Janice Hechter is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book Where Are the Women?: The Girl Scouts' Campaign for the First Statue of Women in Central Park. Her other books include Adventure Girl.
Q: What inspired you to create Where Are the Women?
A: At the end of March 2020, during the Covid pandemic, my daughter was sent home from college, along with everyone else, and she continued her classes online.
One of her courses was about public statues and she asked me if I would like to sit in on it. It sounded interesting to me, so I said, “Yes.” I really enjoyed the class, but all of the statues depicted men. Were there any statues of women?
I did a Google search and found out about the Girl Scouts’ quest for the first statue of Women in Central Park. And the rest is herstory.
Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: I combed through many news articles on the Girl Scouts’ fight for a statue of women in Central Park, but they only revealed so much. However, within these articles, I discovered the names of the troop leaders, searched for their emails, and contacted them, requesting an interview.
From my Zoom interviews with the Girl Scouts and troop leaders, I learned a wealth of information that hadn’t appeared in the articles. One of the troop leaders even provided me with a video of a play about Susan B. Anthony that the Girl Scouts put on. This was very helpful.
I contacted the New York City Public Design Commission and they emailed me a video of the Girl Scouts testifying before the Commission. I searched online and found videos both of the Girl Scouts at the statue’s unveiling and speaking during an interview with Time for Kids magazine.
What surprised me most was the determination and ingenuity of these young Girl Scouts. They did so much more than raise funds for the statue through cookie sales, which in itself was quite admirable.
When they happened to spot the mayor of New York City by chance, they seized the moment, and informed him about the statue. That took a lot of gumption on their part.
They created signs with witty sayings, bravely testified before the New York City Public Design Commission, and used their creativity to write and perform an original play about suffragist Susan B. Anthony. They stuck to a schedule of marching every week. And they didn’t give up, but kept at it for four years, which takes a lot of perseverance.
Q: Did you work on the text first or the illustrations first--or both simultaneously?
A: I always work on the text first. But, before I begin the illustrations, I wind up eliminating a lot of the text and show it in the illustrations instead. Being an author/illustrator allows me the freedom to edit both text and art, so that they fit seamlessly together.
Q: The Kirkus Review of the book called it an “inspiring true story of female empowerment.” What do you think of that description, and what do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I like that description. I hope children realize that they, too, can make a difference when they band together to fight for social justice. Perseverance and steadfastness often lead to great accomplishments.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I have a new nonfiction book as writer/illustrator coming out next year with Kar-Ben Publishing, an imprint of Lerner. It is about a talented female artist who refused to remain on the sidelines at a time when art critics and juries ignored women’s art. I also have some manuscripts out on submission.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: For your previous question, I mentioned the importance of perseverance and steadfastness on the part of the Girl Scouts. Those are helpful qualities for authors, as well.
I wrote my first draft of this story in December 2020 and kept revising it until April of 2022, almost one and a half years. I kept revising until I had 21 versions of my story. And then it was time to illustrate!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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