Kit Pearson is a much-loved Canadian children’s author. Her award-winning novels include The Guests of War series (The Sky is Falling, Looking at the Moon and The Lights Go On Again), Awake and Dreaming (winner of the Governor General’s Award) and the just published Be My Love (companion to The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth). Also recently published The Magic Boat, a picture book she wrote with partner Katherine Farris. The Magic Boat is a lovely story about shyness, friendship and imagination. Marmalade Books was pleased to feature it in our February 2019 Picture Book Box. Kit and Katherine live in our hometown of Victoria, B.C.

MARMALADE BOOKS: Kit, I've long been a fan of your work. As a bookseller for the past twenty years, I regularly recommended your books to customers. It’s no surprise to me that you have won many awards. I've often felt that people don't appreciate how vital and beautifully written books are for young readers. So I was certainly excited for you and Canadian children's literature as a whole, when you were named a Member of the Order of Canada (“for your contributions as an author of Canadian literature for children and young adults”). It doesn’t happen very often that a children’s author or illustrator is recognized in this way. What does the award mean to you?