The Weird Fish follows Pearl, a colorful young fish whose family’s abandonment leads her to hurt others before rediscovering her joy in being herself. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The inspiration for this story came from my own childhood experiences. Although I was never abandoned, I often felt disconnected from my family. Feeling misunderstood and alone affected how I viewed myself and the world around me. Over time, those feelings led me to become someone I wasn’t truly meant to be. Through Pearl’s journey, I wanted to explore how our experiences can shape us, sometimes causing us to lose sight of who we are at our core. Her story is a reminder that, regardless of what we experience, we can find our way back to ourselves.

How did you shape Pearl’s cruelty toward Mrs. Starfish and her classmates to help children understand the relationship between suffering and causing harm?

I wanted to highlight a truth that applies to both children and adults: sometimes, people who are hurting end up hurting others. We are all flawed, and our pain can influence how we treat the people around us. I wanted to tell the story of a character who might initially be viewed as a bully, while encouraging readers to look beyond her behavior and consider what might be happening beneath the surface. There is often a deeper story behind the way people treat others, and unresolved pain can sometimes be part of it. However, understanding someone’s pain does not excuse the harm they cause. Through Pearl, I hope children learn the importance of empathy, accountability, and recognizing that how we treat others matters, even when we are hurting ourselves.

What role does the mysterious older fish play in Pearl’s recovery, and why does her own reflection ultimately prompt her recognition?

As I’ve mentioned, The Weird Fish is loosely based on my own journey of self-discovery. The older fish represents an elder who once came into my life and shared a message that deeply resonated with me: “Come back to who you truly are.” Those words challenged me to reevaluate myself and recognize the ways I had changed in response to my experiences.

Similarly, the older fish serves as a catalyst for Pearl’s transformation, encouraging her to look beyond her pain and reconnect with her true self. However, the pivotal moment comes when Pearl sees her reflection and realizes she has become someone she no longer recognizes. She must confront the pain, hurt, and feelings of abandonment that have shaped her behavior. That moment of recognition opens the door to healing and change. For me, this represents an important part of self-discovery: sometimes, we must be willing to face what we have become before we can return to who we truly are.

How did you develop Pearl’s changing colors, particularly her blue, tearful reflection in the bottle, as a way of expressing her inner life?

I wanted Pearl’s changing colors to reflect how I see the world through the contrast between light and darkness. In the beginning, Pearl is bright, happy, vibrant, beautiful, and different. She embraces her uniqueness and takes pride in who she is. However, when she experiences abandonment, those qualities seem to fade as her pain begins to overshadow her sense of self. Her outward appearance changes to reflect the darkness she feels within.

I chose blue for her tearful reflection because the color is often associated with sadness. I wanted readers to see that Pearl’s physical transformation was connected to her emotional state. Her changing colors symbolize how deeply our experiences can affect the way we see ourselves. At the same time, they reinforce one of the story’s central messages: even when pain causes us to lose sight of our light, that light has not disappeared. We can rediscover it by embracing who we truly are.

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