Q&A with Teri Roche Drobnick

 

Photo by Eileen Roche Photography

 

 

 

Teri Roche Drobnick is the author of the new children's picture book Moving Day. She also is a licensed clinical social worker, and she lives in Petaluma, California.

 

Q: Moving Day was inspired by a Victorian house in San Francisco--can you tell us more about that?

 

A: Moving Day is based on the real-life Englander house. It was brought to my attention by a friend who sent me the news clip stating, “This story would make a great children’s picture book.”

 

I was immediately enthralled and took a deep dive on the internet to research the house. I learned a developer planned to build condominiums on the property, but instead of tearing the house down, he relocated it.

 

The move was a lengthy, complicated, and expensive proposition. The process took eight years as the developer had to deal with 15 different agencies in San Francisco to make it happen. The house weighs 133 tons and is 80 feet long, so they had to remove street signs, move overhead wires, trim trees, and divert traffic.

 

When I began writing Moving Day, I wanted to create a kid-friendly story, so I told it from the house’s perspective. The house is resistant to moving, which I know from personal experience is a common issue.

 

Q: What do you think Jennifer Black Reinhardt’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: Jennifer’s artwork made my words come to life! I couldn’t have asked for a better partnership. Our editor, Margaret Ferguson, knew exactly what she was doing when she paired the two of us.

 

I fell in love with Jennifer’s pen and watercolor illustrations the moment I saw them. Readers are sure to enjoy the whimsicality of the illustrations and the multitude of details to discover.

 

The fact that she added legs and arms to the house was a total surprise. I love how it adds to the silliness of the story and how the personification of a house becomes so believable.

Q: How did you research the story, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: While searching the internet, I was surprised to learn that the moving of houses in San Francisco dates back to the 1860s and was fairly common in the early 1900s.

 

Fortunately, these Victorian houses in San Francisco were typically built with redwood, so they were lighter and easier to move than the brick houses of the East Coast. Before the invention of automobiles, these houses were cut in half and pulled by horses.

 

This relocation of houses occurred because of development, street reorganization, the construction of freeways, or public transportation. Although it may seem like a lot of work to move these structures, by maintaining these buildings instead of tearing them down, a piece of our history is being preserved.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book called it “[c]harming, entertaining, and full of heart.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I was thrilled to receive such a positive Kirkus Review: “...charming, entertaining, and full of heart.” I wanted the story to be light and fun for my readers, but to also have a message about moving and change. Although moving can be difficult, hopefully my readers will realize that it’s not where you are, but who you’re with.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I just signed on with a new agent, Jen Newens, so we will be determining which of my manuscripts she will submit to publishers.

 

I have received positive feedback from editors on one of my recent picture books, so I am hopeful it will get picked up soon. I am also in the process of writing another picture book about a personified inanimate object, which I will be running by my critique group in a couple of weeks.

 

I recently completed my memoir entitled A Daughter’s Long Goodbye, Anticipatory Grief and Friendships Stronger Than Alzheimer’s. It is a love story to my father who died of Alzheimer’s.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: My writing assistant is a Goldendoodle named Hobie. When I’m not writing, my favorite hobbies are hiking and rowing.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb