INTERVIEW WITH #JEWISH #KIDLIT #PICTUREBOOK AUTHOR DOREEN KLEIN ROBINSON, PLUS A DOUBLE CRITIQUE AND BOOK GIVEAWAY

Doreen is my talented, lovely, cheering-with-all-her-soul at every beautiful book that is birthed, Jewish writing partner who I’ve known for years now. Thanks to PJ Library, we both attended the 2022 inaugural PJ Library Emerging Picture Books Writer’s Camp and have been friends and critique partners ever since—how lucky am I!

And now, my friend, after boosting and supporting the rest of the book world, it is your turn to be celebrated!

Doreen, what a year you have had! First, you debuted with GOLEM LOVES LATKES: A Tasty Hannukah Tale with a bang—included in The Horn Book as a recommended holiday book, The Forward, and other media—wow!! I can see why, as that book is full of humor and heart. My kids and I LOVED reading it together, and you wove in so many important Jewish concepts and values into one book that we could discuss afterwards. And NOW, you’re releasing your next book—only months later!

A PLACE TO PRAY had me genuinely tearing up. What a stunning work of art in the way you folded in two adjacent faiths, one crisis, and community. This book is essential, now more than ever, and I am honored to have this first peek and opportunity to chat with you about it! Let’s dive in!

DZ: Can you share the story of this manuscript with us? How long did it take you to research this topic, write the manuscript, versions, etc? Did you need permissions of any kind, from either the church or synagogue or their leaders? Is this technically informational fiction, since the boy and girl are fictional?

DKR: Thank you so much for having me on the blog, Danna. I am so thrilled to be here and so honored to be in this industry – writing for children is such a privilege. I’m really grateful for your support and friendship, too.

This story of my heart had a long road from inspiration to publication. I don’t recall exactly where I first read about the tragic December 5, 2020 electrical fire that destroyed Middle Collegiate Church, but I know it left me feeling devastating. I had all these questions that I wondered about … Who made up their congregation? What did the historic church look like and what was its history? The journalist in me needed answers – so I read all I could and watched all the news clips I could find (thank you, Google). I was deeply moved when I read that Rabbi Joshua Stanton of East End Temple was among one of the first to reach out to his mentor and friend, Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis at Middle Collegiate Church to offer help. This tragic event took place during COVID when the world was mostly still in lock-down. It was also a time of rising antisemitism – with another outburst from the celebrity Kayne West – which made me so angry, but I focused on the beauty of the friendship between the rabbi and the reverend and it gave me hope and helped me heal. It made me proud of being Jewish, and I began to craft a story in my head that was called A Place to Pray.

At the time, I wasn’t sure if I’d need to interview the reverend and the rabbi, since the story I had written was a work of fiction, inspired by a true event. I did do a fair amount of research for the back matter, and then after the story was acquired, I ended up interviewing them on Zoom (September 19, 2023).

DZ: The way you wove the story of the boy and the story of the girl, as well as their places of worship, was unique and beautiful. What kinds of mentor texts did you use for this? This was a unique structure that worked so well—almost reminiscient of dual narrative picture books, which are rare, or picture books with two intertwined arcs, like The Diamond and the Boy. What did the process of marrying these two stories together look like for you—was it birthed organically interwoven, or did this take work and finagling? Similarly, was there a discussion with your editor about pagination? I imagine it was important to get to the girl’s story and the church pretty quickly in the story (although the church is beautifully included in the boy’s POV, too)?

DKR: When I wrote the manuscript, I felt it needed to be from a dual POV, and one of my favorite books that masters this art is the book you mentioned – The Diamond and the Boy by Hannah Holt, illustrated by Jay Fleck. I also read The Bees of Notre-Dame by Meghan P. Browne, illustrated by E. B. Goodale – the picture book about the hive of bees that survived the tragic Notre-Dame cathedral fire. Once I had the story fleshed out, I shared it with a few critique partners and got valuable feedback. My writer friend Dee Knabb encouraged me to delve deeper into the girl’s POV and emotional arc. She was spot on with that advice, because the acquiring editor said the same thing when she asked me for the R&R.

I always paginate my manuscripts for my own benefit. Even if it changes, I like to see where page turns might go, and I try to envision the illustrations. This helps me see the story’s arc and it’s part of my process. It might’ve gone out on sub paginated, and the printed book flows almost exactly how I envisioned it. 

DZ: In your author’s note, you share that you approached this as a journalist. First of all, where did you come across this story first? What kind of journalistic research was entailed for this book? Can you share more about your resources and detective work?

DKR: As I mentioned, I don’t remember where I first read this story, but I had so many questions that needed answers…so of course, I went down the Google-rabbit-hole and read everything I could find. When a historic church in New York City goes up in flames, it gets international media attention – so there was no shortage of footage of the fire and clips with interviews of Rev. Dr. Lewis.

