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Sights, Sounds, Teamwork
Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape follows Admiral Andy and his crew as they go about their daily activities aboard the Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Shipshape. Where did the idea for Andy the Admiral’s character come from?
Andy the Admiral was inspired by my thirty-year career in the Navy and by the wisdom and example of my father, who also served in the Navy. Throughout my life, I’ve seen how military service can teach leadership, teamwork, integrity, and resilience in very practical ways.
I wanted to create a character who embodied those values in a warm, encouraging, and approachable way for children. Andy is the kind of leader who is calm, kind, experienced, and always looking out for his shipmates. In many ways, he reflects the best qualities I saw in the leaders I admired throughout my naval career.
The book does a great job making Navy life feel exciting and approachable for kids. How did you decide which details of shipboard life to include?
In 2024, I spent time aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, and that experience reminded me just how unique life at sea really is. Aircraft carriers are incredibly busy places filled with teamwork, precision, energy, and purpose, but they are also communities where friendships are formed, and people depend on one another every day.
When deciding what details to include, I focused on moments that children would find exciting and memorable while still remaining authentic to Navy life. I wanted young readers to experience the sights, sounds, teamwork, and adventure of serving aboard a carrier, but in a way that felt fun, positive, and understandable for families reading together.
One thing I appreciated is that the lessons about honesty, teamwork, and responsibility come through naturally in the crew’s actions rather than feeling overly preachy. Why was that important to you?
That was very intentional. Children usually learn best through stories, examples, and relationships rather than lectures. I wanted the lessons in the book to feel natural and woven into the adventure itself.
In the Navy, being a “shipmate” means taking care of one another, helping people when mistakes happen, and working together toward a common mission. I wanted children to see characters who support each other, tell the truth, work hard, and grow from challenges with encouragement and kindness. Those lessons become much more meaningful when they are experienced through the story instead of simply explained.
The book says good character is just as important as doing a job well. What do you hope a child remembers from that idea, and what would you say to a parent using the book to talk about character at home?
I hope children remember that character matters everywhere they go and in everything they do. Skills and talents are important, but honesty, kindness, courage, and integrity are what truly define a person over a lifetime.
For parents, I hope the book creates opportunities for simple but meaningful conversations at home about doing the right thing, helping others, admitting mistakes, and treating people with respect. Those lessons begin early, and stories can often help children understand them in a way that feels both memorable and encouraging.
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Set sail on an unforgettable adventure with Andy the Admiral as he leads his crew across the high seas on the USS Shipshape, where young readers discover what it truly means to be a great leader and a great friend.
In this engaging and beautifully illustrated story, children step into life aboard a Navy aircraft carrier and learn valuable lessons through real-world inspired moments. Andy shows his crew that strong character matters just as much as skill, teaching them to lead with kindness, honesty, respect, and teamwork.
Perfect for families, classrooms, and young readers who love adventure with meaning, this story blends exciting naval life with powerful character-building lessons kids can use every day.
What kids will learn:
Honesty and integrity
Good manners and respect
Teamwork and helping others
Responsibility and preparedness
Confidence and leadership skills
An introduction to life on a Navy aircraft carrier
With heart, adventure, and meaningful lessons on every page, Andy the Admiral inspires young readers to become the best version of themselves on land and at sea.
Climb aboard the USS Shipshape today and inspire your child to lead with courage, kindness, and character.
Dawn to Dusk
A Day on the Brine is a charming, rhythmic journey through the ocean’s wonders, seen through the eyes of a curious captain and the creatures she encounters on her voyage. What was the inspiration for your story?
My husband and I are bluewater sailors. We departed Adelaide, South Australia, in 2012 and sailed to Western Australia’s Shark Bay.
Cyclone season was rapidly approaching and still wanting to do more preparation prior to crossing the Indian Ocean, we chose to spend almost twelve months in the region. This is where A Day on the Brine takes place.
Except for the krill which are such miniscule creatures they’re difficult to spy with the eye, we were fortunate enough to see all of the creatures found in A Day on the Brine.
There is no freezer on board Gratis. Once our fresh meat runs out, we toss out the fishing line and wait. Tuna, wahoo, and swordfish are just some of the delicious fish to be found and cooked on the BBQ.
Albatrosses are curious creatures and, except for when a serious storm approaches, are always in sight, whilst squid find their way on deck when waves slap upon the hull and toss them about.
We happened to be sailing at the time of the humpback whale migration and experienced the wonder of having these behemoths breaching and playing all around us.
From these experiences came the idea for A Day on the Brine.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process of creating this story.
I love doing jigsaw puzzles and creating A Day on the Brine was no different to doing one. Placing the characters in the correct order was crucial, as was ensuring the rhyme worked. Moving from dawn to dusk, everything had to flow in a circular movement. Easier said than done, the rhyming was my greatest challenge, and there is nothing I love more than playing with words.
Many miss that there is a secondary theme – a food chain – running through the illustrations. Thinking back, this is the section I most enjoyed writing. A great deal of imagery was in the illustrations rather than the text, so there was a need to get the illustrations notes ‘perfect’ – if there is such a thing – in order for Emma to interpret them in the way that she has.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with the illustrator Emma Stuart?
Working with Emma was a dream. She loved that my illustration notes were detailed and provided her with a vision she could work with.
Within a short time, she had created the initial sketches and very little adjusting was required. I also loved the way she shared parts of her creative process. Watching the imaging as it came to life beneath her fingertips was the most exciting part of the whole process.
Emma is a talented wonder, I feel so honoured that she came on board this journey with me.
What is the next adventure in store for the Big Blue Boat, and when can your readers expect it to be out?
Several A Big Blue Boat manuscripts are ready and waiting for illustration. The question is, which one do I choose first? Will it be the one about the storm, or the fog, or maybe the story about an endangered bird?
At this stage, there isn’t timeline set for their release. I’m in the process of trying to work this out now.
I currently have two books set to launch in 2026. The first is a project I commenced with a special group of children in 2024 and is a prequel to the A Big Blue Boat series. We are aiming to launch this book towards the end of next March. If interested, you can follow this story at https://suseaspray.com/a-big-blue-boat-prequel/.
The second book has nothing to do with sailing or boats. It’s a rhyming story, has animals, and is lots of fun as twists and turns take place.
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When the captain of a big blue boat throws out her fishing line, what will she find?
The captain of a big blue boat is hungry.
She throws out her fishing line and waits …
As the hours pass, Captain discovers a world where albatross soar and whales play.
There is an ebb and flow to life out on the brine and Emma Stuart’s stunning illustrations bring to life this magical rhyming tale.
Set on the west coast of Australia, if you have a fascination with boats, sea life and the ocean, you are going to love this award-winning sequel to ‘A Big Blue Boat’.
