Wendy Meddour & Merle Goll discuss 'Patrick and Flippa'
About Author
Wendy Meddour is a Doctor of English Literature and an award-winning children's writer. She has written several picture books, including A Hen in the Wardrobe, Lubna and Pebble, Tisha and Blossom, and Peggy the Always Sorry Pigeon. Wendy also teaches Creative Writing at Exeter University.
Merle Goll grew up in the North of Germany but has lived in the UK for over 25 years. She worked in Bristol as a graphic and motion designer, and now lives in Twickenham with her husband and two girls, working as an illustrator.
Interview
Patrick and Flippa (OUP)
September 2024
Patrick, a polar bear, and Flippa, a seal live in the Arctic and are firm friends, until Patrick discovers that Flippa hasn't been telling him the truth.... This picture book for young children will encourage discussions around friendship and honesty, and how we manage any difficulties in our friendships.
Author Wendy Meddour and illustrator Merle Goll tell us how the picture book was created, and the kinds of discussions that they hope it will prompt.
Q&A with Wendy Meddour & Merle Goll
"Lots of parents, carers and teachers asked me to write about a book that would help children manage challenging friendships, and this story about a struggling polar bear is now dear to my heart."
1. Hello Wendy and Merle, thank you for joining us on ReadingZone this month. Can you tell us a little about yourselves, and what kinds of stories you enjoy creating?
Hello. I'm Wendy (aka Professor Wendy O'Shea-Meddour) - the director of creative writing at Exeter University. I grew up in Aberystwyth and, as you can see from my video, I’m following in the tradition of Roald Dahl by writing stories in my shed. Apart from climbing mountains and swimming on the sea, my favourite thing to do is writing books that enhance the lives of little people. This might be by making them feel less worried or lonely, or by making them laugh.
Hi there, my name is Merle and I am a German illustrator (I came to the UK as an au-pair in 1996 and got kind of stuck here) based in Twickenham, where I live with my husband, my two daughters and our two tortoiseshells Mina and Mei. I studied graphic design in Bristol and started off working for a branding agency before changing over to moving image (TV graphics etc.).
Though my main focus was design, illustration was always a big part of my work. When I had my two girls, I left all of that behind (crazy working hours, especially in TV) and started to concentrate on illustration. I especially enjoy creating illustrations for books with stories based on animal characters, so Patrick and Flippa was a dream to work on.
2. What happens in your new book, Patrick and Flippa?
Wendy: Lots of parents, carers and teachers asked me to write about a book that would help children manage challenging friendships, and this story about a struggling polar bear is now dear to my heart. He’s in a tricky friendship with a slightly controlling seal.
Obviously, Flippa’s got her good points but she does always wants her own way. This leaves Patrick with a really empty-bear feeling until he learns to set boundaries. Then, he enjoys Flippa’s company again and doesn't feel sad. I think this is something we all need to do, even grown-ups, and in the end, it all works out.
3. We love the characters of Patrick, the polar bear, and Flippa his friend, a seal - but why did you decide to pair up a polar bear with a seal for this story?
Wendy: I wanted to find two creatures with a recognised and pre-existing tension, but the more dominant character needed to have a reason to feel insecure. Polar bears and seals have a lot of tension (polar bears normally gobble up seals!), but as the dominant or controlling character isn't always the biggest one, I thought it would be funny if I flipped the dynamic. Flippa is the one who's always in charge.
When my publishers asked me to dig deeper and explore the psyche of the seal (so we could understand why she was so bossy), I thought an insecurity based on a fear about being eaten by dear old Patrick was a bit too harsh. So I toned it down. *Spoiler Alert: Flippa's controlling because she's scared that Patrick won't be her friend if he finds out he can fish without her help.
4. Patrick and Flippa is a story about friendship. What kinds of discussions would you like it to inspire among young children when they listen to this story
Wendy: It's really hard when you've got a friend who wants things their own way and/or bosses you about. And sometimes, there are reasons that they do this. I'm hoping Patrick and Flippa will open up these conversations and get children to think about boundary setting and 'how to be a good friend'.
5. What can children learn about the Arctic and its animals from Patrick and Flippa?
Wendy: Well, they can learn about the wonderful wildlife that exists in the arctic. But I think the primary function of this book is to help children think about how they can have healthy relationships with others and manage different character types in their lives. (Ps. You should not trust this book if you are a seal).
6. Can you tell us about creating the Arctic landscape for this story, and all the vivid colours included?
Merle: When I first started thinking about colours, I was a little 'stuck'. Though the arctic landscape is stunningly beautiful - ice and water, as far as the eye can see, offering many beautiful shades of blues, greens and greys - the overall composition of colours making up the scenery seemed rather monotonous. Put a polar bear and a seal into the mix, and you still end up with the same colour scheme … so the sky had to lend a helping hand.
I came up with the idea of playing with the colour of the sky, mirroring Patrick's mood as well as the passing of time. The skies ended up as bright as fireworks at times, its vibrancy being reflected in the water. Thank you, dear Aurora Borealis!
7. What is the process for creating the images for this story, and where do you go to research the animals and landscape?
Merle: After looking through some books for visual reference (if I have them to hand), my first point of call is the internet. I normally put together mood boards, with colours, shapes, references for the characters and the landscape itself.
First sketches for the storyboard always start off as pencil on paper. When I'm happy with my ideas for the compositions, I scan in my drawings and tweak them a little in Photoshop. Once the compositions (the storyboard) are signed off, I prepare all the files at the needed size and transfer them to my iPad, where I start with lines and shading.
When the line artwork is signed off, it's time to add colour. Normally, I work digitally only, but for this project, I scanned in some textures, which I created with inks and watercolour.
8. What is the wildest landscape you have actually visited?
Wendy: The wildest landscape I've been to is probably the Atlas mountains in Algeria, North Africa. Jerboas were bouncing around everywhere, and there were a lot of scorpions and dung beetles about.
Merle: The wildest landscape, that I have visited in the last few years, is definitely up in the North of Norway, where we climbed the Svolværgeita, a 150 metre tall pinnacle of the mountain Fløyfjellet. The hike up the mountain was stunning - if tiring.
I didn't actually quite make the final climb up the top of the 'horns' of the Geita (the goat) as I am not very good with heights, but I loved the whole experience all the same. One thing I enjoyed even more though, was our daily swim in the sound near our holiday home in Hadseløya. The water was freezing cold and we even saw some porpoises. I'm sure that Patrick and Flippa would have liked it!
Patrick and Flippa