I confess that I became obsessed with this story (I think that’s a requirement for writing a picture book, or any book). I researched the church and the synagogue by looking at their websites. I also found lots of posts about the fire on social media. There was an outpouring of love and support for the church and the congregation – the story had worldwide impact. And then after writing the manuscript, I was in New York for a wedding, and I knew what I had to do – walk the path from Middle Collegiate Church to East End Temple, just like the boy in the story.

It was June 22, 2023. The manuscript was on sub, but had not yet been acquired. I stood across from the church on a cloudy summer day and gazed upon what remained of the burned down structure before it was demolished. I imagined the church in all her glory, and I knew in my heart that my story would honor her memory. As I walked the path to East End Temple, I did what the boy did – looked at the stars on the ground – (from the Yiddish Theatre Walk of Fame) and searched for butterflies at Stuyvesant Park – and then I came to the temple’s gate.

As an introvert, I was content with a picture of the exterior – but my husband said we had to ring the bell and go inside. As luck would have it, a staff member was there and allowed us to tour the synagogue. It was an incredible feeling to stand in the sanctuary and know that the church was sharing this sacred space. I felt so proud of this Jewish community – we are small in numbers, spread out all over the world, but interconnected – for welcoming their neighbors, for their act of loving kindness, for this mitzvah of chesed – to open their hearts, and to open their doors. It filled my eyes with tears and my heart with hope – that maybe, just maybe, we could have peace on earth.

DZ: Were you a journalist before? What is your background, and how did you come into children’s book writing?

DKR: My degree is in mass communications and public relations, and I’ve been writing professionally in the newspaper industry for over 30 years. In my career as a journalist and editor for community newspapers, I’ve enjoyed telling other peoples’ stories. I honed my research and writing and revising skills and wrote articles with the goal of educating and entertaining my readers. I think that helped me transition to writing for children – I want to inform them but also inspire them to be good humans. Writing for children is such a privilege and my love affair with picture books began when my children were born. It has been a long journey, but being a published author is really a dream fulfilled. 

DZ: What was the process of working with your illustrator (or art director) like? Since these are fictional characters (except for the clergy) was there a discussion or any kind of back-and-forth about any of the illustrations, or about capturing certain details accurately? Did you provide photos?

DKR: I was so fortunate to be involved in the process from the start. The publisher at Worthy Kids shared portfolios of some very talented artists and illustrators. I was given the opportunity to rank them – which was very difficult because they all had such unique and beautiful work. It turns out, the publisher went with my number one choice, Yuke Li. One of the reasons I thought she would be the best illustrator for this manuscript is that she was the only one that lives in New York, and I felt that she could capture the NY landscape/cityscape best.

From the start, the art director showed me Yuke’s sketches of the boy and girl and included me in discussions about Jewish representation. They were very open to my suggestions and appreciated my photos of East End Temple and Jewish objects, such as a tallit (prayer shawl). The clergy in the story were drawn as fictional characters (any resemblance to Rev. Dr. Lewis and Rabbi Stanton is coincidental).

DZ: What was the process of submission like for you? You didn’t have an agent when you submitted this, right? Can you share with our readers how you got this amazing deal and how you got your agent, too?

DKR: I got my agent Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary during the SCBWI Florida Conference in May 2023. I could’ve been paired up with an author, editor or a different agent but by divine intervention or dumb luck, I was paired with Karen. I’ll admit, I was a bit intimidated. She’s a rock star in the industry and I’m an unknown, unpublished author with imposter syndrome quietly trying to land a book deal. I feared the red pen of rejection and was practically shaking when I sat down for my critique.          

Karen has a calming presence and basically told me she loves this story and wanted to represent this work. If I recall correctly, she said, “They both wanted the same thing” (referring to the boy and the girl). That’s really what the book is about – two different children, wanting the same thing – to live in a world where we care about each other, where we treat each other the way we want to be treated. The Golden Rule. It was a pinch-me moment!

She went to work subbing it to a few big houses and we had some beautiful passes early on that commented on the quality of the writing. I am forever grateful that Rebekah Moredock, an acquiring editor at Worthy Kids (at the time) loved the manuscript and asked for a revise and resubmit. Rebekah was instrumental in pushing me to explore the girl and her POV more in depth. In doing so, the girl’s emotional arc was stronger and so was the manuscript. Revealing her story, her sorrow, her grief, unearthed the universal message – the boy and the girl (and ultimately, all of us) want the same things: a place to pray. Rebekah took it to acquisitions and we inked the deal with Worthy Kids/Hachette Book Group on September 13, 2024.

DZ: What is the most important takeaway you hope for your readers?

DKR: I’d like readers of all ages, races, and religions to come away with this: Be the unity in community.

DZ: This is such an essential and timely topic, and these stories of interfaith conversations, mutual respect, and opportunities for kindness and community are heart-warming and needed. What kinds of promotion do you have planned for this book? Please share any book signings or other events you have planned.

