Q&A with Varda Livney

 

 

 

 

 

 

Varda Livney is the author and illustrator of the children's board book Jewish Cats All Year Round. Her other books include Challah!. She lives in Israel.

 

Q: What inspired you to create Jewish Cats All Year Round?

 

A: I drew the answer to this one.   

 

 

Q: How did you create the illustrations for each holiday?

 

A: I drew hundreds of cats celebrating, and for each page chose the illustration that was the most fun AND captured a central element or two of that holiday (and then, of course, there’s the surprise at the end).

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?

 

A: I hope that the book will make babies smile and giggle, will introduce them to visual hallmarks of Jewish holidays, and will send them off with warm & fuzzy vibes about all things Jewish.

 

Being as it’s a board book for new-ish babies, the aim is not to explain the holidays, just to be exposed to the Jewish Joy of them.  

 

Q: Are you a fan of cats? If you have cats, do you celebrate holidays with them?

 

A: I AM a cat fan. I grew up in a house with four cats. Unfortunately, I now live in a household with two people who are allergic to them. So, no, I don’t celebrate holidays with them. (If anyone reads this book to their cat, please let me know if the they enjoyed it.)

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I just last week sent off the files to PJ Library for my next book, which is a board book for Purim. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Just that these are hard times, I’m hoping for peace for everybody everywhere. 

 

My mood often clashes with the silly things I am writing and drawing, 

but it does cheer me up to try and create smiles for the newest citizens of the world.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Varda Livney.