Q&A with Liza Woodruff

 

 

Liza Woodruff is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture Phil's Big Day: A Groundhog's Story. Her many other books include Once Upon a Winter Day. She lives in Vermont.

 

Q: What inspired you to create Phil’s Big Day? 

 

A: I will try not to be longwinded, but this is a two-part answer.

 

At the beginning of Covid, I did a series of drawings of Punxsutawney Phil stuck inside during the six weeks of winter that would follow if he saw his shadow on Groundhog Day. In these drawings, Phil was making sourdough bread, learning to play the ukulele, doing puzzles, and all the things that we humans were doing during quarantine.

 

I posted the illustrations on social media, and Phil developed a small following. People began to ask me if he was going to make it into a picture book. That’s when I started thinking about what his story was. 

 

I like to write stories that have personal significance to me. Since both my son and I were extremely shy as children, I thought about how either of us would feel being in the spotlight like Punxsutawney Phil. I started writing about how a shy Phil would feel with the prospect of a big performance looming. If he was like me, all the pressure and nervous anticipation would turn him into a nervous wreck. 

 

Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the book says, “Digitally collaged images by Woodruff...contrast the snugness, both emotional and physical, of the groundhog family’s lives with more elaborate scenes of Phil’s frantic state of mind, pulling readers along to a revelation that asking for help can make a big moment—and an asker—all the better.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I like that description. I feel like the contrast of how he feels at home with his family versus how he feels when he thinks about Groundhog Day was understood. In my mind, the scenes of his state of mind are more fantastical than elaborate, but I think that the reviewer took it as I had intended.

 

I had hoped when creating the illustrations that I was building tension with my depiction of his anxiety. This would hopefully draw the reader along to the conflict resolution, which is Phil asking his sister for her help.

 

At the conclusion, Phil's success in his task and relief from anxiety is, I hope, what gives the reader a payoff. After proclaiming that there would be six more weeks of winter, he can go back into his snug burrow and do what he really loves (and excels at)— making pancakes. 

 

Q: Did you work on the text first or the illustrations first--or both of them simultaneously?

 

A: Again, a complicated answer… 

 

First I did the illustrations of Phil stuck inside. Those drawings motivated me to write Phil's story. Once the manuscript was written, I started to sketch. I created a storyboard and refined the sketches to present to publishers. I didn’t reuse any of those initial drawings for anything but character development.

 

From that point on, I would sort of tweak the text of the manuscript and then adjust the illustrations, or vice versa. 

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?

 

A: We know that children feel empowered when they see themselves reflected in a story's characters. I hope that kids who have experienced anxiety will take comfort in the kindred spirit they find in Phil. Maybe they will also be inspired by the solution Phil finds for his most anxious moment and learn to ask for help when they need it.

 

Though it’s a subtler point, I hope that they can also see that though Phil wasn’t comfortable or even very good at public performance, he was good at something else— making pancakes. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses and knowing that can help with self-acceptance. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Right now, I am waiting to get started on my next book, which deals with another big emotion for children: anger. While I wait, I am working on oil paintings of the beautiful Vermont landscape. It’s something I tried, but never mastered, during art school. I am loving working on large canvases and getting my hands dirty. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I love making things. I love crafts, silkscreen printing, drawing, watercolor painting, writing stories, sewing. . . the list goes on.

 

My husband is also an artist, and yet our children turned out to be very left-brained. Our daughter is a mathematician and our son is a scientist! They are both very creative, but they have chosen career paths that couldn’t be farther from what comes naturally to me.

 

I guess, like I said earlier, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. I’ll make the pancakes while they make the world a better place using math and science. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Brooke Bourgeois

 

 

 

Brooke Bourgeois is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book Penelope's Balloons. She is based in London.

 

Q: What inspired you to create Penelope’s Balloons, and how did you come up with the idea for your character Penelope?

A: Penelope’s Balloons actually started out very, very differently. It wasn’t about an elephant at all! It started as a project when I was getting my MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art, and it was the story I went to grad school to try to tell.

 

The story is actually about my brother Matthew, who has autism. Growing up, he had a very different relationship with object permanence.

 

So when a toy, a book, or even one of my parents’ cars would get lost behind a bookshelf or pop to the grocery store, for Matthew, it was like those items disappeared from reality. To me, it was almost like he had to watch over the objects to make sure they continued to exist.

 

As a result, I wrote a story about a boy who had a house where all of the furniture was made out of balloons. Every day he would come home to make sure the balloons were tied down—that is, until his sister accidentally leaves the door open.

