Strike up the band! It’s time to celebrate…a new book is born! And this one is written by one of my long-time CPs, Carrie Finison and illustrated by the fabulous Daniel Wiseman. Back in 2012, when I was first dipping my toes into the world of writing kid lit and had just joined 12×12 in its inaugural year, Carrie reached out on the 12×12 FB page to start a critique group. I hopped on board…and the rest is history! I remember seeing EVEN STEVEN in its earlier drafts…and I can tell you that I loved it even in its infancy.
And now we are so lucky, because Carrie has stopped by to chat with us. ME: Welcome, Carrie. Thanks for stopping by! Can you share a bit about what inspired you to write EVEN STEVEN? And maybe a little about the path to publication?
CARRIE: I’m so happy to be here, Vivian. And I’d love to share what inspired the story…and more!
The inspiration for Even Steven: A Book About Sharing might have (/PROBABLY DID) come from my children literally using our kitchen scale to weigh out brownies, using tape to make a dividing line exactly in the middle of their seats in the car, and using a timer to make sure no one got more than their fair share of computer time. I’m sure most parents and anyone with a sibling is familiar with these scenarios. Kids love making sure things are even!
Challenges on the path to publication:
I had the title and character name “Even Steven” in my head for quite a few years before I started writing. I imagined the character of Steven to be a kid who wanted everything to be so exactly even that he sometimes got himself into ludicrous situations. But I kept getting stuck with HOW to present this character in a way that kids would consider funny but not ridiculous or baby-ish.
It wasn’t until a year or two after my book Don’t Hug Doug, also illustrated by Daniel Wiseman, was released that I realized that the same format might work very well for Even Steven. I wanted to place the reader in the role of “knowing better” than the main character, Steven. In order to reinforce that, the cast of characters in the book all know better than Steven – and they tell him so!
The format of dialogue balloons, paired with narrative text, enables both the characters in the book and the reader to acknowledge the humor and silliness of the situations that Steven creates with his insistence on perfect evenness. Instead of the reader thinking, “I’m supposed to believe this?” the format places the reader and book on the same side, both saying, “Can you believe this kid?”
At the same time, Steven is very earnest in his desire to share. Sharing becomes a puzzle that he’s trying to figure out – with a little help from the other characters in the book, and the reader. I hope it’s a puzzle that readers will have fun solving with Steven, and in their own lives.
Carrie Finison writes children’s books with humor and heart that are fun to read aloud. Her books include Dozens of Doughnuts and the sequel, Plenty of Pancakes; Don’t Hug Doug, an ALA Notable Children’s Book; Even Steven: A Book About Sharing; Lulu & Zoey: A Sister Story; Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School; Pigs Dig a Road; and Touch a Truck Day, a lift-the-flap board book. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, son, and daughter, and two cats who permit her to work in their cozy attic office.
Daniel Wiseman is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart. He has illustrated many books for kids, including Goodbye Brings Hello by Dianne White, Play This Book by Jessica Young, When Your Lion Needs a Bath by Susanna Leonard Hill, and the Baby Scientist series by Laura Gehl. He lives with his family in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Thank you all for spending your precious time with us! I should have an update soon on the #50PreciousWords Literacy Initiative. And I’m still in prize distribution mode for #50PreciousWords…I’m about half-way through the list and it’s been a pure joy to connect with so many amazing writers…the people in the kid lit community are very special, that’s for sure! And the prize donors are incredible also…I’m grateful to all of you!
Can you feel the excitement? I can!!! I always feel this way when a new book flies into bookstores and we get a chance to celebrate…and in this case, the author IS flying (he lives in Israel and is in NYC for various book events including a book launch TODAY at The Corner Bookstore on Madison Avenue ) and the book is knocking on bookstores and they are welcoming it with open arms because it’s fabulous…and because the illustrations are amazing…and because the name of the book is…
EMILY SAW A DOOR
ME: And we are so lucky because Mel stopped by to chat with us and tell us a bit about the book and its path to publication! Welcome to Picture Books Help Kids Soar, dear friend. We are so excited to have you here. Please share a bit about the bookand your journey with it.
MEL: Thank you so much, Vivian. It’s a joy to be here. Here’s a short summary of the story
Emily knocks on door after door, seeking to be welcomed inside. After facing one disappointment after another, she realizes that the door that is right for her is the one she must create herself. When another child comes knocking, Emily is there with an open door and a warm welcome.
And here’s the story behind the story…that is, what inspired me to write the story and/or any humorous incidents and/or challenging moments on the path to publication.
As a short, pudgy, left-handed, Jewish child growing up in an anti-Semitic neighborhood in Ottawa, rejection was a regular occurrence. But I think that the main impetus for the story came from the hundreds of rejections I endured as an author trying to break into the world of traditional publishing. Ironically, my story about doors and rejection turned out to be the door that opened and welcomed me in.
ME: Oh Mel…I love that you kept moving forward…and I know that ALL of the writers who read this will connect with your story of rejection, whether they are aspiring authors or multi-published. And not only writers…since EVERYONE deals with challenges and the possible destruction of their dreams. Your words…and your book…give hope…and inspire us to never give up!
