Lou Lou and Pea are the two creative yet different friends at the heart of Jill Diamond’s debut hit Lou Lou and Pea and the Mural 
Mystery and now the sequel, Lou Lou and Pea and the Bicentennial Bonanza. But their, fun, quirky neighborhood, El Corazón, is arguably the real star. I want to live in this neighborhood, and I definitely want a friend like Lou Lou or Pea. Part of what makes these books so special is that they capture that feeling you have when you are 9-12 (although I would say the ideal reading age is 8-10) and you make that new, exciting, and best forever friend. I remember talking to mine for hours on the phone while my mother asked and asked me to hang up (she finally gave up). At that age, there is nothing more important than your best friend and your epic adventures together. El Corazón is the magical world of these adventures, the rainbow-colored, exciting, but ultimately safe existence we all experienced in our network of backyards, friend’s houses, and after-hours school parking lots.
Except not quite. Jill’s unique vision is somehow both sweeter and more wacky than you remember–your neighborhood in technicolor and bilingual. Especially in the Bicentennial Bonanza. I say wacky with the greatest love. I have to disclose that I have a personal relationship with Jill, but this mini-review is all my opinion. Luckily, she still agreed to do the the interview below.
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Interview with Lou Lou and Pea Creator Jill Diamond
What inspired you to start writing, and, specifically, to write the LOU LOU AND PEA books?
Jill: My main motivation for becoming a writer was my mom, Nancy Diamond. I started writing when I was caring for her during an illness. My mom was an elementary school librarian who was known to her students as “The Best Librarian in the Whole Wide World.” She was a true champion of children’s literature, and she’s the reason that I love to read, as well as write.
As for the inspiration for the Lou Lou and Pea books, I was first and foremost excited to write a story loosely based on the Mission District in San Francisco. I’ve lived in or near the Mission most of my adult life, and El Corazón, Lou Lou and Pea’s community, is a very whimsical version of the neighborhood that I love. The plot for MURAL MYSTERY is directly inspired by the murals in the Mission and the community Día de los Muertos celebration. For the BONANZA plot, I drew inspiration from my own love of fashion, stories with classic exaggerated villains, and my fascination with local history (although the history in BONANZA is imagined, not real).
What is your favorite quote about writing?
I have two quotes I love:
“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” Madeleine L’Engle
“[B]efore I know much of anything about the story I have to see the place, the landscape, and I have to know the principal people. By name. And it has to be the right name. If it’s the wrong name, the character won’t come to me. I won’t know who the person is. The character won’t talk, won’t do anything.” – Ursula K. Le Guin
It’s probably not difficult to imagine why I like the first quote, and I like the second because it rings very true for me. I need to be well acquainted with my setting and my characters before the story can come to life. And the right names are so important. I came up with Lou Lou and Pea’s names before I thought of any other ideas for the book or knew what sort of characters they would turn out to be!
What part of the writing process do you enjoy most?
I really love revising. I know that a lot of authors hate revisions, but revising is one of my favorite parts of writing. I find it really satisfying to cut and clarify bits of my book. The revision process is also when I get to go back into the manuscript and add a lot of the fun little details to the story.
Friendship is a really important theme in your books. How did your childhood relationships influence the depiction of friendship in the stories?
My childhood friendships were, and still are, extremely important to me. I am an only child so my good friends have been my lifelong surrogate siblings. I remain very close to them today, even though we are scattered across the country. I was fortunate to have many friends like Pea in my life, and, although PSPP belongs exclusively to Lou Lou and Pea, we had plenty of our own rituals, as well as secret hideouts, and important missions.
The Lou Lou and Pea books focus on the girls’ specific passions? For Lou Lou, it’s horticulture and for Pea, art and fashion. What are some of your passions?
I’m passionate about baking things that take way too much of my time to make. I’ve made two wedding cakes, blue ribbon-winning muffins, a contest-winning pie, and innumerable birthday treats. I’m also passionate about traveling, swimming, reading and collecting piggybanks, red lipsticks, and cowboy boots!
Will there be another LOU LOU AND PEA book?
I can’t say for sure, but I’d love to see the girls return for a third outing. In the meantime, I’m working on another middle grade project (featuring toothpaste and a pig) that has so far been really fun to write.
Thanks Jill for taking the time to talk with us!
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