Interview With Debut Picture Book Author Madhu Messenger…And a Giveaway!

There’s not a social event I love more in this world than a wedding–the exquisite clothes, mouth-watering morsels of food, music, dancing, and beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime moments between family and friends. I know I’m not alone here, as you nod your head reading this and stare off wistfully, remembering your fondest wedding memories (go ahead…I’ll give you a moment).

I have three sons, so these days, when my husband and I go to a wedding, we often bring them with us. I may be biased, but I feel like children bring an extra magical element to the whole affair. They’re experiencing many of the wedding customs and traditions for the first time, and we get to see and experience it through their eyes. I only wish we could go to more of them!

The next best thing? A beautiful picture book we can read to kids about a traditional Indian wedding, one of its very fun and special customs, and the newly-blended family that bonds with one another through it. My guest today is Madhu Messenger, debut author of The Wedding Shoe Snatch, released just last month with Albert Whitman.

In this story, Shilpa has mixed feelings about her big sister Maya’s wedding and the blending of her family with that of her new brother-in-law, Amit. She finds the antics of his younger brother, Rishi, particularly annoying! Add in the lively joota chupai custom of the two families competing to snatch the groom’s shoes, and you have one seriously captivating story.

Children who aren’t from this culture will learn so much, including Indian wedding and family-related words that are explained in both the story and a glossary. And children who are from this culture will see their own lived experiences reflected back to them in a special way. Illustrator Darshika Varma illuminates this book with colorful and festive illustrations that make you feel like you’re actually there with everybody. It’s all the fun of a family wedding…in a book!

Madhu and I met each other through our mutual agent, the amazing Marisa Cleveland of The Seymour Agency, whom we both adore. I’m simply delighted to have her here with me today.

Hilary Margitich: Welcome to Writers’ Rumpus, Madhu! It’s such a treat to have you here today. I’m so excited for you and your debut.

Madhu Messenger: Thank you for inviting me and for describing The Wedding Shoe Snatch so perfectly! I am thrilled to be able to speak to you about my debut.

HM: Madhu, I hear it was your very own wedding that inspired this book. That’s very special! What are some things you took away from your own life experience that you wanted to put into a children’s book?

MM: My husband’s family is not Indian and were new to the joota chupai tradition. Before the wedding, I gave my in-laws an explanation of the game, making sure to emphasize that it’s a fun way to get to know each other. My husband’s family fully embraced the spirit of the tradition. They even managed to catch my experienced cousins off-guard with the ransom payout at the end–by using the very same trick featured in my book.

Both sides of the family gave it their all. There were happy shouts and lots of laughter as shoes were thrown across the banquet hall. Watching our two families interact in this way made the day extra special. I wanted to capture that joy in this book.

HM: You certainly did! Something I love about this story is how you capture the many powerful (and sometimes conflicting) emotions of the characters, as they engage in a lot of dramatic action. To me, it really mimics the energy and feeling of a big wedding celebration. Was there anything you did to further prepare, or get yourself in a mental mindset to capture that feeling as you wrote it?

MM: What a great question. I went through my wedding photo albums to remember little moments and all of the emotions. I reminisced about the tradition with family and friends, recalling not just my wedding, but others where I actively guarded or tried to snatch the groom’s shoes. I also scoured the web for more stories.

HM: That must have been so much fun for you! Can you tell me a bit about your journey into writing children’s books and your path to publication with this particular book?

MM: I was writing middle grade and adult fiction for years and not finding success. I stumbled across a posting for a scholarship for a picture book writing course through Mira Reisberg’s Children’s Book Academy. I applied and everything changed after I was selected. The course was transformative. I met incredible writing partners and learned the ins and outs of picture book writing.

Soon after the course ended, I wrote The Wedding Shoe Snatch and submitted it to the PBParty contest run by the amazing Mindy Alyse Weiss. I was fortunate enough to be selected as a finalist and received significant interest from both agents and editors. One of the editors asked for a revise and resubmit. I revised and then got a second revise and resubmit from him. He loved the changes and took it to acquisitions.

HM: How wonderful for you. And those are great resources you mention for aspiring picture book writers! Madhu, as a first-generation Indian American, you’ve written a book that provides such an important window into your culture, as well as a mirror for many young readers who are from your culture. The story is written in a way that’s incredibly authentic and accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. Do you have any tips for other writers out there who seek to do the same with their own diverse stories and experiences?

MM: Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate that. A key component in my writing is a robust group of critique partners. I have multiple critique groups that offer me different perspectives, including one composed entirely of diverse writers. All of my critique partners are instrumental in helping me capture the right tone while staying on message.

I also was fortunate to have a thoughtful editor who helped me tease out the heart of the story while respecting the elements I felt were important aspects of the tradition. While writing is largely a solitary endeavor, for me, feedback from others is absolutely necessary.

HM: Do you have any sort of writing routine that you follow for creating stories? For example, brainstorming, outlining, you already mentioned consulting with critique partners, etc.?

MM: I find a cozy spot, ideally with the sun shining down on me, pull out my laptop and just start typing. I am never short of ideas, but bringing those ideas to life requires playing with words a lot. I might start a story a dozen different ways before finding one that works. I use Scrivener and save all my attempts, so I can go back and find language that I may later regret cutting.

When I have a draft that I like, or am stuck on, I share with critique partners. I take their feedback to heart and revise, even if that means a near complete rewrite. I try to save some favorite critique partners for later, so I can have their fresh eyes on it when the manuscript is getting close to what I think is polished.

HM: Can you tell me anything about what you’re working on next? And where can our readers follow you on social media?

MM: I work on multiple projects in different genres at the same time. Right now, I am hoping to get the bulk of a new women’s fiction manuscript written during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I received some comments from an editor on a middle grade manuscript that I am mulling over and hope to begin revisions on in December. And, I am drafting a new picture book on immigration that, at the moment, feels like pulling teeth. So, I work on it in spurts. I enjoy moving from project to project, as I can let something sit until I am inspired to give it a fresh look. 

I am most active on X and can be found at @having__hope. I have aspirations of being more present on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also find me at madhumessenger.com.

HM: Thank you so much for spending this time with me today, Madhu! Your book is an important one for kids, and so much fun to read. I look forward to more of your books and to having you back on Writers’ Rumpus.

MM: Hilary, thank you so much for having me here today. I really appreciate the opportunity and your questions were wonderful and made me think about things I had not before. I’ll cross my fingers that I get to come back to Writers’ Rumpus soon!

Madhu is generously offering a choice of either a picture book manuscript critique or 30-minute Zoom “ask-me-anything” session to a lucky reader! To enter, comment on this post. If you share on social media, please mention that in your comment and you’ll get another entry. Giveaway closes in one week. US only.

Madhu Messenger is a first-generation Indian American living in rainy Oregon with her husband, three children, and a scaredy dog. Madhu is happiest when writing about spunky characters having magical adventures. Her wedding, which included great joy, flying shoes, and sneaky in-laws, inspired THE WEDDING SHOE SNATCH, her debut picture book.

Photo Credit: Jim Block