Q&A with Ariel Bernstein

 

Photo by Elene Schecter

 

Ariel Bernstein is the author of the new children's picture book Mabel Wants a Friend. Her other books include I Have a Balloon. She lives in New Jersey.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Mabel Wants a Friend, and how did you create your character Mabel?

A: I really enjoy creating characters that my author friend Ali Bovis calls “a piece of work.” Mabel is all “id” in the beginning of the story, and the challenge then becomes making her story relatable and showing believable and genuine character development.

Q: What do you think Marc Rosenthal’s illustrations add to the story?

A: Marc’s illustrations are the part of the story that show the personalities of each character, how they relate to each other and how they process what the others are doing. He shows everything from the joys of friendship to the motivations and regrets of selfish actions.

 

And to top it all off, Marc also adds an incredible amount of humor and heart throughout the story.

Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the book says, “Prior collaborators Bernstein and Rosenthal...once again dazzle at demonstrating social-emotional nuance in this savvy, playground-set work.” What do you think of that description?

A: I think it’s a great one! I’m very appreciative of such a thoughtful and insightful review.

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Mabel and Chester?

A: I would describe it as a work in progress. They become friends very quickly, before they really know each other. So the rest of the story is them getting to know themselves more before they get to know each other again. 

Q: What are you working on now?

A: A few new picture book manuscripts.

Q: Anything else we should know?
 
A: Please learn more about Mabel Wants a Friend on my website ArielBernsteinBooks.com, as well as information about my other books! And Marc Rosenthal’s website is https://www.marc-rosenthal.com.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb