Hello dear friends! Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday. Today’s featured book is a perfect choice for the coming holiday of Hanukkah. I’ve know author Martha Seif Simpson for a long time…and I had the pleasure of meeting her at the New England SCBWI Spring Conference in May. She’s agreed to share the story behind the story…it’s always fun to learn what inspired a writer to write a particular story.
I WILL NOT EAT LATKES
Written by Martha Seif Simpson
Illustrated by Lisa Hunt
Published by Apples and Honey Press (October 20, 2026)
Ages: 4-6
Themes: Hanukkah, friendship, picky eaters
Synopsis: From Amazon:
A funny, foodie friendship tale for Hanukkah about patience, courage, and trying new things.
Potchky will not eat smelly onions or brown potatoes, especially when his friend Nosh mixes them with matza meal, eggs and salt, thank you very much. But Nosh doesn’t let Potchky’s complaints get in the way of cooking for Hanukkah. Rather, Nosh gently guides Potchky to give new foods a try. This sweet, simple tale celebrates Hanukkah with age-appropriate messages of trying new foods and having patience with our friends.
Written with an early reader in mind, the story is told with easy-to-read words and without contractions. The book’s backmatter includes the story of Hanukkah, a science experiment to do at home, and, of course, a latke recipe. Perfect for fans of Elephant and Piggie, Green Eggs and Ham, and other simple books of humor, friendship, and growing.
“Lively . . . both funny and familiar.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“An engaging holiday tale that folds in a lesson on trying new things.” —Kirkus Reviews
WHY I LOVE THIS BOOK:
1. I love books that are filled with humor!
2. I love books that encourage kids to try new things!
3. I love books filled with art that engages kids!
ME: And now, as promised, Martha is ready to share a little bit about how and why she wrote this book. Welcome, Martha!
MARTHA: Thank you for inviting me back for another Perfect Picture Book Friday. We both have new Hanukkah books this year, and I’m looking forward to interviewing you on my Substack in November!
Making latkes on Hanukkah was always a big production in our family. I had an old cast-iron meat grinder that we used to ground up the potatoes and onions to the perfect consistency. Everyone joined in to turn the big handle, including any guests who happened to be visiting us. One time, someone said the uncooked mixture looked like “rusty potato mush” and that became a family joke.
A few years ago, I thought it would be fun to turn the idea of rusty potato mush into a story about a picky eater, sort of like a Jewish version of Green Eggs and Ham. I knew from the start that the two characters would have to be animals because I didn’t want any adults in the story and I couldn’t have little children using knives and cooking with hot oil. But I didn’t know what type of animals they were, so I wrote the book with no idea as to what Nosh and Potchky looked like!
During the editing process, my editor and I tossed around several ideas. After a while, it became obvious to me that Nosh was a koala. But we couldn’t agree on an animal for Potchky. Eventually, we decided to let the illustrator figure it out. Lisa came up with a few sketches and the ring-tailed lemur, with its long, expressive tail, was the winner. I would have never thought of that, so I’m glad Lisa did.
I had originally written the story as an easy reader, with narration and dialog. One of the first changes my editor suggested was to reformat it into a cartoon or graphic novel-style book. At first, it was unusual to re-write it with detailed illustration instructions, because writers are always told not to do that. But once I figured out what to do, it was a lot of fun.
There was another challenge. Both my editor and I assumed that the title of the book would be Rusty Potato Mush, but the marketing experts thought I Will NOT Eat Latkes! was more to the point. It certainly sounds like something a fussy eater would say, so hopefully kids (and their parents) can relate to it.
ME: Thank you so much, Martha! I loved hearing about the path to publication…so much revision goes on, even after a manuscript is acquired. And it’s so interesting to hear about the title change…as writers, we spend so much time stressing over a title…but very often, editors and/or sales and marketing teams have other ideas.
Here’s a little bit about the author and illustrator and links to connect with them:
Martha Seif Simpson is a retired children’s librarian who now volunteers at her synagogue library. She is a past chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee and is currently serving on the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Committee.
Martha’s other picture books are What NOT to Give Your Mom on Mother’s Day, The Dreidel That Wouldn’t Spin: A Toyshop Tale of Hanukkah, Esther’s Gragger: A Toyshop Tale of Purim, and A Ring for a King: A Tale of King Solomon. She lives in Connecticut when she’s not travelling the world with her husband. To learn more about Martha and her books, check her website and subscribe to her Substack, The Simpsonian Muse.
Website: https://www.martha-seif-simpson.com
Substack: https://marthakidlitauthor@substack.com
Facebook: Martha Kidlit Author
@marthakidlitauthor.bsky.social
Instagram:@ martha_kidlit_author
Goodreads: Martha Seif Simpson
Lisa Hunt is a freelance illustrator and has been working in children’s publishing for over 15 years. Before then, she worked as an in-house illustrator for several companies. Lisa has a passion for creating lovable, quirky characters with humorous stories to tell, and has worked with publishers both in the U.K. and internationally. She is best known for illustrating the countryside holiday books written by Phyllis Alsdurf and Dogs Don’t Dance written by Gemma Atkinson.
She lives near London with her other half, ginger cat and shih tzu pup.
Website: www.lisa-hunt.co.uk
instagram: @lease_doodles
And here are Purchase Links so you can get your own copy of this wonderful book in time for Hanukkah!
Bookshop.org:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Last but not least, Martha has a request for our blog readers:
“I’d love readers to contact me and say they read this interview! And I really appreciate it when readers post nice reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble.“
Thank you for spending your precious time with us. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
