In Honor of Jewish American Heritage Month: INTERVIEW WITH #JEWISH #KIDLIT AUTHOR MICHAL BABAY ABOUT ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON: A SHABBAT CELEBRATION, PLUS A CRITIQUE GIVEAWAY

By Danna Zeiger

With several picture books under her belt, the latest one under AUCTION, an amazing agent and steady publisher, Michal Babay is getting it done and living the picture book author’s dream! It was a delight to chat about her latest book, ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON. At a time when antisemitism is on the rise and Jewish books and authors are seriously struggling (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/27/opinion/publishing-literary-antisemitism.html), Michal is bringing Jewish joy to children and adult readers alike. Her transparency and helpful answers here provide genuine insight into the difficult world of publishing. Let’s dive in!

DZ: I noticed your dedication (LOL!!), and I feel like there’s a story! Are you able to share? Who is S? Their commitment to Shabbat preparation is impressive :-).

MB: S is my husband, and to give a little background about him – he’s quite tall and sometimes loses track of where his feet are in relation to objects nearby. One Friday, he was vacuuming barefoot. He stepped forward with his right foot to clean under the sofa, but misjudged the distance and BAM! His little toe slammed into the wooden leg of our sofa. However, trooper that he is, he picked himself up, taped his toes together, and finished vacuuming the whole house! 

DZ: I know your illustrator, Menahem Halberstadt, from our shared PJ Library/Highlights camp experience in 2022, and I adore him! He is such a talented illustrator. He would sit, listening during workshops/classes, and sketch portraits–bringing faces to life with a few magical strokes. I know the author and illustrator don’t usually communicate directly but I’m wondering, as two Jewish creators, if you have? Or do you know one another? Did you know beforehand that you wanted to work with him? If you did communicate directly (or indirectly) how did it impact the final illustrations and narrative?

MB: I agree! Menahem is incredibly talented, and I feel so lucky to have collaborated with him on this book. When Charlesbridge was looking for an illustrator for my story, they asked if I had any special requests. I had always loved Menahem’s art, so I included him in the (very short!) list of illustrators that I sent to Charlesbridge. And when he responded that he was available and interested, we all cheered!

We communicated through our editor about the book. Menahem created character sketches, then page sketches, and throughout the whole journey, my editors kept checking in with me to make sure it aligned with my vision for the story. Charlesbridge is truly wonderful about keeping authors involved in the entire process, even though the illustrator obviously gets a very free hand in putting their own stamp on the artwork. It’s a great collaborative experience. 

DZ: I see that ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON is with Charlesbridge, like THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING LUNCHROOM. Were you able to work with the same editor? If so, can you share the process for those of us who dream of having these kinds of editor relationships? Do you send a bunch of ideas and see if she’s interested? Does your agent do this? Is it more of an option situation, so that you send the next manuscript before submitting widely?

MB: While I loved working with Yolanda Scott and Alex McKenzie on THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING LUNCHROOM, we didn’t have a deal with them for any other books. So when ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON was ready to go on submission, my agent (Laurel Symonds) sent it out to a bunch of editors at various publishing houses. We actually got another offer as well, and the book ended up going to auction! Once everything was settled, Alex was my editor again for a large portion of the book process. She ultimately left Charlesbridge for other opportunities, and I was so fortunate to be given the chance to work with Eileen Robinson, another incredible and very experienced editor, for the rest of the time.

I don’t have anything else planned with Charlesbridge at the moment, but I’d love the chance to work with Eileen again one day. We shall see what the future brings!

DZ: I love so many, many things about this book. Too many to list… but here are just a few: how you don’t have gender roles, the meaningful Judaica decorating the walls, how the book’s illustrations are so inclusive, how there are so many many characters all chipping in, and the thorough and thoughtful author’s note and back matter! Were any of these elements a happy surprise? How many of these were requested by you vs. things Menahem thought of, vs. maybe an editor’s or art director’s request or eye? Did you envision the family in a particular location, like living in the U.S. or Israel, or did you try to keep that open so that your illustrator could decide?

