Wow…I think this is the 4th year in a row that I’ve had the honor of interviewing the creators of the winning picture book. Many thanks to the Sydney Taylor Book Awards committee. And many thanks to the creators of AN ETROG FROM ACROSS THE SEA, for giving young readers such a fabulous book!

What a joyful experience this was…Talya Sokoll connected us via email – and I reached out to authors Deborah Cohen and Kerry Olitsky and illustrator Stacey Dressen McQueen – and almost immediately, my inbox began to receive their responses. I know you will all enjoy finding out about their process, research, and collaboration – so please, sit back and relax.

ME: Welcome, Deborah, Kerry, and Stacey! What a pleasure and an honor to get the chance to chat with you. I know my blog followers are excited to hear about how this book came to be – and perhaps, a bit about the process of collaborating on such a lovely project.

ME:  For the writers:
What inspired you to write this story?

DEBORAH:

Kerry and I had been talking about doing a Sukkot story. We kept on coming up with story ideas and then with a little web searching, finding out that it had already been done. We decided we needed to dig deeper for ideas. I was poking around on the web and came upon an online exhibit of different etrog holders. The Gomez family etrog holder immediately spoke to me. It is so delicate and finely made. I especially became interested when I started to research the family. Here, I found the email that I sent to Kerry in July 2022, telling him about the cup.” I found this picture of a colonial-era etrog holder. It was a fancy mustard cup that the wealthy Gomez family brought with them to America. The family used it instead as a as an etrog holder. It has family initials carved into it. The Gomez family imported items for trade and had lots of connections in Jamaica and Barbados. I was imagining a young girl waiting for her father to come back from sea. He returns with an etrog and she wants to treat it carefully, so she puts it in the mustard cup – the nicest heirloom that the family owns.”
It’s pretty amazing how closely the story ended up following the original idea.
as an etrog holder.  It has family initials carved into it.  The Gomez family imported
items for trade and had lots of connections in Jamaica and Barbados.  I was
imagining a young girl waiting for her father to come back from sea.  He returns with
an etrog and she wants to treat it carefully so puts it in the mustard cup – the nicest
heirloom that the family owns.”
It’s pretty amazing how closely the story ended up following this original idea!

KERRY: We had been looking for a new approach to Jewish holiday stories. As we tossed ideas around and dug into various ideas, the idea of doing something in this time period using a ritual object bubbled to the surface. 

ME: I notice there are two authors, how did this collaboration come about? 

DEBORAH:
Kerry and I have known each other for years. He was a professor at Hebrew Union
College when I was a rabbinical student. We reconnected years later when he reached
out and asked about writing for children. Our strengths complement one another well.
And we enjoy working together. Writing can be solitary and having a writing partner
makes it less so.

KERRY:
We have collaborated on many book projects together and still have a number of picture books and other children’s books in the pipeline. We originally met when I was on the faculty of Hebrew Union College when Deborah was a student. Years later, I reached out to her for editing suggestions on my first children’s book Where’s the Potty on this Ark? Eventually we reconnected and decided to work on some things together. 

ME: How did the research process unfold?

DEBORAH:
Since we were writing during the pandemic, we did all of our research online. We
were lucky that the Gomez family was fairly prominent and we were able to find a
lot information about them. The Gomez Mill House in the Hudson Valley of New
York has an extensive website, with lots of photographs and links to more
information. That proved invaluable.

KERRY:
Our approach is usually that we start researching an idea, and  sometimes divide up the subject area. Then we take notes and compare them, working the content until we find the idea that works. 

ME: Were there any humorous incidents or challenging moments on the path to publication for this book?

DEBORAH:
It’s not humorous at all but, when the book came out, there were a few, small last
minute changes that I did not remember us making. Kerry didn’t either. I looked
back through my email and I realized that we had sent those changes to Kar-Ben on October 6, 2023. The next day was the attack in Israel, of course. The rest of
October 2023 was a blur to me, so I understood why we didn’t remember some
simple revisions.

KERRY:
Finding the right publisher who is willing to take on a book project is always challenging. We were also fortunate that PJ Library chose our book for fall holiday mailing. 

ME: What do you hope young readers will take away from this story?

DEBORAH:
I hope that young reader first and foremost think it’s a good story that captures
their attention and imagination. I hope that they feel a kinship with Leah and
Aaron and recognize their own similarities to them, despite living 300 years apart.
Some themes – like sibling rivalry or worrying about your parents coming back
for you – are just timeless. The Jewish community has been part of American life
for a very long time and, hopefully, this story will help build Jewish pride.

KERRY:
I hope that young readers will take away a few things, including just enjoying the story. I hope that they will feel closer to the festival of Sukkot, that there can be pleasure  in taking a ritual object and raising its level of beauty (called hiddur mitzvah in Hebrew). I also hope that they will become interested enough in the Jewish community of the Colonial Period to learn more about it. 