 

But, when I put pen to paper, it became a little convoluted, and it cast a lot of blame on the sister character. So, some of my fellow students suggested that I abstract it a bit. Making the main character an animal might make the story more accessible to a wider audience. 

 

I decided to keep the balloons, but this time, the character would take them with them wherever they went. So then, I had to find the most dangerous environment for the balloons: the jungle!

 

From there, I wanted an animal that had the highest contrast with the balloons—a heavy elephant with light and airy balloons that are their favourite thing in the world made a lot of sense. I sketched a Peter Elephant and then Penelope Elephant, but Penelope ultimately was the one that just felt right. 

 

Q: Did you work on the text first or the illustrations first--or both simultaneously?

 

A: Most of the time, these things sort of come together! When I work as a single-panel cartoonist, the caption usually comes first, but in this case, the first idea for the story came to me as images—a bit like a movie. I started off with a visual storyboard, and the main words came later. Though, for some of the vignettes where alliteration is at the center, the words came before the images. 

 

Q: The author Isabel Quintero called the book a “beautiful debut about holding on to what really matters—friendship.” What do you think of that assessment?

A: I was really moved by Isabel’s words! The main message of the book is really about community. The end of the book is semi-inspired by the end of It’s a Wonderful Life when all of the main character’s friends and neighbours show up to help cover a debilitating loss. The best feeling in the world is being caught when you “trip” and you thought you were walking all alone. 

 

I’ll never 100 percent know with my brother—as he has limited verbal expression—but when we had a special need—like making way for 10 cumbersome, vulnerable balloons—our family just adapted to make it a part of our larger set of rules. It was never a burden, just an extra factor to look out for.

 

When our communities “see us” no questions asked, the jungle is a little less scary. This is especially the case for the neurodiverse, but I hope the message of friendship rings true for all readers!

 

Q: Can you say more about why you decided to have Penelope be an elephant?

 

A: I tried several different iterations of characters before settling on the elephant. At first, Penelope was a human boy. Then, she was a beaver who was very carefully making a dam. But when I settled on the red balloons to pop against the green in the jungle, the natural contrast was a gray elephant. 

 

In the book, the color does a lot of the emotional storytelling. When doing color tests, I wanted the main character to feel incomplete without her red balloons, and an animal who was grey and wore neutral clothing seemed a good visual solution. Additionally, elephants are heavy, so the balloons, in addition to the brightness, could offer a little light that would offset that. 

 

When Penelope loses her balloons, it is so significant to her sense of self that without them she doesn’t feel right. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I’m working on two things actually! I’m working on a second children’s book which is also about big emotions—following a little bee who doesn’t quite know what to do when she gets too angry. 

 

I’m also working on a graphic novel for adult readers—the first in a series—about the retelling of Greek myths from the perspective of the goddesses, which is much more similar to the cartooning work that I do for magazines. 

 

The projects are very, very different from each other in style, tone, and audience, but they do offer me a great opportunity to alternate and approach each project with fresh eyes. 

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: Thank you so much for the interview! Much like Penelope’s navigating the jungle with her balloons, none of it would be possible without the incredible communities who paved that path for me, especially my colleagues at the Cambridge School of Art, my amazing agent Gwen Beal, my editors at Union Square Kids Emily Duffy and Tracey Keevan, and, of course, my family—especially my brother Matthew. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Ruth Horowitz

 

 

Ruth Horowitz is the author of the new children's picture book The Midnight Mitzvah. Her other books include Are We Still Friends?. She lives in Cranston, Rhode Island.

 

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Midnight Mitzvah, and how did you create your character Hanina?

 

A: I was participating in Daf Yomi, the international program of reading one page of Talmud every day, when I came across the story of Rabbi Hannana bar Pappa, who was distributing charity at night when the king of the demons accused him of trespassing – the implication being that the night is the realm of the demons. When Rabbi Hananna replied that a gift in secret pacifies anger, the evil spirit fled.

 

I loved the characters, the night setting, the inspiring lesson about anonymous giving, and the model of resolving conflict with words (both the rabbi and the demon quote Torah). I sensed that it could make a great picture book – if I could figure out how to make the story accessible to young kids.

 

I decided to make the characters animals, and to frame the conflict in terms of nocturnal and diurnal species, and predators and prey. The great horned owl made a perfect demon.

 

With that in place, I researched diurnal animals that great horned owls might prey on. I settled on a chipmunk, because they’re small and scrappy, and eat nuts, and decided to make mine young, and female. After that, Hanina’s character – plucky, idealistic, and naïve – fell into place.

Q: The writer Liza Wiemer called the book a “heartfelt, touching story imparting the important wisdom of giving to others in need without causing any embarrassment to the receiver.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love this description! There’s nothing better than when a reader really gets what you’re trying to do. And by the way, Liza Weimer’s wonderful picture book, Out and About, is also about the Jewish value of anonymous giving. Check it out!

 

Q: What do you think Jenny Meilihove’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: Jenny’s luminous colors and bold patterns make the story feel like a fairy tale, which is perfect for a story that is essentially a parable.

 

And her unexpected details – the picnic on the first spread, the polka dots on Hanina’s socks and the pompoms on her shoes, the fairy lights that festoon the creatures’ forest homes – create a rich, fanciful world that takes readers beyond the events in the text. When I was a kid, I would have pored over these pages, making up my own story.

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?

 

A: I always hope kids will fall into the story and want to come back to it again and again.

 

I also hope The Midnight Mitzvah will leave readers with something to think about, and maybe discuss with their adults. So many good deeds in our culture are motivated by the promise of praise–a good citizen sticker, a name on a building, or something in between. 

 

I want to raise the idea of doing the right thing simply because it’s the right thing to do. And I want readers to consider that someone they might help is also a person, and not just there to demonstrate the goodness of the person who helps them.

 

On a much more sophisticated level, this story is about choosing among competing values – respecting community rules, helping those in need, and respecting personal dignity. I hope the adults who share this book with young readers will consider how these values play when addressing homelessness, food insecurity, and other issues.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: My next picture book is under contract, and in search of an illustrator. It was inspired by my late mother-in-law’s favorite houseplant. I can’t wait to announce the details!

 

In the meantime, I’ve been juggling a handful of new projects for young readers. And my very Jewish novel for adults about grief and ghosts is out on submission. I keep busy!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I want to give a shout out to my fabulous editor and dear friend, Lisa Rosinsky, for making this the most fun I’ve ever had working with a publisher; to the Highlights Foundation and my agent Linda Epstein, without whom Lisa and I never would have met; and to PJ Library, which will be putting The Midnight Mitzvah in thousands of homes this spring, and whose generous support is inspiring me to search for my next Jewish-themed children’s book.

 

And thank you for these great questions, and for featuring The Midnight Mitzvah!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Cathy Stefanec Ogren

 

 

 

Cathy Stefanec Ogren is the author of the new children's picture book The Little Red Chair. Her other books include the picture book PEW!. 

 

Q: You say in the book that The Little Red Chair was inspired by a friend’s chair--can you say more about that?

 

A: I first became acquainted with the little red chair at my lifelong friend’s Victorian home. I was charmed by it. My friend discovered the chair in the window of an antique shop. She bought it and had it reupholstered in red fabric. It stood in her living room for many years.

 

When my friend and her husband decided to relocate to Florida, they had a huge estate sale. Like the little red chair in the book, it patiently waited for someone to buy it and take it home. When my daughter saw the chair, she knew she had to have it. It now sits in her home where her children love to sit and read. 

 

Each time I saw that little chair, I felt it had a story to tell. Its unique size and shape proved to be a perfect place for children and adults to have a cozy place to sit. Seeing my grandchildren’s reaction to the chair reinforced my belief that the sweet little chair with its squeaky brass wheels wanted to be heard. And so, the story of The Little Red Chair began…

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between your character Mia and the chair?

 

A: When my daughter was young, she had a cloth doll that she loved to pieces. (I mended it many times.) It gave her comfort and a sense of security. That’s how I would describe the relationship between Mia and the little chair.

 

Mia loves the chair. In return, the chair fluffs its tuffs, squeaks its wheels, and gives Mia a cushy place to sit, read, daydream, celebrate, and take her on wild rides which makes both happy. Squeakity-whee!

 

Q: What do you think Alexandra Thompson’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: I was blessed to have Alexandra Thompson, an amazing illustrator, chosen to bring my words to life. My editor agreed to my request to have the little red chair in the book look like the original chair. I took pictures and measurements of the chair and sent them to my editor who passed them on to Alexandra.

 

Her illustrations are captivating. With each page turn, they charm and delight. Alexandra captured the special relationship between Mia and the little red chair, allowing readers the opportunity to see and feel the emotional connection between the two.

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, in part, “Just as Hans Christian Andersen brought to life an evergreen tree, the author does a fine job revealing the innermost thoughts of a chair. (Though, unlike Andersen’s tale, this one ends happily.)” What do you think of that comparison?

 

A: When I read the review, I was flattered. Imagine my writing being compared to Hans Christen Andersen! When I was young, I was hooked on Andersen’s fairy tales. He was able to spin stories that had an emotional impact and a subtle life lesson.

 

I hope readers of The Little Red Chair relate to the chair’s inner thoughts and feelings and have an emotional connection to it as I did with Andersen’s stories.  

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m in the process of revising a manuscript that editors passed on. I’m sure the following comments that I received will resonate with many authors. Comments like – “there’s a lot to like, but…, I don’t have a vision for this, it isn’t grabbing me, it’s sweet, but not for me, too quiet.”

 

Keeping these words in mind, I’m diligently working to spice up my manuscript and make it stand out in the competitive world of children’s publishing.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m thrilled to announce The Little Red Chair is a finalist in the fiction picture book category of the 2024 CYBILS Awards.

 

Be on the lookout for a new picture book in the fall of 2026. That’s all I can tell you for now, but if you like The Little Red Chair, I think the forthcoming book will have you wishing for more.

 

Make sure to check out my author website: https://cathystefanecogren.com/

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Jan. 31

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Jan. 31, 1872: Zane Grey born.

Q&A with Kaz Windness

 

 

Kaz Windness is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book Bitsy Bat, Team Star. Her other books include Bitsy Bat, School Star. She lives in Denver.

 

Q: Bitsy Bat, Team Star is your second book about Bitsy Bat--did you know from the start that you’d be creating a series?

 

A: No, I didn’t know Bitsy Bat would have a series. This was a happy result of the first book, Bitsy Bat, School Star, being so well received.  

 

Q: Do you think Bitsy has changed at all from one book to the next?

 

A: We start the second book where the first one left off, so Bitsy has gained the Big Star understanding of her classmates, but still grapples with challenges many autistic people like me experience. 

 

Q: What inspired the plot of Bitsy Bat, Team Star?

 

A: The second story introduces a new student, Enzo Owl. Bitsy believes her specialness lies in being the only flier at Crittercrawl Elementary. With the Critter Games coming up, she now thinks she must be the best flier, better than Enzo, to preserve her friendships. 

 

Friendship has always been difficult for me, and being the best at something and using my gifts in service to others was what gave me value. I want kids to know that it’s not what you do but who you are that makes you worthy of love, friendship, and acceptance.   

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Bitsy and Enzo?

 

A: Enzo, from the start, has wanted to be Bitsy’s friend. He doesn’t see their flying as something competitive. He’s popular with the class, so Bitsy decides he’s competition. This escalates as everyone practices for the Critter Games, and Bitsy becomes determined to beat Enzo.

 

Bitsy has become so hyper-focused on being the best she doesn’t see how she’s being invited to be a part of team-building. Ultimately, Bitsy learns what really matters, and it’s not winning. She also gains a friend who she has a lot in common with – Enzo!  

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: What am I not working on? On deadline, I’m working on final artwork for Worm and Butterfly Are Friends Always, a sequel to the 2024 Geisel Honor Award-Winning early reader graphic novel, Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends.

 

I’m also working on a personal project, a collection of spooky stories for middle-grade readers. I have two stories written and am shooting for five.  

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: I have free activity sheets and educator lesson plans at BitsyBat.com. And if you love Bitsy, there is a third book in the works, Bitsy Bat, Snow Star, out sometime in 2026. Drawing these sweet friends in snow gear is so cozy and fun!

 

Please follow me on your favorite social media for updates: https://linktr.ee/KazWindness

 

I also LOVE visiting schools and inspiring kids to tell their own stories. Here’s how to invite me to your school: https://www.hownowbooking.com/speakers/kaz-windness/

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Kaz Windness. 

Q&A with Ronald L. Smith

 

Photo by Erik Kvalsvik

 

 

Ronald L. Smith is the author of the new middle grade novel Project Mercury. His other books include Black Panther: The Young Prince. He lives in Baltimore.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Project Mercury, and how did you create your characters Ike and Eesha?

 

A: Well, this project was a little bit different. All of my books spring from my own imagination, but this idea was brought to me by my publisher, Harper Collins, through Harper Collins Productions. They gave me an outline and I was able to put my own spin on it. I changed quite a bit to give it a unique voice. Hopefully it will be sold to a streamer or network! Fingers crossed.

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between the two characters?

