Ruth Horowitz is the author of the new children's picture book The Midnight Mitzvah. Her other books include Are We Still Friends?. She lives in Cranston, Rhode Island.
Q: What inspired you to write The Midnight Mitzvah, and how did you create your character Hanina?
A: I was participating in Daf Yomi, the international program of reading one page of Talmud every day, when I came across the story of Rabbi Hannana bar Pappa, who was distributing charity at night when the king of the demons accused him of trespassing – the implication being that the night is the realm of the demons. When Rabbi Hananna replied that a gift in secret pacifies anger, the evil spirit fled.
I loved the characters, the night setting, the inspiring lesson about anonymous giving, and the model of resolving conflict with words (both the rabbi and the demon quote Torah). I sensed that it could make a great picture book – if I could figure out how to make the story accessible to young kids.
I decided to make the characters animals, and to frame the conflict in terms of nocturnal and diurnal species, and predators and prey. The great horned owl made a perfect demon.
With that in place, I researched diurnal animals that great horned owls might prey on. I settled on a chipmunk, because they’re small and scrappy, and eat nuts, and decided to make mine young, and female. After that, Hanina’s character – plucky, idealistic, and naïve – fell into place.
Q: The writer Liza Wiemer called the book a “heartfelt, touching story imparting the important wisdom of giving to others in need without causing any embarrassment to the receiver.” What do you think of that description?
A: I love this description! There’s nothing better than when a reader really gets what you’re trying to do. And by the way, Liza Weimer’s wonderful picture book, Out and About, is also about the Jewish value of anonymous giving. Check it out!
Q: What do you think Jenny Meilihove’s illustrations add to the story?
A: Jenny’s luminous colors and bold patterns make the story feel like a fairy tale, which is perfect for a story that is essentially a parable.
And her unexpected details – the picnic on the first spread, the polka dots on Hanina’s socks and the pompoms on her shoes, the fairy lights that festoon the creatures’ forest homes – create a rich, fanciful world that takes readers beyond the events in the text. When I was a kid, I would have pored over these pages, making up my own story.
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?
A: I always hope kids will fall into the story and want to come back to it again and again.
I also hope The Midnight Mitzvah will leave readers with something to think about, and maybe discuss with their adults. So many good deeds in our culture are motivated by the promise of praise–a good citizen sticker, a name on a building, or something in between.
I want to raise the idea of doing the right thing simply because it’s the right thing to do. And I want readers to consider that someone they might help is also a person, and not just there to demonstrate the goodness of the person who helps them.
On a much more sophisticated level, this story is about choosing among competing values – respecting community rules, helping those in need, and respecting personal dignity. I hope the adults who share this book with young readers will consider how these values play when addressing homelessness, food insecurity, and other issues.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: My next picture book is under contract, and in search of an illustrator. It was inspired by my late mother-in-law’s favorite houseplant. I can’t wait to announce the details!
In the meantime, I’ve been juggling a handful of new projects for young readers. And my very Jewish novel for adults about grief and ghosts is out on submission. I keep busy!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I want to give a shout out to my fabulous editor and dear friend, Lisa Rosinsky, for making this the most fun I’ve ever had working with a publisher; to the Highlights Foundation and my agent Linda Epstein, without whom Lisa and I never would have met; and to PJ Library, which will be putting The Midnight Mitzvah in thousands of homes this spring, and whose generous support is inspiring me to search for my next Jewish-themed children’s book.
And thank you for these great questions, and for featuring The Midnight Mitzvah!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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