About Ritu Anand

Ritu Anand started writing when she could hold a pencil, but life kept getting in the way. For the past four years, she has chosen Writing as her career. She draws her inspiration from nature around her and her scripture—Sri Guru Granth Sahibjee.

When she sat down to write Kara’s Dreams, her pen flowed its ink onto paper, as a river floods its banks. The beautiful verse within the scripture that guided her story provides—Pavan Guru, Paani Pita, Mata Dharadh Mahat, Divas Raat Duii Dayee Daya, Khaileh Sagal Jagat. It means the Wind is the Guru. Water is the Father. Earth is the Mother. Day and Night are caretakers. All the elements—Wind, Water, Earth, Night and Day work in concert to enable creatures to play and enjoy this playground called Earth.

Ritu Anand lives in Sarasota, Florida with her loving husband. Her interests include reading, writing, singing Indian classical music, dancing to Bollywood music, traveling and playing golf.

About Kara’s Dreams

Little Kara had big dreams. But she had seen others around her defeated by the obstacles thrown at them, and she was fearful she might endure the same fate and never attain her dreams.

Was she good enough?

Was she strong enough?

Would she be able to overcome hardships?

Kara, a young tree in the forest, decides to ask a wise, mature tree for advice. The mentoring helps Kara realize that she has everything within her to reach her dreams; she just needs to adjust to her surroundings and believe in herself.

This wonderful children’s story represents the debut book by Ritu Anand of Sarasota, Florida. The tale is augmented by Veen Redwood’s rich, beautiful illustrations.

Kara’s Dreams is a tale of faith, growth, and resilience. Any child will love the story and pictures.

Interview with Ritu Anand

Olivia Fisher: What made you want to write for kids?

Ritu Anand: From the day I was born I was writing, whether on office walls or newspapers. My mom had a hard time handling me, haha. In the space of my mind, I think of myself as a child and imagine that I never grew up. I like doing activities that are spontaneous and propelled by my innermost desires. I also love, love, love working with kids because when I look into the eyes of a child, I see a whole new world. I see magic. I see possibilities, and suddenly, my creativity starts to flow. That’s how I know I belong in the kid lit world, and I’m here to stay. Childhood is such a brief and beautiful time, and honestly, for both children and adults, I would prefer it to be eternal. That’s my wish for every child and adult.

OF: That’s such a lovely way of expressing your desire to write for kids! 

Tell us a little bit about your first book Kara’s Dreams!

RA: My inspiration for my book Kara’s Dreams comes from my holy book, and the scripture Kara’s Dreams is based on is very beautiful. It’s universal, and on my author page in the book, I describe the actual verse. It explains how this entire Earth is a playground in which all the creatures play and how that’s the beauty and definition of life. We’re here to play responsibly and should rejoice. This life is a beautiful gift. 

OF: What an incredible theme for a book. It’s such a great message for kids and adults!

RA: Yes! As a seven-year-old, I was scared of the dark. I grew up in twin homes in New Delhi and had to cross an alley to get home. I wasn’t normally allowed to cross it in the dark. But one day, I made a promise to myself to gather the courage to cross it. So I started reciting my scripture to give myself courage. In doing that, I said to myself, “Wow, I can do this. I can cross this.” That’s the theme of Kara’s Dreams. It’s about survival. It’s about empowering ourselves in the midst of adversity and maintaining a positive attitude.

What did the publishing process look like for you and your book?

RA: I wanted to do independent publishing on purpose because I’m a control freak, haha. I wanted creative freedom. I was terrified at the thought of giving up control of my book to a traditional publisher. My husband and I are both avid hikers, and we come across some very challenging hikes and visit the forests often. Because of this, I decided I wanted to make Kara’s Dreams an anthropomorphic tale with all these trees as characters, and I worried that an illustrator wouldn’t be able to get my vision across if I wasn’t able to tell them what I was thinking. How could they accurately depict that? So that’s the main reason why I wanted to go with Indie publishing. I befriended the wonderful Veen Redwood, who is from Sri Lanka. Kara’s Dreams is her nineteenth book, and she’s done an amazing job connecting with me as a person and creating the illustrations for the book. I’ve really enjoyed the journey of indie publishing!

OF: I’ve read Kara’s Dreams, and the illustrations blew me away, so I’m glad you chose indie publishing and had such a wonderful illustrator in Veen Redwood to work with.

What was the hardest part about publishing independently?

RA: I think trusting which publisher would be the right one was one of the hardest parts of publishing independently. I really prayed about it. I prayed that I would come in contact with the right publisher. At the time, the publisher I chose was going through some difficult experiences, and there was a lack of communication for a while, but my connection with them came from a personal recommendation I trusted. I went with Pathfinder, and I really respect them. The publisher has almost twenty-five years of journalism experience behind him and comes from the writing world. That’s why I went with them. But it was such a hard decision to make, you know?

OF: Yes! I can imagine how hard it would be to choose a publisher for yourself. I’m glad you found a publisher that helped you create the book you dreamed of.

What’s next on your author journey?

OF: Okay, this has been a beautiful interview, and I’m always so sad that I only get to share a small portion of it through words on the blog, but I know readers will love getting to know you and your writing journey. Speaking of your author journey, what’s next? Do you have any books in mind or stories that you’re looking forward to telling? 

RA: Yes. I Am My Language is my next book. It’s about a little seven-year-old me. I taught myself how to read and write a new language, which is typically my first language, Punjabi. I went to an all-girls Catholic school in India where I was only taught English and not the language of my heart. I would listen to people at home talking in Punjabi and speaking it. I could understand it, but I could not speak it. I undertook this task to teach it to myself. The adults at home were super busy people, and nobody had the time to sit with me or read to me. So I grabbed hold of this translator, which belonged to my aunt who maintained a little library at home, and started teaching myself. She had some Punjabi books, and the translator enabled me to translate Punjabi letters and words to Romanized English. I could literally see each letter and how it could be pronounced. I would bug the hell out of my adults by reading aloud so that they could hear me and correct me over and over and over until I got it. I wanted to share this experience in a picture book for kids, so that’s my next project!

OF: That’s so beautiful that you are capturing this in a book for kids! So will this be a picture book?

RA: Yes!

OF: That’s great! I can’t wait to see it!

Ritu, thank you for taking the time to share your beautiful picture book with us and offering some valuable insight on indie publishing and your experience as an author! Congratulations on Kara’s Dreams! You can follow along with Ritu’s writing on her website! Be sure to check out her beautiful poems as well there!

Tell us in the comments: What were your big takeaways from this interview with Ritu Anand?

Olivia Fisher is a children’s lit writer and freelance editor with an English degree from BYU-Idaho. When she isn’t dreaming about living in a treehouse or chasing down her two young boys, she enjoys curling up with a book, watching Star Wars, writing her next adventure, and trying to live in the state of child-like wonder that we all secretly, or not so secretly, miss. Follow her adventures on Twitter or Instagram, or hire her for your next editing escapade on Fiverr.

The post Kid Lit Craft: Interview with Ritu Anand appeared first on DIY MFA.

Rajani was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in the Boston area, where she practices medicine and writes award-winning novels and picture books. 

She has always been an omnivorous reader, and now she is an omnivorous writer of fiction and nonfiction, novels, picture books, prose and poetry. 

She finds inspiration in her family, her childhood, the natural world, math, science, and just about everywhere she looks.

In this episode Rajani and I discuss:

• The importance of showing different approaches to problem solving and thinking.
• How she represented sibling dynamics in her picture book, Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers.
• Why she starts with a story and her unique approach to character building.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Rajani LaRocca

Rajani LaRocca was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in the Boston area, where she practices medicine and writes award-winning novels and picture books, including Midsummer’s Mayhem (2019) a Massachusetts Book Award Honor; Seven Golden Rings (2020), the 2021 Mathical Prize Winner for Grades 3-5; Red, White, and Whole (2021), an Indie Next Top Ten and Junior Library Guild Selection with multiple starred reviews; Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers (2021) part of the Storytelling Math series, Much Ado About Baseball (2021), a Junior Library Guild Selection with a Kirkus starred review, and more. 

She’s always been an omnivorous reader, and now she is an omnivorous writer of fiction and nonfiction, novels and picture books, prose and poetry. She finds inspiration in her family, her childhood, the natural world, math, science, and just about everywhere she looks. 

You can find Rajani on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Clubhouse. You can also find her as @rajanilarocca on Clubhouse.

Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers

For the Hindu holiday of Raksha Bandhan, Bina is determined to make beaded bracelets for her brothers all by herself. She finds out which colors her brothers like and dislike and sets to work. Working with her every-other-one beading pattern causes Bina to discover something new about patterns–and her brothers.

Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them. Joyful stories and hands-on activities make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together. Developed in collaboration with math experts at STEM education nonprofit TERC, under a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 372

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If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 372: The Magic of Math and the Art of Picture Books – Interview with Rajani LaRocca appeared first on DIY MFA.

Winner of the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry, 2015, Marilyn Singer has written more than 100 books in many genres. She created a poetry form, the “reverso,” featured in three of her award-winning collections:  Mirror Mirror, Follow Follow, and Echo Echo.

She co-hosts the Poetry Blast, which features children’s poets reading their work, at the American Library Association conference and other conventions. Marilyn lives in Brooklyn, NY and Washington, CT with a dog, a cat, and two doves, as well as her favorite dance partner, who also happens to be her husband. 

On a more personal note, Marilyn is someone I consider a dear friend. We first met while standing in line for a book signing at BookExpo when I was just a newbie and I remember thinking “OMG this amazing author is talking to little ol’ me!” I’ve had the pleasure of featuring her on this show before (she was one of my very first interviews) and her books are among my children’s absolute favorites.

So it is truly a pleasure and an honor to welcome the fabulous poet and children’s book author, Marilyn Singer back to DIY MFA Radio!

In this episode Marilyn and I discuss:

• The inspiration behind Follow the Recipe
• Tying together the illustrations and poems
• Structuring a book of poems
• The reverso form
• The power of constraint in poetry
• How to get started writing poetry

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Marilyn Singer

Winner of the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry, 2015, Marilyn Singer has written more than 100 books in many genres. She created a poetry form, the “reverso,” featured in three of her award-winning collections:  Mirror Mirror, Follow Follow, and Echo Echo (Dial), illustrated by Josée Masse.   She co-hosts the Poetry Blast, which features children’s poets reading their work, at the American Library Association conference and other conventions.  Marilyn lives in Brooklyn, NY and Washington, CT with a dog, a cat, and two doves, as well as her favorite dance partner, who also happens to be her husband. Visit her website and connect with her on Facebook.

Follow the Recipe: Poems about Imagination, Celebration and Cake

A joyful collection of poems by the author of Mirror Mirror, in the form of recipes both simple and allegorical.

This delicious collection of poems by the innovative Marilyn Singer is accompanied by vibrant splashy artwork by two-time Caldecott honoree Marjorie Priceman. Presented in a small-size format to appeal to older readers (as well as young), the book has the look of a vintage collector’s compendium that includes pictures, ephemera and annotations to add interest. Even young children are familiar with recipes–a series of steps to help them make something–and the book begins with simple dishes and ideas (such as a recipe for reading a recipe and a recipe for measuring), and then adds more ideas and grows in sophistication until the last recipes broach lofty concepts (such as a recipe for understanding and a recipe for peace). A treasure of words and images and ideas.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 306

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 306: Recipes for Poetry and Creativity – Interview with Marilyn Singer appeared first on DIY MFA.

Amanda Noll was born and raised in Canberra, Australia and immigrated to the United States as a teenager. After marrying her college sweetheart, she began working in the purchasing division of a private university (which is ironic, since she despises shopping).

She left the business world to attend to the business of raising children and concentrate on her writing. As her kids grew up, she completed a Master’s degree in Education and became an Elementary School Librarian.  Amanda blames her fundamentally twisted sense of humor on either genetics or being raised on a steady stream of Australian humor and sci-fi. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and children.

Howard McWilliam left his career as a U.K. financial magazine editor and journalist in 2005 to concentrate on illustrating. He is cover artist for The Week in the U.S. and U.K. and has illustrated dozens of children’s novels, puzzles, and picture books, including the bestselling I Need My Monster series. He lives in Cheltenham, England, with his wife Rebecca and three young sons.

In this episode, Amanda, Howard and I discuss:

• The inspiration behind the My Monster series
• How one book turned into a series 
• How the author-illustrator relationship works
• Navigating the line between safe and scary for kids
• Making picture books accessible and appealing to all children

Plus, their #1 tips for writers.

