Lucy Lemondrop Dreams She’s a Mermaid follows a creative little girl who falls asleep at the beach and dreams herself into a sparkling mermaid tail and an underwater adventure. What inspired you to create Lucy Lemondrop and her underwater adventure?

I have a great-niece who just turned 1, Phoebe, who I hope learns to use her imagination, and I thought a mermaid adventure would be fun for her and all little girls. They can also learn about the ocean and the wonderful animals that live in it at the same time.

Imagination transforms an ordinary nap on the beach into an enormous adventure. Why was celebrating imagination important to you?

So many kids don’t get to really be kids anymore. With phones, game boxes, and computers, children are not using their imaginations like they should. I believe children should create adventures, dream, and pretend, not just be tethered to a machine that doesn’t inspire creativity. Children are wonderful, and their imaginations are incredible, but they need to use them to make their lives an adventure.

Beneath the mermaid adventure, what themes were most important for you to share with children?

When you dream, you can be anything you want to be. Dreaming and using your imagination gives you adventure, hope, encouragement, and confidence. And so many children don’t live by the ocean and don’t really think about the wondrous world and amazing creatures that live there. This book gives little ones insight into that world.

Do you hope the story encourages children to invent their own adventures after reading Lucy’s?

Absolutely. Children should be pretending to be a mermaid in a pool, or running around the yard on adventures as knights, princesses, pirates, and whatever else they can dream up. You only get to be a child once. It should be filled with wonderment, imagination, and adventures. That will help bring out their creativity.

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