A little bit about the author: Professor Mel Rosenberg is a Canadian-born author, scientist and inventor. His TED-Ed animations have been viewed 14 million times. Mel hosts the Children’s Literature channel of the New Books Network. Emily Saw a Door is his first North American picture book release. He is represented by Liza Royce Associates.
And a little bit about the illustrator: Orit Magia is a children’s book author and illustrator celebrated for her whimsical visual storytelling and memorable characters. Her art brings emotion and depth to every scene she creates.
Illustrations by Orit Magia
MEL: I also want to shout out that the original book was published in Hebrew in 2023, by Meira Firon (publisher, Tal-May) and chief editor Yotam Shwimmer. They picked my story out of the ‘pile,’ worked with me on revision and translation, chose Orit Magia, and created a wonderful book which won awards and has recently been given to 50,000 children in Israel, thanks to PJ Library.
ME: WOW! The story about the book’s journey gets better and better, Mel. And the illustrations are glorious! I can’t wait for my copy to be delivered! And, dear friends, if you want a chance to speak with Mel (he is kind and brilliant and funny), make sure you leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway of a 30-minute Zoom chat.He says he is willing to talk about any subject…even halitosis (he’s a scientist and inventor, after all).
To learn more about Mel and get in touch with him: If you are local to NYC, you can attend his LAUNCH PARTY at The Corner Bookstore!
Thank you all for spending your precious time with us. I hope you have a wonderful week! And I hope that lots of you are working on your #50PreciousWords entries.
Hello dear friends! I hope you have been practicing your scales because we have a TRIPLE happy book birthday to sing…for THREE brand new Purim book boards. Here’s a peek at the covers:
First of all…I absolutely LOVE board books…these sturdy little books that invite wee ones to begin the exciting journey into the world of books! The art is engaging…the text simple and child-friendly. And all three of these are perfect examples of the genre.
And lucky us! Authors Varda Livney, Nancy Churnin, and Barbara Kimmel were kind enough to stop by to share a bit about their books, plus the story behind their stories…what inspired them to write them…and more.
ME: Welcome, dear ladies! Thank you for stopping by to chat.
NANCY: Thank you so much for having us, Vivian. It’s a joy to be here. Let me share a little background about the books. You wouldn’t think there would be a wide variety of stories about celebrating Purim, a Jewish holiday about speaking up and taking actions for yourself and others, and certainly not in the very brief board book form aimed at toddlers.
And yet, here are three PJ Publishing board books by three different authors – all friends – who have taken three very distinct, colorful approaches. Purim Possibilities by Barbara Kimmel (illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich) plays with the fun of choosing a costume for Purim. Purim Baskets by Nancy Churnin (illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford) offers a guessing game that centers on the Purim tradition of giving gift baskets to friends with the twist of those friends being animals, bird, and a fish. And Today I Am a Hamantasch, a Poem for Purim, written and illustrated by Varda Livney, tells us the story from the point of view of everyone’s favorite Purim treat, the hamantaschen!
The three books are a testament to the richness of the Purim story and the creative variety of board books. They remind us of how many delicious twists are yet to be discovered in familiar holidays and how much joy can be infused into so few words for our youngest book lovers who deserve the best we can give them.
Families can learn more or sign up for free monthly Jewish children’s books at pjlibrary.org. These three titles will also be available in February through the PJ Library store on Amazon: amazon.com/pjlibrary.
ME: Thank you, Nancy! I know we’ll hear more from you in a minute, but I think Varda is ready to share some info about her book, TODAY I AM A HAMANTASCH.
VARDA: Thank you, Vivian.
Today I Am a Hamantasch introduces babies to Purim characters, costumes and of course to the wonderful Hamantasch. It’s a poem, it’s a board book, it has cutouts- and it’s meant to spread Purim Joy to ALL the babies.
ME: Any challenges or humorous moments on the path to publication?
VARDA: Well, there was the knock-down, drag-out fight about spelling Hamantasch vs. Hamentasch. (I wanted Hamentasch. I lost.)
Challenge: The book has cutouts, making it a challenge to match the art up exactly so that the illustration still works when the page is turned. (I still haven’t seen the actual book yet, so I hope it came out right.)
ME: What inspired you to write it? VARDA: As with many of my projects, it started from doodling- in this case, Purim costumes on assorted animals.
My aim, when writing for babies (and those who read to them) is to spread warm & fuzzy (and fun) feelings about the holiday, not necessarily to teach the whole story.
Here’s a little bit about Varda: Varda Livney lives on a kibbutz with her family and 1,000 other assorted people, dogs, cats, cows and olive trees. Her studio is smack-in-between the baseball field and the cowbarn, which ensures that she gets to hear the crack of the bat and smell the cows while she tries to figure out how to bring world peace through drawing cats and bunnies. Varda designed textiles, packaging, gifts and greeting cards, before pivoting to writing books for kids. Today I Am a Hamantasch is her 7th PJ Library book.
ME: Thank you so much, Varda! I’ve loved being in the #JewishBoardBooks group with you. And now we’ll welcome back Nancy who will share a bit about her new book: PURIM BASKETS.
NANCY: Purim Baskets: In this gently rhyming board book, young listeners guess what creature gets each shalach manot – Purim gift basket – based on the treats and gifts inside.
And here’s my inspiration for Purim Baskets:
My cat, Gloria Swanson, who is always at my side or on my lap while I am writing, has made it clear, in so many purrs, that while a book should not be judged by its cover, it should and will be judged by the presence or lack of cats within. With that in mind, I was determined to make a cat an integral part of a board book I was brainstorming on Purim. And since Gloria is fond of treats and toys, it was an easy leap to create a book about shalach manot – Purim baskets – for our furry, feathered and scaled friends. I am happy (and relieved) that Gloria was very pleased with the cat basket page (four paws up to Amy Schimler-Safford for her meow-velous work!). So far, Gloria has not objected to the basket pages for other creatures, and she even has a soft spot for the dog basket since she is fond of our dog (named Dog!). Gloria, Dog and I hope that this book will inspire young listeners to be kind to their pets, including those in shelters and pet stores, and bring treats to them.
Here’s a little bit about Nancy: Nancy Churnin bio: Nancy Churnin is an award-winning children’s book author, living in North Texas, with a passion for writing about people – and animals! – who make the world a better and kinder place and inspire kids to become heroes, too. Among her honors: the National Jewish Book Award, South Asia Book Award, Sydney Taylor Honor and Notables, Junior Library Guild selections, Silver Eurekas, National Council for the Social Studies Trade Books, Bank Street College of Education Best Books, A Mighty Girl, multiple state lists, including the Texas 2X2 and Topaz lists, and starred reviews. You can find resources, teacher guides and projects on nancychurnin.com.
And here’s a little bit about illustrator Amy Schimler-Safford : Amy, the illustrator of Purim Baskets, has worked as a textile designer and children’s illustrator for more than two decades, designing and illustrating children’s books and periodicals, children’s apparel, toys wall décor, fabrics, greeting cards, and stationery. Her work reflects her passion for color and pattern. Her book, “Why is the Sky Blue?”, was paired with an Eric Carle title for Booktrust.org’s book bag program, with more than 700,000 book bags distributed to students in the UK.
ME: That’s wonderful, Nancy! And now, last, but certainly not least, let’s hear from Barbara.
BARBARA: Purim Possibilities follows a child getting ready for Purim as they try on costume after costume, wondering how they’ll ever choose just one. Each outfit reveals a different side of who they are, and they begin to imagine whether it might be possible to show all those parts at once. Told in cheerful rhyme, this playful board book includes reusable stickers so children can mix and match costumes themselves.
ME: Where there any challenges along the way?
BARBARA: Writing Jewish holiday stories in rhyme definitely has its challenges. (Have you ever tried to find a rhyme for King Ahasuerus? Or hamantaschen?) I wanted to include key Purim elements that would resonate with children, while still keeping the text lively and playful. Fitting that into a tight, engaging rhyme took some maneuvering, but I was thrilled when it finally clicked.
ME: What inspired you to write the story?
BARBARA: I was in a store when I noticed a child wearing a frilly tutu, a cape, and colorful rain boots (even though it was a bright, sunny day). I loved how confidently they had chosen their outfit and were expressing themselves. It made me think about how children don’t fit neatly into labels like brave, shy, outgoing, or sensitive — they can be many things at once. That’s what Purim Possibilities is about: embracing the many parts of yourself.
And here’s a little bit about Barbara: Barbara Kimmel is a children’s book author and playwright who creates playful, interactive stories for young readers. Her debut book, Hanukkah Hippity-Hop (Kar-Ben Publishing), is a rhyming interactive board book that was named a Best Jewish Holiday Children’s Book by the Association of Jewish Libraries. Her short stories appear in children’s magazines, including Highlights and High Five. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
And here’s a little bit about the illustrator: Irina Avgustinovich is a children’s book illustrator originally from Belarus and now based in Portugal. Trained in classical painting and ceramics, she has over 15 years of experience illustrating books for children and has worked extensively with publishers in Europe, the UK, and the United States. Deeply inspired by the world of childhood, her illustrations celebrate imagination, humor, and freedom of expression, brought to life through playful textures and a vibrant use of light and color.
Barbara’s Social Media
Website: barbarakimmelwrites.com Instagram: @barbarakimmelwrites Facebook: Barbara Kimmel Writes Bluesky: @barbarakimmel.bsky.social X (Twitter): @BKimmelWrites
WOW! Thank you all for taking us behind the scenes of the path to publication for these three beautiful new board books! The books are available on Amazon for those who aren’t part of the PJ Library family but want to acquire copies for their home bookshelves. And please remember that book reviews are an important way others find out about a book…they only take a minute or two to write…but mean a lot to the creators of the books that you love.
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 