About Amanda Noll and Howard McWilliam

Howard McWilliam left his career as a U.K. financial magazine editor and journalist in 2005 to concentrate on illustrating. He is cover artist for The Week in the U.S. and U.K. and has illustrated dozens of children’s novels, puzzles, and picture books, including the bestselling I Need My Monster series. He lives in Cheltenham, England, with his wife Rebecca and three young sons. Visit his website to learn more!

Amanda Noll was born and raised in Canberra, Australia. She immigrated to the United States as a teenager. After she married her college sweetheart, she began working in the purchasing division of a private university (ironic, since she despises shopping).

She left the business world to attend to the business of raising children and concentrate on her writing. As her children grew older, she completed a Master’s degree in Education and became an Elementary School Librarian. 

She blames her fundamentally twisted sense of humor on either genetics or being raised on a steady stream of Australian humor and science fiction. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and children.

Her published works include: I Need My Monster (Flashlight Press, 2009), which has won multiple state awards. Hey, That’s My Monster! (Flashlight Press, 2016). How I Met My Monster (Flashlight Press, 2019). Are You My Monster? (Flashlight Press, 2019). Check out her website!

If you decide to check out the books, we hope you’ll do so via the below Amazon affiliate links, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

I Need My Monster

A unique monster-under-the-bed story with the perfect balance of giggles and shivers, this picture book relies on the power of humor over fear, appeals to a child’s love for creatures both alarming and absurd, and glorifies the scope of a child’s imagination. One night, when Ethan checks under his bed for his monster, Gabe, he finds a note from him instead: “Gone fishing. Back in a week.” Ethan knows that without Gabe’s familiar nightly scares he doesn’t stand a chance of getting to sleep, so Ethan interviews potential substitutes to see if they’ve got the right equipment for the job—pointy teeth, sharp claws, and a long tail—but none of them proves scary enough for Ethan.

When Gabe returns sooner than expected from his fishing trip, Ethan is thrilled. It turns out that Gabe didn’t enjoy fishing because the fish scared too easily.

Also, check out this video of Rita Moreno reading the book!

Hey, That’s MY Monster!

When Ethan looks under the bed for his monster, he finds this note instead: “So long, kid. Gotta go. Someone needs me more than you do. –Gabe” How will Ethan ever get to sleep without his monster’s familiar, comforting snorts? And who could need Gabe more than Ethan does? Gabe must have gone to Ethan’s little sister’s room! She has been climbing out of bed every night to play, and obviously needs a monster to help her get to sleep – but not HIS monster!

Ethan tries to help his sister find her own monster, but none are the perfect blend of cute and creepy. Just when it seems that Ethan will lose his monster forever, an uninvited, tutu-toting little monster full of frightening fun ap­pears. Following in the spooky-silly tradition of I Need My Mon­ster, here’s another irresistible monster-under-the-bed story with the perfect balance of giggles and shivers.

Also, check out this video of Lily Tomlin reading the book!

How I Met My Monster 

One night, when Ethan reaches under his bed for a toy truck, he finds this note instead: “Monsters! Meet here for final test.” Ethan is sure his parents are trying to trick him into staying under the covers, until he sees five colorful sets of eyes blinking at him from beneath the bed. Soon, a colorful parade of quirky, squeaky little monsters compete to become Ethan’s monster. But only the little green monster, Gabe, has the perfect blend of stomach-rumbling and snorting needed to get Ethan into bed and keep him there so he falls asleep—which as everyone knows, is the real reason for monsters under beds. With its perfect balance of giggles and shivers, this silly-spooky prequel to the award-winning I Need My Monster and Hey, That’s MY Monster! will keep young readers entertained.

Are You My Monster?

In Are You My Monster?, the monster-loving boy from I Need My Monster tries to find his monster. He compares his drawing—showing a green monster with a long tail, pointy nails, and big teeth—with an assortment of amusing monsters, until he finds the perfect match. This turns out to be his beloved STUFFED monster toy. Children will love comparing colors, checking if tails are long or short, if nails are pointy or round, if teeth are big or small until they, too, find the monster who is a perfect match.

Link to Episode #280

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 280: Writing and Illustrating a Picture Book Series – Interview with Amanda Noll and Howard McWilliam appeared first on DIY MFA.