Dive into this Q&A with children’s author Elisa Peacock to talk about her brand-new book, A Whale of a Time. This hilarious, time-traveling tale follows Minkie, a birthday boy who finds himself whisked away to ancient times, where he encounters magical sirens, gains unexpected fame, and even faces the legendary Kraken!
Elisa, a primary school teacher by day and storyteller by night, shares her inspirations, love of time travel, and what makes A Whale of a Time such a fintastic read. Read on to discover more about Minkie’s unforgettable journey and Elisa’s creative process!
If you could only use three words to describe A Whale of a Time what would they be?
This is such a tricky question! I would sum it up as a story, all about love…
In posts about the book we’ve highlighted the music, magic and mythical elements contained within its pages and these are certainly big themes. However, at its heart, A Whale Of A Time explores two very different kinds of love and the comfort, joy and satisfaction each can bring.
There’s lots packed into this little picture book — music, magic, and even time travel. What inspired you to write A Whale of a Time?
During a lesson on idioms with a class at school, ( the day job! ) a whale of a time suddenly struck me as a great title for a picture book.
When I write, I generally get the title first, with the story unravelling from there. I do a quick internet search to find out if there are any picture books with the same title, if I can’t find any, I let my mind noodle away and see what it comes up with.
The idea for the story landed quickly and pretty much fully formed, and the title was just too perfect for a story about a time-travelling whale!
The story touches on themes of fame and friendship. What do you hope readers will learn or reflect on as they follow Minkie’s journey?
As already mentioned, the story explores two different kinds of love. The love and adoration you might experience if you are a celebrity or famous personality. Minkie, the main character, experiences this phenomenon when he travels back in time and becomes famous for his beautiful whale song. This is juxtaposed with the love he receives from his family and friends. Despite being put under a spell by the sirens, Minkie still has a nagging feeling something isn’t right… Deep down, despite all his newfound fame and celebrity, he misses his friends and family.
I hope readers will reflect on these different experiences. In our fame-obsessed world, we may sometimes spend more time engaging with people online than those sitting right next to us. It can be beneficial to put down the devices and appreciate and nurture the relationships with those special people around you.
A critique partner mentioned David Litchfield’s, The Bear And The Piano as a comparative title. The sentiment is definitely the same. I blush at the comparison but still couldn’t resist mentioning it here!
The sirens and King Neptune add a mythical twist to the story. What drew you to include these legendary mythical characters, and how did you make them your own?
To be honest, they just kind of wrote themselves in. I knew Minkie was going to travel back in time and the plot would involve his journey home, but I hadn’t thought too much about who he might meet there.
Once I had established he had travelled to an ancient underwater ocean, these wonderful characters just turned up. I love myths, and it’s fun to think about where these stories came from. I’m not suggesting there were ever sirens or that King Neptune was a real person! But there are colossal and giant squid, enormous cephalopods who could have been even larger in size in bygone times. With eyes the size of footballs and sharply serrated structures inside their suction cups. The Kraken, or giant squid had to be included.
It’s fun to play around with old stereotypes about monsters too. It was lovely to see the Kraken as helpful and his intervention being instrumental in Minkie’s return home.
A Whale of a Time is a very funny story with a lot of heart. How important is humour in your writing?
I think my default mode is ‘funny.’ I used to think it would be nice to write something a bit more serious and sober, but actually humour is probably just as powerful a tool. It’s possible to write something thought-provoking and poignant, that also makes you laugh out loud.
Jonathan Petley provided beautiful illustrations for the book. What was it like working with him to bring Minkie and his world to life?
Working with Jonathan was a joy. This is only my second published book and looking back on The Bum That Barked ( my debut picture book ), I was probably a bit heavy-handed with my ideas. Sorry Rowena Aitken!
I think it’s probably better to let the illustrator get on with what they’re good at and let them interpret your words for themselves. I see the stories I write as little movies in my head, but this is only my vision. I suggested a few things to Jonathan along the way, but really just let him roll with it. He is such a talented artist, it was a delight to work with him. There was much excitement when new files arrived in my inbox – comparable to unwrapping a birthday present!
We’ve heard that you’re “obsessed” with time travel. Where did this come from?
I don’t think it’s just me! I think as a species we are obsessed with time travel. I grew up with films such as Back To The Future, Time Bandits and The Philidelphia Experiment. What could be more fun than exploring the concept of travelling in time? Who wouldn’t want the chance to observe the past or get a glimpse of our future? For a writer the concept of time travel is such a great tool, allowing unlimited scope and endless landscapes in which to play.
You can play with alternate timelines or have everything in a state of flux, with just some fixed points in time. This kind of time travel can get confusing easily. It gives the writer the ability to go anywhere with the story. Like in Doctor Who, anything is possible, but the doctor does have to die at some point.
This is my first attempt at incorporating time travel into my story writing. I hope it won’t be the last. It is something that kids really seem to engage with too. At the launch of the book I was struck by how much the children loved the time tunnel spread and how many questions they had about the mechanics of it. I better brush up on my theoretical physics!
And finally, if you could time travel to one place in time where would it be and why?
It would have to be Ancient Egypt. I would love to witness the building of the pyramids. I’ve been down endless rabbit holes about their construction and thoughts on what they were actually used for. I really enjoy theories about lost technologies and ancient wisdom. I’d love to have a front row seat, and see for myself!
A Whale of a Time by Elisa Peacock and Jonathan Petley is available now from Amazon, Waterstones, and Bookshop.org
