Mayra Calvani's Blog - Posts Tagged "ecology"

After a career in the corporate world, Charlotte K. Omillin decided to dedicate her time to writing and illustrating stories for children. She’s the author of The Adventures of Zeppi series. A lover of nature and the environment, Omillin interweaves the ecological theme in her series. In it, Zeppi the penguin and his friends learn how to take care of our planet.

Over the years, Omillin has attended several Academies of Arts in Belgium for drawing, painting, and film animation courses. In addition, she’s been a member of several critique groups. She also writes for young adults. You may contact the author at omillinplanet@gmail.com. Download free coloring pages of Zeppi at http://theadventuresofzeppi.wordpress.com.

Thanks for this interview, Charlotte! It’s a pleasure to have you here to talk about your new series for kids. What was your inspiration for Zeppi? How would you describe him?

I once knew a little boy who was crazy about penguins and I made up stories for him. After each tale he asked me, “What happens next?” That’s when I started structuring my ideas and writing down the tales.

Who is Zeppi? He’s a young Adelie penguin born in a zoo. That’s the only environment he knows, surrounded by his parents and his penguin buddies. Zeppi is good hearted and friendly but also curious, impulsive, and a little opinionated. As he tends to know everything, he gets easily entangled in complicated situations and then learns at his own expense. Young Zeppi is impatient to live and speak like humans. His ecological-minded friend, Alesdor, shows him how easy it is to respect planet Earth.

Zeppi also loves to sing and to eat desserts (anything with chocolate will do!).

Zeppi sounds adorable and I love the ‘green’ angle in your series. I understand the first two books in The Adventures of Zeppi have been published. Tell us a little about the stories and what ties them together.

Zeppi is rescued by a boy, Alesdor, who believes a miracle happened the day he found a penguin in his backyard. So he decides to keep his new friend and hides him in his tepee.

Zeppi and ecological-minded Alesdor will adopt each other and grow together. The stories are also about friendship and acceptance of others’ differences.

Throughout the adventure series, Zeppi becomes an eco-friendly-penguin. Young readers will understand how fun and easy it is having the ‘green attitude’. Children say they’re ready to change their habits but don’t like the negative way the environment issues are presented to them.

I agree with that last statement. What are the reading level and target audience for the series?

It would say children aged 5-8 years old. Parents and teachers, who are sensitive preserving our planet, will enjoy the books too.

How many books will there be in the series?

There are 24 adventure stories. The first two are already published, and I’m actually working on the illustrations of book number three.

Wow, you must be busy 24/7! That’s a lot of books. Let’s talk about books 1 & 2. I understand that, besides writing the stories, you also did the artwork. Can you describe what your creative process was like? Did you write the stories first or did you do the art as you wrote them?

Yes, I really wanted to do the artwork myself as I have a clear picture of Zeppi in my mind.

As I said before, I made up the stories for a little boy. Then, after seeing a documentary on Antarctica and penguins, I had a bad dream. A little penguin got captured and was separated from his buddies. He was honking, honking, honking in his cage trying to get out. I woke up, wrote the story, and made a few sketches of Zeppi. Then I had to invent the locations for the stories. I drew a huge map with all the towns Zeppi discovers during his stay with Alesdor. The map was a help to invent the 24 tales.

Where are the books available for purchase?

The books and notebooks are available on: http://www.blurb.com/user/store/kath_dem and www.omillinplanet.com.

Do you have a website where readers may learn more about you and Zeppi?

Yes, my website is www.omillinplanet.com and that’s also the blog where Zeppi publishes his green tips whenever he has time and isn’t gone somewhere on an adventure.

Why do you think most people love penguins?

There’s a mutual fascination between children and penguins. When I started drawing Zeppi, I made a visit to the zoo to observe and study the penguins’ postures and movements. I’d arrived early at the zoo to take pictures before the crowd arrived. But the penguins were sleeping and I just sat there drawing and hoping one of them would wake up and wobble around. A half hour later, I decided to leave when high pitched voices of a group of children woke up the penguins. The children glued their faces to the aquarium glass. And the magic happened! The penguins had their favorite audience. A few penguins jumped in the water showing off their swimming performances, making circles in the water, and jumping out again. Others waddled around ruffling their feathers. The more the children shouted the more the penguins showed off. The accompanying adults had as much fun as the children. I think penguins are so likeable.

