Did you know National Pizza Day is February 9th? Interesting Fact #2: Just four days earlier... It's National Soup Day on February 4th! What do these seemingly unrelated days have to do with each other, you may ask? Melissa Iwai! Melissa is the author and illustrator of two books that fit perfectly with these National holidays. Pizza Day and Soup Day. Melissa has a fantastic sense of humor and her books are great blend of food, whimsy, and cooking with kids. It has been a true pleasure getting to know her and her stories Okay fellow foodie, if you could be any donut, what would you be and why? I think I would be a cinnamon sugar coated donut hole, actually, because I'm a pretty small person. If I'm in a room with adults only, I will surely be the smallest person there. It used to really bother me for a long time, but I've come to accept it. And hey, sometimes it is cheaper to buy clothes because I can buy children's sizes! haha. I would be coated with cinnamon, because it is one of my favorite spices. I have the exact opposite problem. As an elementary teacher, I am usually surrounded by women. I am almost always the tallest...no heels needed :) Tell us a little about your writing/illustrating journey. I have written two books, Soup Day and Pizza Day, and I have illustrated over thirty. I started as an illustrator and have been working full time in the industry since 1999. My first book, Night Shift Daddy, by Eileen Spinelli came out in 2000. I have been working with the same agency The CAT Agency since I first started my career. My agent, Chris Tugeau, got me that first book. I had already been a working illustrator for almost a decade before I wrote my first book, Soup Day, published in 2010 by Henry Holt. I am currently writing and illustrating two books which will be published in 2021. What inspired you to write your books? I've always wanted to be a children's book author and illustrator from the time I was a kid. But it was only until after I had my own child that I first wrote a book. He was definitely the inspiration for both Soup Day and Pizza Day. From the time he was little, I have been cooking with him and he has always had a love for food and creating delicious dishes! Aw! I love where your inspiration came from! It makes my heart melt. When I visited your blog, I noticed that you have some great tips for getting kids involved in cooking. I put a button below for anyone who wants to read more. Can you share with us a favorite line from a book? One of my very favorite books is Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig. The last line is... "Some day they might want to use it, but really, for now, what more could they wish for? They all had all that they wanted." It's hard for us to read that out loud without tearing up! What a fantastic view to have! A sweet lesson in gratefulness, right? One of the fabulous things about you, Melissa, is how you celebrate the moment. Even when you told me about your path to publication, it glowed with hope and a desire to become better! The hardest part for me was believing that it (publishing) was possible. When it hadn't happened yet, and it was just an idea, it was hard to act as if I believed - doing all the things I knew I should do, which was keep on working, keep on getting better - even though it wasn't a guaranteed outcome. Even after I signed with my agent, I didn't get any work for a year and a half! I just kept at it. I am so glad you did! I have read both your books with my kids and they loved making their own pizza! I have already learned a great dill from you, but how about a little more? What is your number one revision tip for writers? I think it really helps to put things aside for awhile and come back to something with fresh eyes. The time and distance can really help to see your work with clarity and non-judgment. Then you can get to work on problem solving more effectively. Aside from the wonderful books you have written, you are also a very talented illustrator with a great deal of experience. So one last question, what tip do you have for authors from an illustrator's perspective? Usually authors don't work directly with the illustrator. The only time I have is when I've worked with my husband, Denis Markell, who is also an author. In that case, I would say that it is important to let the illustrator create their own vision of the story without your input. Give them the freedom to tell their interpretation of the story without imposing your own vision of what you expect the illustrations to look like. Luckily for me, my husband is really good at doing this! Yay for supportive husbands! And wives! Thank you for that insight. It is challenging to let illustrators "do their thing", but often they bring our stories into life in a way we could never imagine. Thank you for stopping by Melissa! It has truly been a pleasure. Connect with Melissa website: https://www.melissaiwai.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissaiwaiart/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/meliwai Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaiwai1/ Click here to buy Pizza Day. Or here for Soup Day. Melissa Iwai is the author and illustrator of many books for young children. Some of her books include Soup Day and Pizza Day, which she wrote and illustrated and Let's Go to the Hardware Store, which she illustrated and many others. She is the illustrator of Thirty Minutes Over Oregon, a 2018 Junior Library Guild Selection, an Orbis Pictus Honor book, a 2019 Bank Street Best Book of the Year Listing, and an ILC (International LiteracyAssociation) Teacher's Choice Book. She received her BFA in Illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA and currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband, author, Denis Markell, and their teenage son, and Shiba Inu, Nikki.
1 Comment
SARAH MEADE
8/24/2019 08:53:54 am
Great interview! I look forward to reading these books with my little ones. We loooooove books about food! And I'm about to check out Melissa's cooking with kids tips. Thanks, Ciara and Melissa!
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