Colleen Paeff is the author of the new children's picture book Firefly Song: Lynn Frierson Faust and the Great Smoky Mountain Discovery. Her other books include The Great Stink.
Q: You’ve said that you first learned about naturalist Lynn Frierson Faust from a 2014 Mental Floss article--can you say more about that, and about why you decided to write about her?
A: The Mental Floss article I read (way back in 2014!) told the story of how Lynn had grown up watching fireflies during childhood summers in the Smoky Mountains. Right away, I could imagine that scene illustrated in a picture book.
The author went on to describe how Lynn grew up to become a self-taught naturalist. As a big fan of self-directed learning, that caught my interest.
And lastly, Lynn's story featured fireflies and they've got to be one of the most magical creatures on the planet!
At any given moment, there are a million different things I want to write about, but Lynn's story stood out from the rest because it had four key ingredients:
1. Strong kid appeal - Lynn watched the fireflies as a child.
2. A compelling story - Lynn, an outsider, persisted in her attempt to prove to the scientific community that the Elkmont, Tennessee, fireflies were synchronous – and she was right.
3. A universal hook - everyone loves fireflies.
4. Illustration potential - the story is set in the Smoky Mountains.
That's how I knew the idea was right. But, in 2014, I was an unpublished author and I was afraid Lynn wouldn't take me seriously. So, I held onto that magazine article and worked hard, with the aim of getting traditionally published, for seven years.
A few months before The Great Stink came out, I sent Lynn an email asking if I could tell her story. Thankfully, she said yes!
Q: How did you research her life, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: Lynn's book, Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs, is a field guide for identifying fireflies, but it also has a lot of personal stories about her work in the field. So I devoured her book in the early stages of research.
In fact, there were many, many scenes from her book that I wish I could have included in Firefly Song. She's studied fireflies in caves, by canoes, and by horseback, and she's nearly been eaten by an alligator and hit by a car! All in the name of firefly research.
So, her book was my first step. Then I searched for magazine articles about her (or that quoted her), podcasts she'd been interviewed on, and scholarly research papers she'd written.
And then I spoke to Lynn (a lot!), her family members, and some of the scientists she worked with back in the early ‘90s. The interviews were probably the most helpful part of my research – especially the interviews with Lynn.
I was surprised by the number of firefly species on our planet (over 2,000!). But the thing that surprised me most was how warm and welcoming Lynn was (and is!), right from the beginning.
My husband and I went out to Elkmont to see the fireflies one summer, for research, and Lynn took us all over and told us some wonderful stories about her summers there. She's a gifted storyteller and a warm and generous person.
Q: What do you think Ji-Hyuk Kim’s illustrations add to the book?
A: Beauty. Magic. Atmosphere. His illustrations practically glow! And he perfectly captured Lynn's fierce determination.
When I wrote the text I tried to make it feel like Lynn had come full-circle. As a child she roamed the forest looking for bugs and exploring nature for fun and as an adult, she does the same thing, but for work, you know? And Ji really picked up on that. It made me so happy!
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?
A: I hope kids will pick up on Lynn's persistence and her growth mindset. I want them to know that they can learn about anything that interests them, at any time. School isn't the only place where learning can happen.
And I hope they'll read the information at the back of the book and share it with their parents because there are tips on how to make your outdoor space more firefly-friendly. Firefly populations are in decline, but there are simple things we can all do to help them rebound.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I'm deep in the research phase for a couple new picture book ideas and am writing a proposal for a middle grade nonfiction book (my first!). And, of course, I'm trying to get the word out about Firefly Song, especially since the fireflies are flashing at this time of year!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Yes! Three things:
1. I'm doing a giveaway! Anyone who subscribes to my newsletter by July 15 will be entered to win a book bundle featuring a signed copy of Firefly Song along with Lynn's truly fabulous field guide, Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs. Only people in North America are eligible, though, because the scope of her book is limited to North America.
2. On August 1, 2025, I'll be a guest on Kirsten W. Larson's podcast "Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversation," discussing the line between nonfiction and informational fiction.
3. I have two books coming out next year. Be on the lookout for Rainbow Truck (co-authored with Hina Abidi and illustrated by Saffa Khan) in April and Pufflings Fly Free (illustrated by Linda Ólafsdóttir) in June.
Thanks for inviting me to join you here, Deborah!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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