Q&A with Mark C. Fava

  

 

 

Mark C. Fava is the author of the new children's picture book Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape. He also has written the book Lessons from the Admiral. He spent 30 years in the Navy, and is an aviation lawyer.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Andy the Admiral?

 

A: I wanted to create a fun children’s story that introduced some of the values I learned during 30 years in the Navy—teamwork, preparation, integrity, kindness, respect, and service. I also wanted to share a little of that Navy experience with a new generation of young readers.

 

Q: How much did your own experience in the Navy contribute to writing this book?

 

A: Quite a bit. I spent 30 years in the Navy, much of it in naval aviation as a Navy Reservist, and nearly everything in the book—from the characters and traditions to the sights and sounds—was influenced by those experiences. I wanted it to feel like a fun and exciting adventure first and not a textbook.

 

Q: What do you think Agus Prajogo and Yohanes Bastian’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: They brought the USS Shipshape and its crew to life in a way I could only imagine when I wrote the story. The illustrations are colorful, detailed, and filled with little surprises that I hope children will discover each time they read the book. They are exceptionally talented and great partners in this journey.

 

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

 

A: First, I hope they have fun reading it and want to read it again. Along the way, I hope they pick up the idea that being a good shipmate—and a good friend—means working together, being prepared, treating others with kindness and respect, and doing your part. And of course, I hope they learn to say to each other, “Well done Shipmate!”

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m already working on the next two books in The Shipshape Shipmates series. Patrick the Pilot is next, followed by Riley the Rescue Swimmer, with each adventure introducing children to a new character, a new part of the sea services, and a new value. They are in the final illustration phase now and will be out in 2027.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape releases September 1 and is the first book in The Shipshape Shipmates series. My hope is that children simply love the characters and adventures—and that parents, grandparents, teachers, and military families find something meaningful in the stories, too. You can learn more at theshipshapeshipmates.com. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was conducted in partnership with Mark C. Fava. You can enter a contest to win a hardcover copy of Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape; see the rules here.