ME: Thank you both for these very thoughtful and insightful answers! It’s wonderful to see how a collaboration between authors can spark the birth of a beautiful award-winning book. And because it’s a picture book, the illustrator’s vision also comes into play – so we are especially lucky to have Stacey here as well
How did you feel when you first read the manuscript?

STACEY:
Delighted! The opportunity to dive into all the historical details of this rich and touching manuscript was really exciting. Along with the story, I immediately loved the characters – especially the realistic sibling dynamic between Leah and Aaron and the tenderness between Grandpa Luis and Leah. I couldn’t wait to get them on the page.

ME: Did you collaborate with the writers during the illustration process?

STACEY:
No, I didn’t have contact with the writers when I was illustrating. Deborah and Kerry’s writing is a dream to expand on with pictures. During the process of illustrating An Etrog from Across the Sea, I was supported with the thoughtful and insightful guidance and feedback of editor Joanna Sussman and art director Athena Currier of Kar-Ben. A wonderful team to work with! 

ME: The story takes place during Colonial America…what type of research did you need to do?

STACEY:
To get the tone and palette of the story, I looked to  Early American portraits and embroidery work (and looked and looked – they are so fascinating!).

When narrowing in on details of clothing, interiors, stage coaches and ships, I went up, down and all around online from museum archives, blogs and paintings and illustrations of the era.  I also went to the library and found nonfiction children’s books about life in the colonial era that were helpful with the details of everyday life.

With An Etrog from Across the Sea being based on a real family, the Gomez family, it was wonderful to have the Gomez Mill House in Marlboro, NY, as a basis for an actual home. The beautiful silver mustard cup that belonged to the family and was used as an etrog holder is in the collection of the American Jewish Historical Society.

ME: Were there any humorous incidents or challenging moments on the path to publication for this book?

STACEY:
Knowing when to wind down on the researching  can be  a challenge. I went on a very deep and rather needless dive into colonial era wood mills for a spell. The wood mill was a very itty bit in the background of a very busy page. No need to go in for a tight grasp on the mechanics… So it is good to remember there is a time for research and a time to just take yourself out for a walk in the sunshine, or maybe to eat something sweet. Just move on.

ME: What do you hope young readers will take away from this story?

STACEY:
An Etrog from Across the Sea is such a wonderful little portrait of this moment in history and told with such love and warmth. I hope the reader absorbs that and takes with them a curiosity for more of all of it – the joy in the way stories create a nearness to the past.

ME: Oh my goodness! Stacey…thank you so much! You’ve shared so much with us…we are grateful. And you also shared some early sketches..

I just had to share this lovely review from Kirkus:

“This touching story, written by two rabbis, offers a glimpse into a lesser-known aspect of colonial America and celebrates the warmth of family togetherness. A homey, appealing holiday celebration.”―Kirkus Reviews

And here’s a little bit about these fabulous creators:
Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen is the author of many award-winning children’s books including Papa Jethro and Nachshon Who Was Afraid to Swim. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children. And Deborah has a page on her website with discussion guides: https://bodincohenbooks.com/discussion-guides/

Dr. Kerry Olitzky is a prominent leader in the field of Jewish education and innovation, having contributed significantly through his role as the long-time executive director of Big Tent Judaism, an organization dedicated to integrating interfaith families and the unaffiliated into Jewish life. He has also
enriched the academic and spiritual landscape as a visiting professor at the Abraham Geiger Kolleg/University of Pottsdam in Germany and as a Fellow at the City University Graduate Center (NY) in its Jewish Studies Program. Recognized as one of the 50 Leading Rabbis in North America by Newsweek,
Olitzky’s influence extends beyond traditional educational settings, having served as vice president of the Wexner Heritage Foundation and the national Dean of AdultJewish Learning and Living of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. His pioneering work spans Jewish Twelve Step spirituality and
Jewish Gerontology, positioning him as a leader in developing innovative training programs for clergy across faiths. A prolific and award-winning author, Olitzky has published nearly 100 books and numerous articles, including recent titles like Heroes with Chutzpah and The Heroes Haggadah: Lead the Way to Freedom, contributing valuable insights across a variety of fields. His picture book, An Etrog From Across
the Sea won the prestigious Sydney Taylor Award. His work, often found in leading publications in North America and Israel, continues to impact and shape contemporary Jewish thought and practice.
You can visit his library and studio at: www.kerryolitzky.com

and his Etsy Shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/OlitzkyArtStudio

Stacey Dressen McQueen is the illustrator of several award-winning picture books, including Boxes for Katje, which Publishers Weekly named a Best Children’s Book of the Year. She works in pencil, oil pastel, and acrylic. She grew up on a farm in South Dakota and lives with her family in Portland, Oregon.
You can find out more about Stacey and her work at: https://www.dressenmcqueen.com/

To check out more stops on the blog tour: