A couple of months ago, I was offered the chance to read and review a wonderful funny Jewish children book - A Gefilte Fishy Tale, that I had the opportunity to review extensively elsewhere. The book is not only well written, approaching a very special audience, but succeeds to make relevant old family stories and customs. Curious about how it is possible to create Jewish stories that appeals to the young readers I approached the authors, Allison and Wayne Marks, for an extensive interview. Here is the result of the exchange.
What
inspires you to write?
The word we’d use is not so much
“inspires” as it is “compels.” Stories will logjam in our brains if we don’t
put in the time to write on a daily basis. Writing together is one of the joys
in our lives. The moments we share haggling over diction questions and debating
plot twists are highlights of our busy week.
How
do you find inspiration for your books?
Story ideas come from many different sources: family
photographs, a Yiddish saying, dreams, childhood memories, or a piece of
Talmudic text. We are always looking for a unique angle on different aspects of
Jewish life and culture to share with a young audience.
A Gefilte Fishy Tale sprung from a conversation
after a Passover seder in which we were discussing Wayne’s love of the
whitefish, carp, and pike delicacy. The idea of a difficult-to-open jar soon
blossomed into a Jewish sword-in-the-stone quest. Working with our publisher,
Margie Blumberg, the book took new and exciting directions with the addition of
Yiddish words, a recipe, and an original song.
The inspiration for Og’s Ark came from Allison’s reading of Jewish folktales from
around the world. Since there had never been a picture book version of Og
helping Noah collect the animals, we thought this format would be an ideal way
to introduce this old story to a new generation of young readers. In our
retelling, we turned it into a bedtime story by bringing in the biblical
reference to Og’s iron bed.
Our latest book, The
Art Lesson: A Shavuot Story, is rooted in personal experience. When our
twins, Elliott and Claire, were young, they took art lessons from Grandpa
Marks, much like the main character, Shoshana, does in the book. Inspired by
artworks hanging on the walls at Temple Israel in Akron, Ohio, we researched papercuts
and learned how they were used as decorations to celebrate Shavuot in Eastern
Europe. Blending these elements, we created a story that touches on several
themes: the importance of imagination, the passing on of traditions, and the idea
that creating a beautiful work of art can be a messy business.
Our publishers, Margie Blumberg (MB Publishing) and
Joni Sussman (Kar-Ben Publishing) have been true creative forces in helping to
bring our manuscripts to life and making them available to children everywhere.
What
is the most difficult part of writing for children?
Since our books are written for
four- to eight-year-olds, it can be challenging to strike the right balance
between word choices and expressive language. Our goal is to write books
children want to read again and again, so we try to incorporate bits of humor
and a sense of wonder to our stories, while delivering a message without being
didactic. We think back to the books we loved as children (e.g. Stone Soup, The Sneetches, Mike Mulligan
and His Steam Shovel) and ask, “What made them special to us?” We’ve
concluded that though cultural sensibilities and technologies have changed,
children still know a good story when they hear one.
In The Art
Lesson we wanted to make Shoshana’s visits to Grandma Jacobs’ art studio
magical. The solution was a 100-drawer cabinet holding treasures for the young
artist in our book to discover every week. A
Gefilte Fishy Tale pushes the boundaries of absurdity by having Bubbe and
Zayde go to extreme lengths to unscrew the stubborn lid in time for their Friday
night dinner. And what child would not want to share their bed with all kinds
of animals like Og the Giant does?
How
is it possible to keep alive Jewish traditions among children in a world that
never wants to stop?
In a small but significant way,
Jewish-themed picture books play a role in keeping traditions alive in the
home. First, the act itself of reading to a child, whether snuggled in bed or
sitting on a lap, creates a lasting bond and shared memories. Further, books that
show modern families celebrating customs together (e.g. making papercuts or
gathering for a Sabbath meal) can influence a child’s awareness of how
traditions honor the past and celebrate the present. Yes, the world moves at a
frantic pace. However, books demand us to slow down, reflect, and think about
what is truly important. They can be a precious alternative to the unceasing stream
of technology bombarding children every day.
How
do you connect with your audience?
We do book readings, library talks,
and book festivals. The most satisfying part of being an author is reading your
book to children and seeing them anticipate what’s going to happen with the
turn of each page. Also, we make time to talk with aspiring writers and to encourage
children to pursue their own writing projects.
What
does your audience think about your stories?
The response to our books has been
overwhelmingly positive. Since writing can be a solitary experience, you hope
for the best when your book finally comes out into the world.
Much praise has deservedly been
given to each book’s fine illustrations. We have been fortunate to have had
three fabulous artists of differing styles brilliantly capture the tone and essence
of our stories: Martina Peluso (Og’s Ark),
Renée Andriani (A Gefilte Fishy Tale)
and Annie Wilkinson (The Art Lesson: A
Shavuot Story).
Last autumn, during the Jewish Art
& Food Festival at Temple Israel, older congregants would pick up A Gefilte Fishy Tale, scan through the
pages and laugh. Then they would reminisce and share stories with us about
making gefilte fish with their mothers the old-fashioned way.
What
are your writing plans for 2017?
Our goal is to continue laughing
together and writing more children’s picture books.
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