Lui Sit on Land of the Last Wildcat and animal-inspired books for kids

Our Cockatoo subscribers are heading off on a wild adventure this month with Land of the Last Wildcat, a magical, heart-warming and action-packed story with an inspiring young heroine and an important environmental message. It was an easy pick for our subscription boxes, not least because it has one of the most beautiful covers we've seen in a long time! Here author Lui Sit tells us about what inspired her brilliant characters and her favourite animal-inspired stories for young readers.

What inspired you to write Land of the Last Wildcat?

The starting point was Puffin’s relationship with her mum, Allegra. I wanted to write about what it’s like to be a latchkey kid, whose parents aren’t around very much. In Puffin’s case, Allegra is absent largely because she has to work to support them. As Allegra is a research scientist, I decided to make her research subject a healing wildcat called the kuri (being a lifelong cat lover, this was an easy choice) The relationships between Puffin, Allegra and the kuri drove the development of the rest of the story. 

Are any of the characters or events based on real people and their experiences? 

Puffin is based on all the wayward young female characters that I use to love reading when I was little – in particular, Ramona Quimby. Lance and Blackwing are based on people I used to know. I’d say every character in the story contain qualities taken from real life people, blended in with my imagination. In terms of events, some of Puffin’s experiences are drawn from own real life experiences. For example, Giant’s Cave is a real cave in Western Australia that I’ve visited. Old Glow is based on ancient karri & marri trees in the old growth forests of south west Western Australia. Also Puffin’s experience as a latchkey kid is based on my own childhood experiences of having loads of freedom. 

How do you think Puffin would have got on without Lance’s support?

A great question! I believe that Puffin would have taken it as far as she possibly could have without Lance’s support but as to whether she would have achieved her aim, I think it’s 50/50. As they say- team work makes the dream work!

What do you hope young readers will take away from the story?

Following on from the above question, I would love readers to take away the power of having a good, solid friendship. That one really true friend is worth a dozen so-so friends. Also that sometimes, it’s how brave you are, not how big you are, that can make a difference. 

Can you tell us anything about what the future holds for Puffin?

Puffin (and Lance) will appear in another book that I’m wrangling with at the moment! 

Why did you choose to write books for this age group?

I love middle grade books. When I was of this reading age, I read voraciously. The books that I read during this time impacted me in a profound way. As an author I love writing middle grade because middle grade readers still believe that the impossible is possible. So this is a real gift for a writer!

Do you have a favourite place to write?

Not really. I just like to have a good desk/chair set up. In my fantasy, I would write either with a view of the sea or within walking distance of the sea but I live in London, so a fantasy this remains. 

Which other animal-inspired middle grade books would you recommend our subscribers read next?

There are so many! But some current ones are - My Dog by Olivia Wakeford, I am Rebel by Ross Montgomery and Mission Microraptor by Philip Kavvadias. I love all of Carlie Sorosiak’s middle grade animal books and Kate DiCamillo is a genius when it comes to animal middle grade. Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is an oldie, but a goodie too. 

Copies of our Land of the Last Wildcat pack, including a copy of the book and loads of fun activities to go with it, are now available for individual purchase. Grab a copy while stocks last!

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