MB: Oh, how I love this question! I definitely did not want gender roles in this story, as you can see from the text where everyone is described pitching in to help in different ways. Mom and Dad are both preparing for Shabbat in the story, as are the (unnamed) cousins and neighbors. However, it was a fantastic surprise to see Menahem carry this idea throughout all the spreads. I especially loved seeing Dad holding the baby while Leelee and Pickles cleaned up their grape juice spill!

An unexpected happy surprise was the way that Menahem decorated this family’s house. It reminds me so much of MY house (which is interesting, since Menahem never saw my house and we never discussed what their house should look like). I guess I was lucky enough to share a never-discussed vision of Leelee and Pickle’s wall decorations with my fabulous illustrator. It was perfect!

I also LOVE the spread when Leelee and her mom light the Shabbat candles, and everything calms down momentarily. It feels exactly how Shabbat should feel after the chaos of Friday afternoon preparations.

As you know, we authors are not allowed to give TOO many art notes to the illustrator, so I only had a few specific requests in the story, such as:

• I wanted Leelee and Pickles to use a flower pot for their tzedakah box, and to replant the flower into the cat’s litter box.
• I wanted Pickles to wear underwear on his head as a new “hat” while they cleaned out their drawers for charity (this is something my kids did when little and it still cracks me up).

DZ: Can you share your experience with the timing for its publication? For example, when did you submit this manuscript, when was it acquired, when did you get the illustrator and/or see illustrations, etc?

MB: ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON is my book that took the longest between writing the manuscript and publication. Here’s a quick look at the timeline:

Early 2020 – I sent the original manuscript to my agent and asked what she thought. Laurel is  great about emailing quickly and sending feedback, so within a few months we had worked together and revised it a number of times.

September 2020 – Laurel submitted it to editors at a number of publishing houses.

End of December 2020 – two offers! WOOOOOOOOOO!

January 2021 – Contract negotiations completed with Charlesbridge

June 2021 – Contract signed with Charlesbridge

June 2021 – Begin revisions/edits

October 2021 – Final text accepted and sent to the copyeditor!

April 2022 – Menahem begins illustrating

The book was originally slated for publishing in 2023, but was pushed to 2024 for a variety of reasons.

March 30, 2024 – PUBLICATION DAY!!!

DZ: What is your favorite moment as an author so far? Maybe a letter a kid reader sent, or reading to a class, or perhaps seeing your books reach SO many?!

MB: A number of people with celiac have written to me through my website about feeling seen for the first time because of my book, I’M A GLUTEN-SNIFFING SERVICE DOG. As the mother of a kiddo who suffered for years before her celiac was brought under control, these letters are EVERYTHING to me. This is the audience I wanted to reach, and knowing that a person feels understood and acknowledged because of something I wrote, makes my heart smile. I keep and cherish (and respond to!) every one of those beautiful letters.

DZ: What’s next for you? Both in books coming out in the near future and long-term? Are you planning to stick to Jewish themes in all of your books? Picture books?

MB: Right now, I’m finishing the script for a graphic novel. I was terrified to begin writing something so different, so my agent and I broke it down into manageable deadlines. It’s taken over a year but I finally sent my critique group the revised version this week, and once I’ve incorporated all their feedback, I can finally send it to my agent for her first read through. The book does have Jewish themes but they are simply part of the main character’s life, and not the focus of the story. I’ll keep you updated on what happens next with it!

*GIVEAWAY*

Michal is generously offering a picture book critique OR a book giveaway!

TO ENTER: please comment on this blog post. If you share on Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook, you get another entry–just add to your comment to share both your handle (e.g. @SOMEAUTHOR) and where you’ve shared it. Please state which prize you would like.

We will select winners at random. Giveaway closes in one week.

More about Michal: