I always know it’s fall for two reasons…the glorious change of leaf color where I live in New England…AND the wave upon wave of brand new books! Celebrating new books can happen even before the books actually launch…and COVER REVEALS are one of my favorite ways to give all of you a sneak peek, sometimes many months before we can all get copies.

When a dear kid lit friend, Claire Blumenfeld reached out to let me know that her debut picture book, CRANKY HANK AND THE NOISY NEIGHBORS was ready to have a cover reveal, I knew I’d want to be the one who did it. And Claire has graciously agreed to stop by to answer a couple of questions. But first…let’s take a look at the cover!

Kids will totally LOVE this cover! And I think they will connect with it. Haven’t we all had moments of crankiness? Plus, the cartoon-like aspect of illustrator Gregory’s art is sure to strike a chord with young kids.

ME: Welcome, Claire! We are so happy to have you here at Picture Books Help Kid Soar!

CLAIRE: It’s a pleasure to be here, Vivian! I’m happy to share a bit about the book and the path to publicatin…as well as what inspired me to write it.
About the story

Cranky Hank And The Noisy Neighbors is an interfaith story about an older man who lives alone in his apartment and likes his life just the way it is: peaceful, predictable, and perfect for afternoon naps. But when a lively new family moves upstairs, Hank’s world is turned upside down by all the commotion. When the family, decked out with costumes and groggers, heads out to celebrate Purim, Hank’s longed-for peace and quiet finally arrives . . . along with some unexpected loneliness. And so, when the new neighbors invite him over for hamantaschen and celebrations, Hank realizes that he likes friendship even better than he likes silence.

What inspired me to write this story?

I was first inspired to write Cranky Hank in the early 2000’s when my two children were growing up. I read all the available Jewish picture books to them in support of their Jewish identity and to deepen my appreciation of Jewish culture. But although there were plenty of stories about Hanukkah and Passover, there were few on the topic of Purim. I researched the joyous holiday and began writing the early drafts of Cranky Hank. In 2009, I put the project aside to return to my career as a reading specialist. Then, after retiring and navigating Covid, with time freed up for writing I finished my story in 2022, and sold it to Kar-Ben in 2025. Now of course there are many wonderful books about Purim lining the shelves and I am honored that Cranky Hank will sit among them.

Humorous incidents along the path to publication

I found it particularly amusing that Purim was my husband’s favorite holiday growing up due to the fact he was allowed to make a lot of noise during the reading of the megillah (54 times!). I thought about who wouldn’t appreciate a lot of noise in order to create the lovable (albeit crusty, ill-tempered, and somewhat scary) main character, Hank, who desperately wants to take his afternoon nap. Purim is a Jewish holiday that honors unity, family, and community so it is especially fitting that Sari gives her gift basket to Hank and invites him to their festive family meal called the seudah.

Challenges

Originally I envisioned each spread as an upstairs/downstairs vertical structure so the readers could see the family’s noisy preparations while at the same time watch Hank’s escalating frustration. The early drafts contained many sidebars and artnotes that all became too messy. Fortunately the art director and the illustrator, Pauline Gregory, created just one spread that simultaneously shows the happenings both up and downstairs while the rest of the spreads have either a clever embedded illustration, or side-by-side illustration. The Purim Story and the Purim Mitzvot appear in the back matter.

ME: This is all wonderful, Claire! We all love to hear the story behind the story…I think hearing how things went for someone else helps us to understand that the journey is different for each one of us…yet we all face challenges, of one sort or another.

And now, dear friends, here is some info about the author and illustrator…as well as PRE-ORDER links so we can all order our very own copy!

Bios:
Claire Blumenfeld worked as an early childhood educator and reading interventionist for 25 years, sharing picture books to support developing readers. Now she writes humorous and heartfelt, language-rich picture books layered with themes of identity & belonging, family, and community. Her first book, Cranky Hank and the Noisy Neighbors (A Purim Story) releases January 5, 2027 (pre-order link). Claire lives in the Boston area and on Cape Cod with her husband. Visit her at www.claireblumenfeld.com, or follow on social media @ClaireBlumenfeld

Pauline is an award-winning children’s illustrator, graduating from Arts University Plymouth. Drawing is the quiet place she loves to be. With silliness and humour at her core, she loves to make the reader laugh. Living and working in north Cornwall, England, Pauline creates quirky illustrations with humour and charm using traditional materials. Some of Pauline’s clients include: Random House, Walker Books, Jellycat London, Disney, Faber & Faber, Simon & Schuster, Bloomsbury, Little Tiger, Wonderbly and more. https://paulinegregoryillustration.com/

PRE-ORDER LINKS:
AMAZON
BOOKSHOP.ORG

GOODREADS WANT TO READ SHELF

Thank you for spending your precious time with us. I hope you all have a wonderful week!