Saving the Seas for the Purple and Green by Nancy Carlisle

Saving the Seas for the Purple and Green is the story of a girl running along the ocean when she discovers garbage interfering with the wildlife. She wants to learn more about it and how she can help. This is a perfect book to learn about the ocean and protecting our natural resources. It is a mix of fiction and non-fiction which is wonderful for young children. The illustrations are beautiful and so is the story. I wanted to learn more about the author and this book.

 

Author Interview

Q. Did you see a bit of yourself in Violet because you and she are both environmentalists?

A. Yes, although I don’t run, I love walking along the beach and tidepooling.  On vacations, this is one of my favorite activities, just observing what is in tidepools and watching the ocean. I also do all I can to substitute other products for single use plastics and trying to minimize my own plastic waste.

Q. What children’s book authors inspire you?

A. Lynne Cherry, maybe best known for “The Great Kapok Tree”, inspires me because she has a solid understanding of ecology and the environment and is also an excellent artist. Her stories, especially “The Sea, the Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle”, are excellent because they are fun, well-illustrated but also convey important messages about the interconnectedness of environmental systems. I think this helps kids understand their environment and how ecological systems work.  Eric Carle also inspired me because I loved reading his books and looking at his illustrations with my kids. When I first thought about writing kids’ books, I found a wealth of information on Eric Carle’s website about how to do it.  This got me started.

Q. What makes your book unique?

A. My book is unique because I’ve tried to do more than write a story by adding the text boxes, glossary, and references.  My hope is that these extra materials provide more context for the story in terms of environmental issues that people all over the world are facing. I’ve also tried to write the book in a way to encourage kids to want to be part of the solution to make the world a better place. I’m hopeful that the fact boxes and glossary can be used as conversation starters with parents and older siblings while reading the book to help children become more aware of environmental and social issues.

 Q. What is your favorite part about writing and illustrating?

A. Because people are hard for me to draw, I’m always excited when the character has the right expression and the right clothes. I am also pleased when the colors in the drawing are bold. Drawing the sea stars, anemones, trash and little birds and sky is relaxing for me. I also enjoy making the text and the drawing work together.  Probably the best part is seeing your book come alive after the editor improves the language and a graphic designer integrates the pictures.

Q. What got you interested in children’s books?

A. I have always loved nature and the outdoors, I like to draw, and I want to inspire kids to find beauty in nature and work to improve our environment. Several years ago, I saw the traveling exhibit called “Washed Ashore, where artist Angela Pozzi, took ocean trash and turned it into sculptures of imaginative sea creatures with the hopeful message that everyone can do something to help the problem with plastic in the ocean, I decided that I wanted to help also by writing hopeful books that address serious environmental issues. 1.

 

Meet the Author:

Nancy Carlisle is an author and illustrator who writes hopeful books for kids that interweave facts and fiction about the environment and global responsibility. During her 38-year career as a sustainable architect and researcher, her focus was on the environment. She led work nationally and internationally on sustainable and energy efficient buildings and communities and won awards for collaboratively designing award-winning sustainable buildings, a laboratory campus, and improving the energy efficiency of U.S. laboratories. Since retiring, Nancy has worked as a volunteer teaching English as a Second Language and mentors first generation college students. She is a strong advocate against plastic waste not only because it pollutes our oceans and water but also because it contributes CO2 to our atmosphere.

Nancy enjoys the outdoors and international travel. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Society of Environmental Journalists. She studies botanical illustrating and French language. 

connect with the author: website

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