liked it. There were lots of funny moments, too.
On the last day, there was one little girl who had already begun reading my book. I came over to sign it to her, and she looked up at me and very solemnly and honestly said, "This is a very good story. Do you know who wrote it?" I guess she was daydreaming about mermaids while I was giving my presentation!
Kallie George is an author, editor, and speaker living near the sea in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has a Masters of Children's Literature from the University of British Columbia with a focus on folklore. More than anything, she loves picture books, fairy tales - both old and modern - and beautiful art. She also likes baking cookies. For more information on Kallie, visit
www.kalliegeorge.com.