That’s a cute story, Charlotte! It seems penguins love an audience. Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?

In fact, I would love your readers to share their thoughts on Zeppi and on his efforts to become an ecolo-friendly penguin. I’ll answer all e-mails sent to Zeppi’s site www.omillinplanet.com, or directly to my e-mail: omillinplanet@gmail.com

Thank you, Mayra for your interest in Zeppi.

Thank you, Charlotte, and best of luck with the series. Sounds like a winner!

Note to readers: Do you have or know a child who loves penguins? Don’t forget to download free coloring pages of Zeppi at http://theadventuresofzeppi.wordpress.com/

The Adventures of Zeppi: New Friends (book 1)
By C.K. Omillin
Blurb.com
Children’s picture book, 24 pages, $15.55
www.omillinplanet.com

In the middle of the night, a mysterious red truck races down Happy Town. Its cargo? Cages filled with penguins on their way to be shipped to another country. Suddenly the doors fling open and one cage rolls down the street and lands in a garden. From it, a little penguin steps out fearfully, awed at the world around him. Up until now, he has only known the constraints of the zoo.

In the morning, a boy named Alesdor discovers him and decides to keep him. Naturally, they immediately click and become the best of friends. Though the little penguin, Zeppi, is heartbroken from being separated from the rest of his family, he finds warmth and affection in Alesdor, who is as anxious for a friend as his new companion.

This children’s book by first-time Belgian author C.K. Omillin put a smile on my face throughout; not only because it’s about a penguin (and who doesn’t love penguins?), but because the story is sweet and weaves elements of friendship, family and ecological, planet-friendly values. This is the first instalment in The Adventures of Zeppi series and the beginning of their escapades. The adorable illustrations in soft pastel colors complement the story perfectly. This isn’t the standard picture book for 3-7 year olds that has short text and includes artwork on almost every page, but rather a picture book for slighter older kids (ages 6-9), who can handle longer stories. Still, there are 13 illustrations in this book, many of them spot illustrations.
I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

The Adventures of Zeppi is sure to become a favourite of children, especially those who love penguins. C.K. Omillin is definitely an author to keep your eye on.

Find out more at www.omillinplanet.com.
Read my interview with author C.K. Omillin on Blogcritics.

Nancy is the bestselling author of the four Bella and Britt Series books for children:  One Pelican at a Time (eighteen weeks on Amazon Bestselling List), Sea Turtle Summer, Bella Saves the Beach and Mystery at Manatee Key. All are published by Guardian Angel Publishing.

She and One Pelican at a Time and were featured in the PBS Tampa (WEDU) special, GulfWatch.  Pelican was nominated for a Global eBook Award and has won the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.
Nancy’s travels take her extensively throughout the world, most particularly Africa. She is US chair of a charity in Lamu, Kenya, that places girls in intermediate schools to allow them to further their education. She and her husband live in Tampa and St. Louis.

I understand you were a university professor teaching classes about children’s and young adult literature before you started writing. How did the leap from teacher to author come about? 


I thought fleetingly about writing for children through my years as an academic, but it never seemed the right time.  After teaching children’s and young adult literature, though, the idea crystallized.  The day after my granddaughter, Leah, was born, I wrote my first children’s book, I Held You on the Day You Were Born.  Since then I’ve never looked back, and those pent-up books flow faster than I would ever have expected.  So, in a real way, Leah (who is now five) is the true catalyst behind my writing.

What makes you passionate about writing for children? 


My entire academic career has been about children, from teaching young kids to teaching pre-service teachers.  It was, I think, a natural segue to begin writing for them.  The combination of my love of all things books and the real joy I feel about children and their growing awareness of new ideas led me to this passion.