 

A: Ike and Eesha were just cardboard cut-outs when I first started, but over time, I was able to give them well-rounded personalities. They’re polar opposites, but had to come together to figure out the mystery of Project Mercury. It was fun to write for their two distinctive voices.

 

Q: What do you see as your character Mixie’s role in the story?

 

A: She’s a bridge between the future and our present-day. I wanted someone they could relate to (another kid) and make her just slightly different in terms of her outlook on life and the planet. I wanted a positive vision of the future in this book and Mixie is a good example of that. 

 

Q: What did you see as the right balance between today’s world and the time-travel elements as you wrote the book?

 

A: I wanted to make sure the story was grounded in our present-day world, so that the time-travel plot elements would be all the more surprising. I wanted the readers to be just as surprised by future earth as Ike and Eesha are.

 

Of course, you want to keep the mystery going when you’re writing, so my job was to keep readers engaged until they make their way to the future. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: My first YA novel! Can’t share much now, but I’ll let you know more in the future!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Now is a good time to promote the right to read and to support libraries and librarians. See what you can do in your community to help.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Ronald L. Smith.

Q&A with Pat Zietlow Miller

 

 

 

Pat Zietlow Miller is the author of the new children's picture book Unstoppable John: How John Lewis Got His Library Card--and Helped Change History. It focuses on the late congressman and civil rights leader. Miller's many other books include Not So Small. She lives in Wisconsin.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of Unstoppable John called it a “captivating, bookish tribute to an unstoppable upstander that will empower the youngest activists.” What do you think of that description, and what do you hope kids take away from the book?

 

A: I love that description from Kirkus, and I hope readers will take these three things away from the book:

 

1. Who John Lewis was. I didn’t know who John Lewis was until I was an adult. And, since I started working on the book, I’ve met several adults who still don’t know. He was such an integral figure in America’s Civil Rights history that everyone should know at least a little about him.

2. How they could be inspired by his actions. John worked hard to ensure that everyone in the United States could vote, eat in any restaurant they wanted, watch movies in any theater, sit wherever they preferred on buses and get library cards. And he did so with peaceful protests, meaning that no matter what people said or did to him, John didn’t yell or fight back. He just patiently kept asking for what he knew was right. 

 

Readers can think about things they’d like to see changed and the difference they, as one person, could make. (This book pairs well with my book Not So Small, about being a young activist.)

3. The importance of being tenacious. With a title like Unstoppable John, you might assume that the book’s about not giving up. And, you’d be right. John kept going despite setback after setback until racist and unfair laws were changed. 

 

Although John’s setbacks were more painful than those others might experience, the lesson of getting up after you’re knocked down and continuing to work for what you want can apply to anyone’s life.

 

4. Oh, and I guess I have a fourth thing, too. I want every reader to go get a library card if they don’t already have one. Libraries offer so many more materials, events and community support than people think. It’s all free, and knowing you have a library card would have made John Lewis happy.

Illustrator Jerry Jordan

Q: What do you think Jerry Jordan’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: Picture book illustrations tell more than half the story. I always remember that when I’m writing. And Jerry’s illustrations tell an amazing story.

 

I’m a big fan of Jerry’s work. His art is moving and evocative, and it was great seeing it progress from pencil sketches to finished paintings.

 

The cover he created is one of my favorite covers of any of my books. And some of the interior spreads are so beautiful I just look at them and smile.

 

Here’s Jerry’s website and another picture book he illustrated.

 

Q: What do you see as John Lewis’s legacy today?

 

A: His legacy is that most kids today probably take it for granted that anyone can get a library card or watch a movie or vote. But … it wasn’t that long ago where that wasn’t the case. It’s important to remember where we were as a country so we can keep moving forward and not backward.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have another book – One Can Be – coming Sept. 2 from Beaming Books. It asks the question: “What can one person do?” And, the answer is, “Quite a lot, actually.” Especially if they include others when the time is right.

 

This book is an ode to introverts and quiet leaders with a hat tip to one of my favorite things – Little Free Libraries.

 

The book is illustrated by Annie Cron. And, it can be pre-ordered now from any in-person or online bookseller.

 

Here’s the cover:

 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: When I was doing research for Unstoppable John, I was astounded at all the information about the Civil Rights movement that I was never taught in school.

 

So, if you’re reading this, and you also didn’t learn as much as you should have about this aspect of U.S. history, there’s a list of resources at the end of Unstoppable John.

 

If you want a quick start, in addition to John Lewis’ books mentioned earlier in this post, here are some picture books that provide a helpful overview about John Lewis’ life. 

 

PREACHING TO THE CHICKENS.

BECAUSE OF YOU, JOHN LEWIS.

FIGHTING WITH LOVE: THE LEGACY OF JOHN LEWIS.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Chainy Blue

 

 

 

Chainy Blue is the author of the new children's picture book Óg go Deo: Forever Young. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Óg go Deo?

 

 

A: The loss of a pet is often the first time a child has to come to terms with death of a living animal whom they love. This physical world is transient, everything dies, but we know very little about death and we are not very good at dealing with it.

 

Pets are innocent and trusting and owners, whether children or adults, form a unique bond with them - unconditional love. They want to protect them care for them and interact with them, and then they die.

 

Children are told they go over the rainbow bridge – and that’s it. Or they are stars or in pet heaven. Confusing - yes, very confusing. I went to a Catholic school and was told in no uncertain terms that animals had no souls. I was very young and very very upset by this as I believed this was a lie.

 

There are basically two schools of thought: 1) there is no afterlife and 2) there is.

 

If 1) is correct, then there is no Creator and death is the end. Science cannot explain the universe without a Creator being involved (another of my questions in science class as matter cannot be created or destroyed, but changes from one form to another – so where did all the matter come from before there could be a big bang) So I opted for Creator and an afterlife for all.

 

I have had the privilege to talk to many people who lost their pets, and the stress and anxiety it causes because they don’t know what has happened to their souls.

 

So I have read the Bible, the Torah, several out-of-body experiences books, spoke to patients who have had near-death experiences, etc.

 

Religious interpretation of “Heavens” are not ubiquitous nor are they perfectly suited to all - in fact most are quite lacklustre and boring.

 

So this world dies but life doesn’t. Afterlife is incredible. No bodies to carry around, no pain no physical needs. Nothing like what we now know and experience.

 

We all need a Guardian to show us the ropes, and animals need to see their Guardians at times as they don’t seem to follow any dogma. Humans need to know their pet has a Guardian. Seeing them all the time would be too distracting. Animals feel safer with their own kind so Guardians look like them.

 

Humans are very limited in what they can see on the light spectrum-unlike animals who can see ultraviolet and polarized light. So they see the Guardians as they would expect to see them. Guardians have one role - to always be with their charge.

 

Óg go Deo is a vast spirit world and I only wrote about a small part of it. Every animal has its own version on the world. Anyone who reads my book I hope can put their pet into the story and create what spirit world would suit them. I tried to design the story so it excites the reader to tell their own story.

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The theme of the story is about dealing with the heartbreak of losing a pet, but I wanted to have a title that would manifest hope and anticipation of a happy ending. I wanted the title to illustrate the concept that death is merely a physical demise of the body which cocoons the spirit which is immortal and ageless.

 

I’m Irish and I love the Irish folklore, myths and legends. In the eternal land of Tír na nÓg, which translates as Land of the Young, Oisín, a young warrior from na Fianna, who falls in love with a beautiful girl called Niamh, live there for hundreds of years. So as the spirit lives forever, and never ages, the pets world is Óg go Deo - Forever Young.

 

Q: What impact did it have on you to write the book?

 

A: This is my first venture in writing a book. I have learned a lot from it, I had to! It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster at times reliving some of my experiences with my pets. Creating the spirit world, and believing they are all having a wonderful time and that I will see them again helps to heal the pain of losing them.

 

Q: What do you hope kids (and adults) take away from the book?

 

A: I tried to get into each character’s head and tell a story so the reader could visualise it, but not in too much detail so that the reader could insert their own pet, and create their own story.

 

I wanted the story to validate a child’s emotional response to the loss of a pet and for an adult, a way to talk to the child and navigate the experience with sensitivity and positivity. I hope it will help them too.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have been looking at the rate of cancer over the past 40 years, which has increased from 1:10 to 1:2. I have reviewed the research into the causes of cancer, and the misinformation and lies which are deliberately deceiving people.

 

The rate of cancer should be less than 1:10 after 40 years with the billions that go not research every year - instead we are inundated with “We are treating more cancers than ever” and “More people than ever are surviving cancer.” They fail to mention that more cancers than ever are being created. I am trying to bring all the information into a cohesive and readable form which is impartial and informative.

 

I am toying with the idea of exploring the dark worlds.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This post was created in partnership with Chainy Blue. Enter this giveaway for a chance to win a paperback copy of Óg go Deo: Forever Young.