Q&A with Kathleen Welton

 

 

 

 

Kathleen Welton is the author of the new children's picture book Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Sea Star. Her other books include The Magic Sea Turtle. She is also a publisher.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Sea Star?

 

A: A few years ago, I came across “The Starfish Story” and the message of the story that “it makes a difference for this one” stayed with me. 

At around this same time, I was interested in exploring how to best make a difference in my community. Start small and start with what is in front of you were the two ideas that kept popping into my head.

 

I grew up near the beach in Southern California and currently live near Lake Michigan. Water has always been one of my loves. So I decided to start with that and explored volunteering with the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

 

I participated in their Adopt-a-Beach program for a local beach and helped provide information for their database. I was amazed that in a few months, there were about 10,000 usual suspects to record—from cigar tips, cigarette butts, and plastic straws to plastic water bottles, water bottle caps, rusty cans, and pieces of glass.

 

When I walk the beaches on the lakefront, I still collect little bits of glass and trash and notice that more and more people are aware of this problem from Park District employees, families, and concerned citizens.

 

Every year, there are more and more people making a difference in little ways. And people are getting involved all year round, which is a very good thing, especially for the bird migration in Spring and Fall.

Q: What do you think Chau Pham’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: The opportunity to work with Chau Pham on this book was a godsend. I knew from working with her on a previous project, The Magic Sea Turtle, that her illustrations would be not only wonderful, but that they could tell this story better than my words could ever do.

 

I am grateful that the reviews have all picked up on how amazing the illustrations are. According to Kirkus Reviews, the book is “A delightful tale of cooperation and compassion.” Chau’s illustrations showcase this message perfectly.

 

Q: Did you need to do any research to write the book, and if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: Loren Eiseley’s book The Unexpected Universe is one of my all-time favorites. “The Starfish Story” was adapted from his story in that book, “The Star Thrower.”  These lines inspired my thinking for this book:

 

..."On a point of land, I found the star thrower...I spoke once briefly. "I understand," I said. "Call me another thrower." Only then I allowed myself to think, He is not alone any longer. After us, there will be others...Perhaps far outward on the rim of space a genuine star was similarly seized and flung...For a moment, we cast on an infinite beach together beside an unknown hurler of suns... We had lost our way, I thought, but we had kept, some of us, the memory of the perfect circle of compassion from life to death and back to life again." —The Star Thrower, p.181

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?

 

A: Magical things can happen with collaboration, teamwork, and kindness.

 

I love this message as a take away:

 

Sea-ze the day / Share your amazing beauty / Put yourself out there / Stay in touch with your neighbors / Hang tight through the changing tides / When things get rocky, find your sweet spot / You’ll always be a star!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Currently I have about a dozen projects in the works, from picture book and novels to puzzle books.

 

My next picture book coming out this fall is Be WHOO You Are. It’s about a curious little owl named Ollie who wonders about his future. When he listens to his heart, he finds magic inside and realizes that is already WHOO he is meant to be.

 

I am expanding my chapter book Shell Shocked: An Ocean Mystery into a middle-grade novel and am finishing up the illustrations and editing. I am also working on two novels based on screenplays that I wrote over the past six years—hopefully for publication as early as 2026.

 

As a publisher, my focus for the next few years is puzzle books for all ages. It is a niche that I really enjoy—from a six-book series of crosswords for kids and a series of acrostic puzzles to crosswords for classical music lovers (coming soon).

 

So far, I have published nearly 20 books in the Puzzle Books for Fun imprint and have plans for at least half a dozen more on the drawing board. Puzzles allow time for a fun break—from time to focus on finding a solution to time to act.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Thanks for the opportunity to be a part of this virtual tour!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was conducted in partnership with Kathleen Welton. Readers who join us on this magical book tour can enter this giveaway for a chance to win a paperback copy of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Sea Star, signed by Kathleen Welton. Plus, one lucky grand prize winner will receive a special sea turtle adoption in their name through the Sea Turtle Conservancy. The adoption package includes a personalized certificate, a Sea Turtle Conservation Guide, a sea turtle plush toy, a member window cling, a sea turtle sticker and bookmark, a hatchling magnet, and a one-year subscription to STC’s membership publication—all beautifully packaged in a keepsake sea turtle folder.