Congratulations on the publication of your latest children’s picture book, Sea Turtle Summer. What was your inspiration for this story? 


My morning walks on Clearwater Beach provide me with so many ideas, particularly for the Bella and Britt Series.  With Sea Turtle Summer, I walked by a cordoned off area of the beach that contained a sea turtle nest.  The orange tape and the affixed state seal warning about the serious consequences of tampering began the process in my mind.


Clearwater Beach, always voted one of the three best beaches in the world, is a sea turtle’s nightmare if she happens to lay her eggs there.  There is so very much activity—from sun worshiping, to volleyball games, to kids’ digging sandcastles (hatchlings cannot get over them), the problem became defined. The tension was set up. All we needed was a sea turtle laying her eggs in an unfortunate place, and Bella and Britt were back on the job!

Tell us something about your protagonist, Bella. What kind of girl is she and why do you think young readers will love her?

Bella is a go-to girl.  She thinks on her feet, is self-assured and makes things happen.  Bella sees a problem and spares no time in trying to solve it.  She, in fact, will not take no for an answer.  This attitude can be tricky and fraught for a child dealing with an adult world, but Bella perseveres.  She is an empowered kid and as such, I hope she’s a model for other kids who need that assurance.

What is the message of your book? Why do you think parents and educators should buy it for their children/students? 


The message is two-fold.  It is, of course, an ecology book for children.  It will, I hope, help make children aware of the natural world and the responsibility they have for it.  It also, as I mentioned above, is a book about empowerment.  There are times when children do have the best answers, and navigating an adult milieu can be a sensitive issue.  I hope that giving children permission to empower themselves will not stop with ecology but will help them stay safe and make good choices.

I understand you get up at dawn everyday and by 6am are already pounding away at your keyboard on the balcony of your beautiful, gulf-view Clearwater apartment. Tell us more about your writing schedule and writing process, especially for Sea Turtle Summer. 





It is true that I’m at my computer around six each morning and has become a joke with friends who always look at the time I send or answer emails!  I do find that time to be more productive for me than any other.
 I’ve learned to parcel my days into bunches of hours, each bunch dealing with one area.  For instance, my best creative writing is early in the morning.  About mid-morning, I turn to marketing and do that several hours.  Later in the day, I go back to writing, many times on a different manuscript.  I tend to finish about 5 PM, but my computer is sometimes on my lap in the evening as well.

My blog does take some time almost daily.  I publish new posts three times a week. I try to write them in groups and usually have seven or eight ready to go. I enjoy blogging and find writing for adults helps keep my mind focused in a different way.  In that regard, it’s a worthwhile exercise. 


What do you do when the words ‘just won’t come out’? Do you stay and force it until something begins happening on the page?

Free Association is the name of that game for me.  I don’t fight writer’s block anymore.  Rather, exercise or running errands or doing anything not related to writing helps greatly.  When I’m disengaged from writing is usually when engagement happens.  An idea, a notion, a nugget of a thought will pop into my consciousness and, as if by magic, the block is finished.

Do you have any tips for aspiring children’s authors? 


Yes!  Don’t write in a vacuum!  Join a writer’s group—immediately.  It is the best thing you can do for yourself.  The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is beyond valuable for the new writer, and local groups are everywhere.

 Realize you have to promote your own book, and you must do it constantly.  The days of sitting back and letting your publishing house do it are over!  I have a friend whose name you’d recognize here.  She’s had thirty two books children’s books published. Recently she told me that she still gives one day a month to marketing.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?

I’d be delighted to share my web and blog addresses and tell them where my books can be purchased.
Web site:   http://www.nancystewartbooks.com
Blog site:    http://www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com
The books are sold at:  Guardian Angel Publishing, amazon.com, barnes & noble.com, Fictionwise and my web and blog sites, where you can obtain a personalized, autographed copy.

Thank you, Nancy!

Thank you so much, Mayra, for hosting me.  I enjoyed being with you and your guests.

Listen to an audio interview with Nancy: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/across-the-pond.