Interview: Lisa Rose, Author of Shmulik Paints the Town

Today I am interviewing a children’s book author named Lisa Rose. She is my friend’s Mom.

Sometimes she reads books to our class and talks about why she likes them. She also inspired me to start this blog.

On Monday, I reviewed her first hardcover book, Shmulik Paints the Town. You can find it in the Reviews section of my blog.

She writes mostly make-believe picture books. She also has stories on Amazon Rapids. Here is our conversation:

Question: What inspired you to write Shmulik Paints the Town?

Answer: My cousin made paintings with animal footprints. She would dip an animal’s (dog, cat, bunny, pig) paw in paint and then use the footprints to create a painting.

Q: What message do you want kids to get out of the book?

A: I want kids to have fun and believe that anything is possible.

Q: Do you celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut, like Shmulik does?

A: I celebrate being Jewish. It is important that we embrace our heritage and what makes us unique. We should celebrate our diversity and help educate others about our cultures.

Q: How did you come up with the twist of who actually paints the town?

A: Hmmm. Not sure…sometimes writing is magical.

Q: Why do you think diversity is important in children’s literature?

A: Children’s literature should be both a mirror and a window. Kids should see themselves on the page and it should also be a way for others to learn about kids and places that are different. This window helps create understanding. If you understand another human being and culture it is much more difficult to hate.

Q: Did you always want to be an author? How did you reach your goal?

A: Yes, I always wanted to write. I reached my goal by never giving up. I wrote, rewrote, and never stopped learning.

Q: What’s your favorite children’s book?

A: I always loved Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

Q: Your new book, Star Powers, comes out this summer! What is it about?

A: Star Powers is in second grade, uses a wheelchair and wants to be an astronaut! She convinces herself and everyone around her that she can make her dream come true!