Q&A with Sue Fliess

 

 

 

 

Sue Fliess is the author of the new children's picture book Greta Green Builds a Submarine. Her many other books include Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket. She lives in Northern Virginia. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Greta Green Builds a Submarine, and how did you create your character Greta?

 

A: I wanted this story to be about a character that is a steward of the planet, in particular the ocean. And when I think of that, the word green comes to mind. And green conveniently rhymes with submarine. :)

 

I’m a huge fan of the ocean and I when I visit I always search the shorelines for shells, sea glass, and anything else that could be interesting. So I imagined Greta doing the same…and then doing something with those things, including collecting trash that shouldn’t be there but had washed up. Hence, building a submarine from recycled materials.

 

I had previously written Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket, and love having female main characters, so I knew it would be a curious, adventurous girl at the center of this story. 

 

Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: I researched by going to the library, reading online articles, and watching educational videos, on the topics of submarines, submersibles, scuba gear/diving and shipwrecks.

 

I was thrilled to learn that there were so many pioneering women who accomplished so much and made huge advances in these fields.

 

One of the coolest things I learned was that Raye Montague was the first Black female ship designer for the navy who developed a groundbreaking computer program that changed the way the Navy designed ships and submarines. Normally it would take two years to design a ship on paper, but she did it in 18 hours and 26 minutes! After that, the Navy used her system to design all its ships and subs. 

 

Q: What do you think David Elmo Cooper’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: Joy! That was my first reaction to seeing the character he created for Greta…pure joy and I loved her immediately. Her expressions are priceless and she just emanates a ball of energy.

 

I also love the color palette he chose. The blues and greens and yellows. It’s calming yet exciting! The cover packs a punch–just love it. 

 

Q: The book includes information on several women scientific pioneers--how did you choose the people to include?

 

A: I wanted all the people in the book to be important women across several fields who did outstanding things…so I chose one in Navy ship/sub design (Raye Montague), one who was the first to walk the ocean floor (Sylvia Earle), one who was an ocean mapmaker (Marie Tharp), and one who operated the submersible, Alvin (Cindy Lee Van Dover). 

 

Q: What are you working on now? 

 

A: I just finished a nonfiction story about something iconic in the D.C. area (where I live) and hope it goes on submission soon.

 

I am also working on three board books (one is a toddler exercise book I co-authored with Ann Marie Stephens, and the other two are lullaby books set to the Rock-a-bye theme), all due out in 2027. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I have a 65-page Magical Creatures Activity book coming out this summer that features all the fun characters from my 10-book series!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Sue Fliess.