Q&A with Amy Hest

 

 

 

Amy Hest is the author of the new children's picture book When Rosie Walks George. Her many other books include Kiss Good Night. She lives in New York City.

 

Q: What inspired you to write When Rosie Walks George?

 

A: The first line, “George is old and deaf in one ear, and he doesn’t run fast anymore,” popped into my head. I knew George was going to be a dog. I wasn’t sure what it was about [otherwise] but an old dog. Rosie came later. I wrote it in 2018. The book took a long time to gestate because the illustrator was busy on other projects. 

 

When I wrote it I was really into the rhythm of it. It felt very much like a poem. The ball was a big part of it—George waiting for the ball.

 

Q: Did you write the story piece by piece?

 

A: Yes, but in a very rhythmic way. I am very orderly when I write. I go step by step. I don’t move forward until I’m ready.

 

Q: So when did Rosie come into the story?

 

A: The whole family came into it, and I needed a star. I love the name Rosie—my granddaughter is named Rosie, but I’m not sure she was born when I wrote this.

 

[The character Rosie] would be like George—slow and methodical, childlike. When I was a young mother, I was always rushing. That’s how I think of the parents, rushing, and the kids linger.

 

Q: What do you think Taeeun Yoo’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: They’re gorgeous. I love the colors. She captured a magical place. I am a real city person—I rarely leave New York. When I look at the pictures, I want to be [there]—it’s an idyllic place to live.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, “Young Rosie and the family dog exemplify interspecies, intergenerational friendship—with a touch of Zen.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: It’s kind of lovely. I’m happy with that. I don’t know what the “touch of Zen” means—peaceful, I suppose. It’s all about love, watching out for one another. Zen is being in the moment, and you’re right there.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: Love. It’s a love story. All my stories are love stories of one kind or another. How we love our people, our dogs. I love how Rosie and George get each other. They have each other’s back. My husband died 12 years ago now—we always had each other’s back. It’s a very special kind of intimacy.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: A couple of picture books are coming out in the next few years. I’m on a hiatus—I haven’t been able to write or sit still for months. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve started sitting for longer at the computer.

 

Q: Anything else we should know about the book?

 

A: I think it’s about kindness, good things, love—in these hard times it’s nice to remember that small moments in relationships and life are what counts. If you have a strong family life, you are lucky and blessed. Your relationships are really what counts.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Amy Hest.