At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Danielle Daniel!
About the Author:
DANIELLE DANIEL is an acclaimed author and illustrator whose journey in artmaking and book publishing has gone hand in hand with all she has learned – and continues to learn – about her Indigenous ancestry and her relationship with the land. Some of her picture books include I’m Afraid Said the Leaf, Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox (winner of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and selected as one of the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing), Sometimes I Feel Like a River and Once in a Blue Moon. Her debut Middle Grade novel, Forever Birchwood, was published in 2022, as well as her first adult novel, Daughters of the Deer. Her next middle-grade novel, Reasons to Look at the Night Sky, was published in 2024 by Tundra Books. She lives on Manitoulin Island among a large family of cedars, a husk of hares and a fifty-year-old Blanding’s turtle, who visits quite regularly.
Q&A with Danielle Daniel:
What inspired you to write Reasons to Look at the Night Sky? Can you share how you came up with the idea of intertwining Luna’s love for space with the changes she experiences in her life?
I have always loved space ever since I was a child. And, as an elementary school teacher, I also enjoyed teaching the space unit to my Grade 6 students. Not surprisingly, my great love for all things Outer Space inevitably made its way into my writing. Change is also a theme I explore throughout my work, as it’s something I continue to struggle with, even as an adult. At least, change outside of my control, which is what Luna, the main protagonist experiences often in the novel.
Your novel is written in verse. What drew you to this format for Luna’s story, and how do you think poetry enhances the emotional depth and narrative of the book?
This part is where the magic comes in. I never planned to write a novel in verse, though it’s the way this story came to me. It began in verse, from the very first sentence and I continued to follow its thread. I value both the economy of line and words to illustrate a story. I love simplifying ideas and concepts! Writing picture books and, more specifically, children’s poems has greatly influenced my novel writing, for both my adult and children’s fiction alike. I think that poetry can swiftly engage our senses and readers are able to feel the heart of the characters and story quite fully and quickly, as every word on the page becomes essential to the storytelling.
Luna is a space-obsessed girl with big dreams of becoming an astronaut. How did you develop her character, and what aspects of her personality and journey do you hope will resonate most with young readers?
Full disclosure: I once aspired to become an astronaut. My journey led me elsewhere. But never say never.
I’m not sure how other writers operate, but I always follow my characters. I don’t plot or plan. My characters lead me as I watch and listen, at least while I write the first draft, and then I go back in and make the necessary changes as needed with each consecutive draft. In a way, Luna was always there, and, like a sculptor, I just needed to keep working until she was a whole and complete character.
I hope readers will be engaged by her confidence and her determination for pursuing her big dreams, even with all the perceived challenges and competitive odds against her. I hope they’re drawn to her curiosity, her fierce focus and her many faults, which make her so relatable. I also hope they’ll resonate with her ability to let new people into her heart, no matter how much she resists in the beginning.
Ms. Manitowabi introduces art into Luna’s science class, which is a significant shift for her. How do you see the relationship between art and science, and why did you choose to explore this dynamic in the story?
While science and art are often seen as separate entities, merging the two can lead to inspired innovation and new discoveries. I also believe that together, they can enhance our understanding of the world. The relationship between art and science strengthens each of the disciplines. I think working together across disciplines is crucial to solving many issues we face today in the modern world and exploring this synergistic relationship in the novel is a mere introduction to its advantages.
On a more personal note, I used to think that being both a writer and an artist was a hindrance to my professional development. That if I only focused on one craft, I would become better, and faster. I struggled for years wishing I could just choose one, so I could focus solely on that skill. Now I know I was wrong, that my writing feeds my art and my art feeds my writing, and being able to express myself in both art forms greatly enhances my ability to create and to communicate. It actually gives me an advantage and allows me to see the world around me with multiple and varied perspectives. It also provides much needed balance, as I can easily get lost in the weeds of my work.
Ms. Manitowabi plays a crucial role in Luna’s journey. Can you discuss the importance of mentorship in the book and how positive influences can help shape a young person’s perspective and dreams?
Yes, Ms. Manitowabi plays a pivotal role in Luna’s journey. I believe one person can change the trajectory of our lives, which is why it’s crucial for children to be exposed to positive and diverse mentors. I wanted to explore how a substitute teacher, who is with her students for a short time, could open an entire new world of learning and possibilities. I also wanted to examine how we often resist change the most, just as we’re on the precipice of great personal growth.
I hope that Ms. Manitowabi can remind us all to keep our minds and hearts open to the gifts that new people – people who think differently from us – how they can enrich our lives and even change them for the better.
Books by Danielle Daniel:
Reasons to Look at the Night Sky
By Danielle Daniel
328 Pages | Ages 9-12 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774883532 | Tundra Books
Luna has always loved the night sky. She’s an eleven-year-old who knows everything there is to know about space, and dreams of one day becoming an astronaut. The first step in her plan to get there is to ace the space unit in her science class and secure a spot in NASA’s summer space camp. But when Luna’s teacher is unexpectedly replaced with a substitute, Ms. Manitowabi, who is looking to shake up science class by bringing in art, Luna’s carefully laid plans are crushed. And that’s not all that’s shifting in Luna’s life – changes at home and in her friendships have her feeling topsy-turvy. What on Planet Earth is happening? Reasons to Look at the Night Sky is an endearing, poetic look at the inner world of a middle schooler grappling with change from acclaimed author and illustrator Danielle Daniel.
I’m Afraid, Said the Leaf
Written by Danielle Daniel
Illustrated by Matt James
64 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774880708 | Tundra Books
I’m afraid, Said the leaf. / You’re not alone, Said the tree. But who will comfort a nervous bird, a lonely crab, a lost wolf? How can a horse find warmth, a snail some cheer, a child some rest? Through a series of amusing and soothing exchanges, this deceptively simple and profound picture book depicts different pairings to celebrate interconnectedness and underlines the importance of caring for every living organism to ensure a strong and healthy natural world. I’m Afraid, Said the Leaf invites young readers to understand that we all need each other for support and survival – and that we’re all stronger together.
Daughters of the Deer
By Danielle Daniel
344 Pages | Paperback
ISBN 9780735282087 | Random House Canada
1657. Marie, a gifted healer of the Deer Clan, does not want to marry the green-eyed soldier from France who has asked for her hand. But her people are threatened by disease and starvation and need help against the Iroquois and their English allies if they are to survive. When her chief begs her to accept the white man’s proposal, she cannot refuse him, and sheds her deerskin tunic for a borrowed blue wedding dress to become Pierre’s bride. 1675. Jeanne, Marie’s oldest child, is seventeen, neither white nor Algonquin, caught between worlds. Caught by her own desires, too. Her heart belongs to a girl named Josephine, but soon her father will have to find her a husband or be forced to pay a hefty fine to the French crown. Among her mother’s people, Jeanne would have been considered blessed, her two-spirited nature a sign of special wisdom. To the settlers of New France, and even to her own father, Jeanne is unnatural, sinful-a woman to be shunned, beaten, and much worse. With the poignant, unforgettable story of Marie and Jeanne, Danielle Daniel reaches back through the centuries to touch the very origin of the long history of violence against Indigenous women and the deliberate, equally violent disruption of First Nations cultures.
