Interview with author/illustrator, Joy Nelkin Wieder

Carol Gordon Ekster: Our guest today is Joy Nelkin Wieder, a talented long time New England creative. It is my pleasure in this holiday season to let readers know about her new Hanukkah books.

Congratulations, Joy! You had two books come out this fall. You’ve been in the #kidlit business quite a while. Can you tell us how you came to write and illustrate picture books and board books?

Joy Nelkin Weider: Thank you, Carol! My original goal (way back in the 1990’s) was to write and illustrate picture books, but my first few published books were chapter books. While it was exciting to be published, I really wanted to focus on picture books. So, I spent the next several years just writing picture books, developing my illustration style, and getting an agent. I finally got THE PASSOVER MOUSE published, but I wasn’t able to illustrate it.

Afterwards, I told my agent that the only way I would publish my next picture book was if I was also the illustrator.

Luckily, Kar-Ben offered me a contract for both the text and illustrations for THE MOUSE WHO LOVED LATKES, and my original dream was finally fulfilled!

As for board books, I knew that P.J. Library—a program that sends free, age-appropriate Jewish-themed books to children—needed more board books for their youngest readers. I wrote a series of board books combining Jewish holidays and pre-school concepts with that in mind. Abrams Appleseed scooped them up right away! I’m hoping that the series will become part of the P.J. Library program. The series is illustrated by Aura Lewis.

CGE: The two books that came out are Hanukkah books, one a board book and one a picture book. One you wrote and illustrated, one you wrote and Aura Lewis illustrated. Please tell us your feelings about that.

JNW: As I said, I couldn’t be more thrilled that I finally got to write and illustrate my very own picture book! However, when we submitted the board book series, the editor at Abrams wanted Aura to be the illustrator. Her style and color palette are very different from mine, so I’ve learned not to take those types of decisions personally. Aura’s illustrations are adorable, and I’m very proud of both books.

CGE: Did you approach the board book, HANUKKAH 1-2-3! A First Counting Book (A Jewish Holiday Concept Book) illustrated by Aura Lewis differently than writing the picture book, The Mouse Who Loved Latkes? 

JNW: Yes, it was a very different approach. HANUKKAH 1-2-3! A First Counting Book was always intended to be a series. I thought about which holiday would pair the best with which pre-school concept. Hanukkah paired naturally with counting. I also paired Rosh Hashanah with shapes, starting with the traditional round challah. I put Purim with opposites—also a natural pairing, and Tu B’Shvat with colors because of the various colors of the fruits of the tree. I also made the text rhyme, which is very unusual for me but seemed appropriate for the young audience.

The Mouse Who Loved Latkes is for an older audience, which allowed me to include lots of word play, jokes, and more complex themes, such as fear of the unknown, bridging cultural differences, and unlikely friendships. I started the manuscript and book dummy in the early 2000’s then put it away for many years until the time was right to dust if off and put it out into the world again. This time, my agent and I were able to find a publisher who saw the potential for a Hanukkah book with those universal themes.

CGE: What keeps you going through the ups and downs of this business?

JNW: That’s a good question! There are many ups and downs in publishing, and it can be daunting. One thing that keeps me going is the kidlit community. They are very supportive, generous, and helpful. I’m a member of SCBWI, which has a fabulous New England chapter. I belong to three different kidlit critique groups, including a writers’ group, an illustrators’ group, and a Jewish writers’ group. Not only do I get feedback on my writing and illustrating, but I also get a shoulder to cry on when things are tough and a cheering section when I have successes.

CGE: What advice do you have for new writers trying to get into the children’s publishing market?

JNW: I always tell people to do it because you love it, because there is no guarantee of getting published. If you do hope to get published, persistence is the key. It takes time to hone your craft and find the right publisher or agent for any given project.

CGE: What does the future hold for Joy Nelkin Wieder?

JNW: The next board book in the Jewish Holiday Concept series is in the works. It’s called ROSH HASHANAH SQUARE-CIRCLE-STAR! A First Shapes Book. It’s also illustrated by Aura Lewis and published by Abrams Appleseed. I believe it will be out next spring.

I’m also co-authoring my first graphic novel with Helen Kampion, although I’ve decided that I won’t be illustrating it. Graphic novels take a different skill set as an illustrator than I have. We’re still developing the story, but it is based on the Stolpersteine, or Stumbling Stones, a decentralized Holocaust memorial by artist Gunter Demning and placed all throughout Europe. The book will be dedicated to my great-grandparents who were victims of the Holocaust.

CGE: Thanks, Joy, for sharing your talent here. We wish you continued success!

You can connect with Joy here: