"Many children are using Lubna and Pebble to help them think about ways they can support refugee families in practical ways: donating things, writing to children in refugee camps, and actively welcoming children into their community." - Wendy Meddour

Wendy Meddour's Lubna and Pebble will take your breath away. Lubna and her best friend, a smooth white pebble, arrive with her father in the World of Tents, waiting for a new home. This thoughtful, poignant introduction to the struggles of refugee families brims with hope and love.  We include this enchanting title in our Stories Pulled from World Headlines collection, and were thrilled that author Wendy Meddour took the time to answer our questions.  Enjoy the interview!

Can you tell us what inspired you to write Lubna and Pebble?

It was a direct response to the ongoing refugee crisis - and the terrible stories about children being separated from their parents and kept in dreadful conditions. The lack of empathy shown at a government level was, and still is, shocking.

What is your favorite page of this book and why?

I love the image of the boat in the endnotes (before the story starts) - the bright colors indicating hope, combined with it being impossibly full. The beauty of the children's imaginations on the spread where they play is also delightful. 

What do you hope your audience takes away from reading Lubna and Pebble?

Many children are already using Lubna and Pebble to help them think about ways they can support refugee families in practical ways: donating things, writing to children in refugee camps, and actively welcoming children into their community. I have also seen children paint pebbles and give them to a friend - learning how to care, give, and understand others. However small the gesture, these acts of kindness are lovely to watch.  

What inspired you to become an author?

A lifelong love of children's books and my parents reading to me as a child.

What do you think are the ingredients for a great children’s book?

In my case, the books that work best are those that I write straight from the heart - a genuine and strong emotion that I can filter down into a story. But in terms of other works of fiction, I think a story that draws you into its reality and makes you believe! 

What’s been the most surprising thing about being a children’s author?

That I would have to perform on stage and at literary festivals!

What was your favorite picture book growing up?

The BFG, The Little Prince, The Great Smile Robbery.

What children’s book (other than your own) are you recommending to friends at the moment?

I do love the Mr Gum series.

If you weren’t an author what would you most like to be? What is your (other) dream career?

I'm also the Director of Creative Writing at Exeter University. It's a fun job. But if I wasn't an academic and children's writer, I think I'd like to live on a remote Scottish island and be a painter.

What would you want your ten-year-old self to know?

I would want my ten-year-old self to know that there are lots of routes through life and they're all exciting.

Who are your favorite authors/illustrators?

Quentin Blake, Agatha Christie, Thomas Hardy, Mini Grey, Dylan Thomas, David Almond. 

What are you currently working on?

A picture book called Sunny and the Birds and a middle-grade book about a woman in a wheelchair (which I currently am). 

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Ireland or Italy. 

What is currently on your playlist?

Bob Dylan - always :) And Love Supreme. And Enya. 

Which superpower would you most like to have?

To fly 

What is something not many people may know about you?

I'm a single mum of 4 children (all of whom I'm super proud of!), and I love swimming in the sea. 

- Abby Gallagher with Wendy Meddour