My Reflection Children’s Bookstore is pleased to profile an amazing new Caribbean Author, Phillip Simon. His debut book, Petra and the Poui, was published in 2020 and has received rave reviews as a fun and exciting story for children. It also has lots of teachable moments that parents can discuss with their children about being adventurous, putting a plan in motion to realize your dreams and appreciating what you have.  

In addition to a compelling storyline, the book is also beautifully illustrated with bright colours that perfectly capture the vibrancy and joy of life in the Caribbean. 

This book is definitely a must-have for your children’s bookshelf and is available for purchase at My Reflection Children’s Bookstore at the following link: Petra and the Poui – My Reflection Children’s Store (myreflectiontt.com)

Read all about Phillip Simon and his fascinating journey as an author below:

What inspired you to become an author?

My college years were particularly rough. During this period, whenever I had time to spare, I would escape into anime, video games and books. One of my favourite series of books at the time was Harry Potter. I found myself caught up in not just the adventure and the world but the characters, how they felt and how their actions impacted the world around them. The descriptive nature of the writing had me engrossed. Soon, I fantasized about creating a story and characters of my own and not long after I began writing.

Tell us about your first book

My first book, Petra and the Poui, is about a little girl from Trinidad & Tobago who loved the poui trees in the park opposite her house. This suddenly changed when she saw a video that showcased the cherry blossoms of Japan, also known as Sakura. It was love at first sight and she quickly forgot about poui. 

Petra was now determined to visit Japan to see the cherry blossoms for herself. It was my goal with this story to show the similarity of these two vastly different countries while highlighting the fact that though we might sometimes take it for granted, we have our very own beauty right here at home.

Who inspired the character of Petra?

In many ways, Petra was inspired by me. Just like Petra, I had a park across the street from my house with poui trees that I loved. I used to sit in them and just let my imagination run wild. Eventually, I was introduced to cherry blossoms through anime, Japanese documentaries and Japanese video games. It was love at first sight with those flowers but, unlike Petra, I would have to wait until I became an adult before I got my chance to see the cherry blossoms.

I moved to Japan to become an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) with the JET (Japanese Exchange and Teaching programme) and for two springs I admired those pink petals. They were indeed beautiful but they reminded me so much of the poui trees of Trinidad and how much I took for granted the beauty found right across the street from my house.

What plans do you have for future books and characters?

The second book in the series, Petra and the Panman’s Daughter, has already been fully written and is currently in the process of being illustrated. I intend to release this book later in 2021. 

After the launch of that book, I intend to write two more main-series Petra books and one or possibly even two spin-off books with Petra taking a backseat to another main character.

What is the most enjoyable part of the writing process?

My favourite part of writing is the creation and fleshing out of characters. I enjoy imagining them in various scenarios and thinking about how they would interact with each other and the world around them. When I am writing, I have a broad idea of the main events in the story but I create the characters and have their personalities inform how the events play out.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your first book?

In my effort to create a relatable and compelling character arc for Petra, I learned of a concept known as The Lie Your Character Believes. Simply put, it is a misconception that the character believes to be true. It is the catalyst for inner conflict and the need for change in your character. In the case of Petra, the lie she believed was that the flowers in a foreign land were better than the ones she was accustomed to.