Carla Gunn - An Interview

What Letter Shall We Look At Today? is an A to Z story book that helps children understand emotions and feelings. You can find it HERE.

Open Shelf caught up with author Carla Gunn to find out more. 

What first inspired you to create an A–Z book centred on animals and emotions?

As an Early Years practitioner, I have always been passionate about helping children develop emotional literacy. I wanted to create a book that combined three things children naturally love: animals, stories, and learning the alphabet. By pairing animals with emotions, I hoped to make conversations about feelings more accessible, memorable, and engaging.

Did any particular child, moment, or memory spark the idea for this project?

The idea grew from years of working with young children and seeing how often they struggled to find the words to describe how they felt. I noticed that children frequently connected with stories about animals, so creating animal characters felt like a natural way to open up those important conversations.

Why do you think children connect so strongly with animals when learning about feelings?

Animals feel safe and non-judgemental to children. They allow children to explore emotions from a comfortable distance. A child might find it easier to talk about an angry alligator or a sad sloth before talking about their own feelings.

Let's look at the mechanics of creating the book. How did you decide which emotion would pair with each animal and letter?

I looked for combinations that felt natural and memorable. I wanted each animal’s characteristics to complement the emotion being explored while also creating strong alliteration to support language development and early literacy skills.

Were there any letters that were especially fun - or especially difficult - to write?

Some letters flowed naturally, while others took more creativity because there are fewer familiar animals and emotions that begin with those letters. Those challenging letters were actually some of the most rewarding to complete because they encouraged me to think outside the box, particularly the letter X. 

The alliteration gives each chapter a rhythm. Was that always part of the plan?

Yes. As someone who works with young children, I know how powerful repetition and sound patterns can be. The alliteration supports language development while also making the stories more enjoyable to read aloud.

Now let's move into the key themes of the book. Why is naming emotions so important for children?

Children cannot effectively communicate what they don’t understand. When children learn the language of emotions, they gain tools to express themselves, build relationships, and develop self-regulation skills. Emotional literacy is a foundation for lifelong wellbeing.

How do you hope parents, carers, or teachers will use the book?

I hope the book becomes a conversation starter. Whether it’s read at bedtime, in a classroom, or during circle time, I want adults to use the stories as opportunities to ask questions, share experiences, and help children recognise that all feelings are valid.

What do you think is the biggest challenge children face when trying to understand their emotions?

Many children experience emotions before they have the vocabulary to explain them. This can lead to frustration or misunderstandings. Supporting children to recognise, name, and talk about feelings helps bridge that gap.

Moving on to the content, the illustrations are bright and expressive. How did you work with your illustrator to bring each animal to life?

I am lucky my illustrator Gemma Hunt is fantastic, I wanted each animal’s expression and body language to clearly reflect the emotion being explored. We focused on creating characters that felt friendly, relatable, and engaging for young readers. The illustrations were also special to me as my children drew a couple of the images. 

Do you have a favourite character visually - and why?

It’s difficult to choose because each character has its own personality, but I particularly enjoy the animals whose expressions instantly communicate their feelings. Those illustrations really capture the heart of the book. I do particularly like the angry alligator as it’s about sharing which comes up a lot in early years. 

How important is colour and simplicity in helping children recognise emotions?

Very important. Young children respond strongly to visual cues. Clear illustrations, expressive faces, and thoughtful use of colour help children identify emotions quickly and stay focused on the story.

Now let's think a little about the structure. Each chapter ends with a small activity or reflective question. How did you choose what to include?

I wanted the activities to be simple, meaningful, and age-appropriate. The goal was to encourage children to think about their own experiences and apply what they had learned from the story. It was also important to include a chance for children to have their voices heard and validated. 

What role do you think these exercises play in helping children process what they’ve read?

Reflection helps transform a story into a learning experience. The questions encourage children to connect the emotion in the story with their own feelings and experiences.

Were you aiming for a book that could be used both at home and in classrooms?

Absolutely. I wanted it to be flexible enough for parents, carers, childminders, nurseries, and schools. Emotional literacy is important in every environment where children learn and grow.

What core message do you hope children take away from the book?

That all feelings are normal, important, and worth talking about. There are no “good” or “bad” emotions, only emotions that help us understand ourselves better.

The tone is gentle and reassuring. Was that a deliberate choice from the start?

Yes. When discussing emotions with young children, it’s important to create a sense of safety and acceptance. I wanted every page to reassure children that their feelings matter.

But how do you balance teaching emotional awareness without overwhelming young readers?

By keeping the language simple, the stories short, and the messages positive. The focus is on understanding emotions rather than analysing them in a complicated way. Also for children to see that these emotions happen to others, and  offering solutions to help self-regulate. 

Which character surprised you the most while writing?

Some of the less obvious animal-emotion pairings ended up becoming my favourites because they developed such unique personalities during the writing process.

And did any animal-emotion pairings change during the writing process?

Yes. A few pairings evolved as I worked through the alphabet because I wanted every story to feel authentic and meaningful rather than forcing a connection.

What was the most rewarding part of creating this book?

Knowing that it may help children feel understood and give families and educators another tool to support emotional wellbeing.

Have you heard from any parents or teachers about how the book has helped their children?

The feedback has been incredibly encouraging. Parents and educators have shared how the stories have opened conversations about feelings that might otherwise have been difficult to start. I’ve currently been visiting nurseries and they have been using the book as 

- letter of the week 

- emotion of the day circle times

- covering particular emotions with small groups if there want to spark conversations between them 

- using activities for each letter to further their learning from the book. 

I’ve also had many parents contact me, they love the fact they can ask their children questions around subjects that might not come up. An example of this was Earth day, and how litter picking can help the environment. The child quoted from the book they "helped the earth” as we’d read it earlier at nursery and it made me feel so proud that the messages within the book are making an impact. 

What do you hope a child feels when they finish reading the final page?

I hope they feel understood, confident, and curious about their own emotions and that they know it’s okay to talk about how they feel.

If a child could only remember one animal from the book, which one would you want it to be?

I’d hope they remember the animal whose story resonates most with them personally, because that emotional connection is what makes learning meaningful.

As we come to the end of the interview, do you see this book as a standalone, or could it grow into a series?

I would love to explore more books that support children’s emotional development and wellbeing. There are so many important themes that children benefit from discussing through stories. We are currently working on book 2 which is aimed at looking at more emotions. We just finishing matching the animals to the emotions with my illustrator, and have started writing the first story, which is the letter C. 

Are there other themes you’d like to explore in future children’s books?

Yes. Topics such as resilience, kindness, friendship, confidence, diversity, curiosity, and mindfulness are all areas that interest me as both an educator and an author.

What advice would you give to someone writing their first emotionally focused story for children?

Listen to children. Keep your language simple, authentic, and age-appropriate. Most importantly, remember that children don’t need perfect characters, they need relatable ones.

And Finally…

Which character do you feel you have the most in common with?

Probably Charlie the Curious cat, who embodies curiosity. As both an educator and a writer, I’ve always believed that asking questions, exploring new ideas, and continuing to learn are some of life’s greatest gifts. 

Thanks to Carla for joining us to discuss What Letter Shall We Look At Today? and more!

You can read more about Carla and her work HERE.