We chat with author Saadia Faruqi about her debut middle grade graphic novel Saving Sunshine, which is a poignant story of Muslim American siblings learning how to build each other up in a world that is too often unkind and features illustrations by Shazleen Khan.
Read on to learn about Saving Sunshine along with an excerpt of the first few pages!
Hi, Saadia! Welcome back! How has the past two years been since we last spoke?
Thanks for having me back. I always enjoy reading the latest posts about some of my favorite books on The Nerd Daily! I’ve been busy, writing several new books, traveling around the country doing school visits (which I love), and trying to spend at least some time with my family in between all the work.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
I read a ton of books for fun as a kid, and those never inspired me to become an author. They did inspire me to write my own stories, but those were for my own pleasure, as a hobby. I wrote in my notebook and never shared them with anyone growing up. As an adult, the first book I remember making me want to get published was Minaret by Leila Aboulela, which was the first time I realized that Muslim stories could be published, that there was a space for someone like me be authentic and real in my writing. I still think about that book all the time, how it made me so much more confident and inspired.
Your debut graphic novel, Saving Sunshine, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
That’s tough. A writer can’t really explain anything unless they write an entire novel! Still, here goes: Sibling angst. Endangered animals. Funny.
What can readers expect?
There is so much in this graphic novel! Siblings who hate each other, loving and complicated immigrant families, animal activism, and the most gorgeous art! There’s so much content in this book, so many themes to explore and discuss and enjoy, that I’m hoping readers will go back to it again and again.
Where did the inspiration for Saving Sunshine come from?
My own kids, who seemed to be constantly arguing, were the inspiration for the two main characters. I kept trying to keep them apart, trying to understand why they were always fighting, and often giving these ultimatums like the parents do in Saving Sunshine. I began to think what it was about siblings that led to this sort of angsty relationship, and what could bring them together.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I love all the characters, of course, but something new that I’ve never explored in one of my books before is the parents’ relationship. In Saving Sunshine, I wanted to show a loving Muslim family, and that ended up translating into a very sweet, romantic back-and-forth between the twins’ parents. I just loved writing those little snippets and imagining the story behind their life, hoping that my readers pick up on it as well. The turtle, Sunshine, is another unique character or topic that I’d never really explored in depth before. I loved learning more about all the animals – one of the main characters has an animal app that comes up often in the story – and especially about turtles and how their habitat is being endangerd because of urban developments.
Can you tell us about the process in Shazleen Khan’s stunning illustrations coming to life?
Shazleen’s illustrations are absolutely stunning! It’s almost a watercolor feel, and they bring everything in my story to life in a way that I wasn’t really expecting. I saw the sketches, of course, and was given the opportunity at every part of the illustration process to give feedback and request changes, which helped make that process very real to me. Still, seeing the final art for the first time really blew me away!
What do you hope your readers will take away from Saving Sunshine?
There are two kinds of takeaways in this book. One is about animal activism and how important our planet is, how precious all the creatures inhabiting it are, not just humans but every single living thing. I know young readers are worried about the planet, and their future, so I hope Saving Sunshine can help answer some of their questions. The other type of takeaway is how we treat each other. The characters face many microaggressions, things that won’t even register to the ordinary reader unless they’ve experienced it. Hopefully, this book can bring some of those negative, ugly, hurtful actions to life so readers can keep an eye out for them in the future.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on another graphic novel titled Don’t Be Scared, also by Macmillan/First Second. This is about a boy and his relationsip (or rather non-relationship) with his father, and how they slowly come closer because of ghost stories. I’m excited to enter the horror genre in a small way through this graphic novel, and I can’t wait to see how the illustrations by Shadia Amin bring the story to life.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I don’t have specific book recommendations, because everyone has different reading preferences. However, I urge readers to make sure they’re reading widely. What I mean by this is, read books by authors who are unlike you. Read books by BIPOC authors. Books set in other countries. Books that highlight cultures other your own. I had a friend who once spent an entire year reading only books written by women. I believe that whatever you read, if it’s within that description of reading widely, then you’ll have a wonderful experience.