DKR: I’m still working on book birthday plans and hope to meet illustrator Yuke Li when I go to New York at the end of February for a family event. We’re trying to work out details of an author/illustrator event at a New York bookstore or possibly at the church in early March, so stay tuned.

I’ll be doing a book birthday celebration on social media on February 3, and I’ll be giving away a signed copy. Worthy Kids/Hachette Book Group had a give-away on Goodreads in January, and I believe they have another one planned for February. They also have an incredible activity packet with lots of fun stuff for kids including a bookmark and a Liberty Bell craft which can all be downloaded from their website.

DZ: How has your experience differed between publishing Golem and publishing A Place to Pray?

DKR: The biggest difference has been in terms of marketing. My first book, GOLEM LOVES LATKES: A Tasty Hanukkah Tale was illustrated by Anna Krajewska and came out in October 2025 with Intergalactic Afikoman. Since they’re a small publishing house, I handled most of the marketing and publicity myself, which was a lot of fun and a lot of work.

Worthy Kids has a marketing and PR team – so I am fortunate to have industry professionals doing most of that work on my behalf. They created an amazing activity packet and beautiful bookmark for A PLACE TO PRAY which can be downloaded from this link. Both experiences have been amazing and I am really grateful.

DZ: Please feel free to plug your next book here/ what’s next for you! Both short-term and long-term, if you’d like.

DKR: As far as what’s next – I have various picture book projects that I’m passionate about in different stages – researching ideas, early drafting, deep revisions, and something out on submission – and so many ideas for books that I haven’t even written yet (thank you StoryStorm/Tara Lazar and NonFictionFest/NFFest – two very inspiring writerly groups). Overall, I just feel so blessed and lucky. Thanks so much for having me on the blog!

DZ: Is there a question you wish I had asked? Please ask yourself here 😊—I’d love to also hear the answer!

DKR: The only question I’d like to answer that you didn’t specifically ask about is my author’s note and my passion for writing with a Jewish lens. I spent years writing stories for kids – tried my hand at humor, rhyme, fiction, nonfiction – took workshops, joined critique groups and entered writing contests. At some point, I kept hearing “write what you know” and that stuck with me. I started to write Jewish-themed stories. I started to honor my history, my traditions, my customs, and my authentic self.

I’d found my voice – and it’s a blend of my Israeli-born parents and my Eastern European Ashkenazi grandparents. I’ve never felt more passionate about writing stories through a Jewish perspective. We are an under-represented minority in the publishing industry (in many industries) and it’s clear that we need more Jewish books – for all children to read. Ultimately, I’m still writing for nine-year-old me – the girl who wanted so badly to see an everlasting peace in the Middle East when she watched Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and Israel’s Menachem Begin sign the 1978 Camp David Accords. That girl still exists and still envisions that peace.

DZ: Thank you, Doreen! I love this question and love that this important information is in this interview. I will add here some statistics that have seriously surprised good friends of mine who are not Jewish, and who had the misconception that Jewish numbers were much greater.

Jews comprise only 0.189% of the global population.

The total number of Jews in the world was 14.8-15 million, as of 2025, according to the Pew Research Center, with nearly half of all Jews living in Israel and half living outside of Israel, with the largest subpopulation living in America. This is still significantly less than the 16.6 million Jews in the world in 1939, before the Holocaust. Compare that to the growth of other minority groups since 1939, at least in the U.S. (https://demographicchartbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Gibson-DemographicChartbook.pdf and https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/working-papers/2002/demo/POP-twps0056.pdf)

Jews comprise 2.4% of the American population. Compared to other minority groups, this is a really small number. (See here: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045224)

According to the Pew Research Center in 2025, 7.5 million Americans identify as culturally Jewish, and only 5.7 million Americans identify Judaism as their religion—as Judaism is considered an ethnoreligion.

*GIVEAWAY*

Doreen is generously offering both a critique and a book with this interview!

TO ENTER: please comment on this blog post. If you share on Instagram, 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 Doreen:

Doreen traded snow angels for sandcastles, moving from New York to South Florida with her family when she was just four years old. Her love affair with picture books began thirty years ago when her oldest of three children was born, and continues to this day. As a journalist and editor for community newspapers, Doreen looks for the heart in every story and hopes to inform and inspire her readers. She is a 2022 scholarship recipient for PJ Library’s Emerging Authors and a 2023 recipient of Florida SCBWI’s Mirrors and Windows scholarship. Her debut picture book GOLEM LOVES LATKES: A Tasty Hanukkah Tale was a Horn Book Magazine’s recommended holiday book (Intergalactic Afikoman – October 2025). A PLACE TO PRAY (Worthy Kids/Hachette Book Group) is available for preorder and arrives on shelves February 3, 2026.

Visit Doreen online at:

website

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