Michael S. Lingo Discusses the Inspiration Behind The Glowing Feather

Congratulations on the latest installment of the Bunny and Fawn series! As a reader of all three books, I’ve noticed how the characters, story, and illustrations have grown and evolved throughout the series. How do you feel about the changes and development from the first book to the third?

With each book, Bunny and Fawn have felt more like real siblings. I have reflected on my own experience growing up with a younger sibling and tried to bring that connection into each story. Exploring their bond in The Glowing Feather came more naturally this time, since readers already know the characters from the previous two books. The story itself grew more ambitious in this third installment. Books one and two centered on exploration and discovery, but in The Glowing Feather, the characters are working against a deadline. The artwork also shifted, thanks to my collaboration with a new illustrator. Amanda brought her own style to Bunny and Fawn while still preserving the essence of the characters, and the way the text is integrated with the artwork has taken the book to a new level. I am proud of what we accomplished.

  Can you tell us about the process of creating the third book and how it differed from the experience of creating the first two books in the series?

With each new book, I look back at my previous work for inspiration. Since this was my third book, I wanted to push myself beyond a single moment of discovery, which meant finding a scenario that would ask more of Bunny and Fawn. Before going further, I should share a bit about the writing process for this book. After receiving feedback from my editor, I realized the book was not quite where it needed to be. Over the course of one week, I took the book apart and rewrote roughly thirty pages. Developing a mostly new storyline under that kind of pressure was challenging, but once I settled on the idea of getting Phoenix home before dawn, the rest of the story fell into place. Once I knew how the story would end, I was able to find challenges for Bunny, Fawn, and their friends that were meaningful to their journey.

You’ve shared how your dogs inspired the main characters, but I’m curious as to who, if anyone, inspired the new character of Phoenix?

Phoenix is not modeled on either of my dogs the way Bunny and Fawn are. Before I began writing, I knew I wanted to explore a story with an element of magic, something the first two books had not touched on. Honestly, I am not entirely sure where the idea of a phoenix originated. I was more interested in the idea of woodland creatures joining together to help someone find their way home. Over time, Phoenix grew from simply flying home to embodying the rebirth associated with the mythological creature across various cultures.

Do you have a favorite character, and if so, why?

Fawn is my favorite character, and I relate to her fully. I am fond of all my characters, but

when I write, I see myself in her. In my first book, Fawn's relationship with Bunny, watching out for him and offering guidance, was drawn directly from my own experience with my younger brother. In The Glowing Feather, I related to Fawn near the end of the book, when she doubts whether the group will succeed in getting Phoenix home. She rallies them by saying, "Just a little further, we can't give up now."

Fawn has a lot of heart, and I enjoyed writing her as the one holding things together for everyone. I have carried that same kind of concern myself, and I try to stay positive.

This story brings a new magical element compared to the previous books, which focused more on nature-based themes. What inspired this choice, and how do you think the magical elements add to the narrative? Will future books in the series continue to include this magical touch?

The earlier books were rooted in the everyday wonder of the forest. The first two focused on things a child could actually go outside and notice. With Phoenix, I wanted to introduce something a little bigger: a character who is the theme. Renewal and hope are difficult ideas to explain directly to a five-year-old, but a bird who turns to ash and wakes up new makes the idea visible and, I hope, comforting rather than frightening. As for what is next, the fourth book will also include magical elements, though I cannot share too much about the story at this time. The book is well underway, and I have enjoyed continuing to weave magical elements into the story.

In our last Q&A, you mentioned that each book in the series is set during a different season. With this book taking place in fall, what do you think the autumn season adds to the story? Looking ahead to the next book being set in winter, how does that seasonal shift influence the storyline and overall atmosphere?

Fall felt right for a story about something ending and beginning again. The trees are losing their leaves just as Phoenix is about to lose his old form, and there is something hopeful in the vibrant fall colors even as things fall away. Winter, by nature, is quieter and starker, so the fourth book's story will lean into stillness, patience, and waiting for something to return, themes that suit a season when the forest seems to be holding its breath. One small insight into the fourth book is that the characters will have to rely on not acting, because they cannot. The friends will need to depend on outside help rather than take charge, which is a difficult situation for them to accept.

I thought the story really highlighted the importance of being open-minded, accepting, and embracing differences. Was this message a key part of your vision when writing the story, or did it naturally emerge as the story developed?

It emerged naturally out of the characters helping one another. Bear clears the path, Truffles sniffs out danger, and Phoenix lights the way. No one questions that Phoenix looks and acts differently from anyone else in the forest; they simply welcome him into the group and get to work. I did not set out to write a lesson about acceptance. It came instead from writing characters who default to curiosity and helpfulness rather than suspicion.

I also loved the moment in the story when each animal in the group took on a different task based on their individual strengths and unique skills. Why do you think it’s important for young readers to see characters working together in this way?

I wanted young readers to see that helping does not mean everyone doing the same thing. Bear uses his strength to clear a path and roll a log across the gap, Truffles uses her nose to check for danger, and Phoenix uses her glow to light the way through the dark. None of them could have finished the journey alone, and none of them had to be good at everything.

That feels like an important idea for a young reader to internalize early: your particular strength is enough, and it matters most alongside everyone else's strengths.

Bravery is another important theme that emerges toward the end of the story when Fawn begins to worry that they may be running out of time, but chooses to put on a brave face for her friends. Why was it important for you to include this theme?

I did not want bravery in this book to look like fearlessness, because that is not really what bravery is, even for children. Fawn is genuinely afraid they will not get Phoenix home in time, but she keeps that fear to herself so the group does not lose momentum. I wanted young readers to understand that it is okay to be scared, and that bravery means choosing to keep going and supporting the people around you anyway, even quietly, especially when no one else can see that you are scared.

What do you hope little readers take away after reading The Glowing Feather?

I hope they take away that endings are not always something to fear. Sometimes what looks like a loss is actually the start of something new.

And I hope they remember Bunny, Fawn, Bear, and Truffles working together, each in their own way, to help someone they had just met, simply because it was the right thing to do.