Laura Smetana is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book My Love for You Is Like the Night Sky. Her other books include My Love for You Is Like a Garden. She lives in the Chicago area.
Q: Why did you decide to create a companion to My Love for You Is Like a Garden?
A: Ever since I was little, I loved looking up at the night sky and making a wish on the first star that I saw. I still enjoy going on walks to find the moon and have even spotted a few shooting stars!
After I finished My Love for You Is Like a Garden, while looking up at the stars, I thought about writing and illustrating a companion book comparing love to the night sky. Night after night, I started brainstorming ideas and the story grew from there.
Q: What do you see as the relationship between the two books?
A: Both My Love for You Is Like a Garden and My Love for You Is Like the Night Sky celebrate the boundless love between parent and child by comparing love to different elements of nature.
My hope is that both encourage parents and children to enjoy moments of love and connection during read-alouds, as well as encourage them to get outside to explore nature together—whether it be planting a garden together or going on a bedtime hike to marvel at the stars. They encourage both daytime and nighttime nature exploration and are perfect bookends for the day.
Q: Did you work on the text first or the illustrations first--or both simultaneously?
A: For My Love for You Is Like the Night Sky, I worked on the text first. This story was more challenging for me to write than My Love for You Is Like a Garden.
After writing about half, I knew I needed more inspiration, so I took a field trip out to the Adler Planetarium in Chicago where I saw exhibits on stars, planets, galaxies, and more. I left filled to the brim with ideas and finished the text shortly after.
That visit to the museum, along with research at my local library, also provided visual inspiration that I channeled into my cut-paper watercolor collage illustrations.
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?
A: I hope kids feel a sense of love and belonging in their families, as well as in this wonderful universe we call home. I also hope the book inspires kids to get outside to experience the simple joys of looking up at the night sky.
While working on the book I was inspired to learn more about the planets in our solar system, the phases of the moon, constellations, and more—and I hope the book will serve as a launch pad for kids to learn more as well!
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Right now, I’m finishing up a book that celebrates the childhood joys of catching fall leaves that I illustrated with vibrant cut-paper watercolor collages. I’m also in the process of illustrating a bedtime adventure story and have a few books about my Slovak American heritage that are in the works. Readers can sign up for my newsletter at www.laurasmetana.com to stay updated!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: One of my favorite parts of being an author and illustrator is doing school visits with pre-K through 6th graders. I love helping kids see the writer and illustrator in themselves. I wrote my very first book in kindergarten and my love of reading, writing, and drawing really took off in elementary school.
I always tell kids that it doesn’t matter how young you are or how old you are, we all have stories to share! My goal is to leave students confident and inspired to create their own books. Readers can learn more about my author visits at www.laurasmetana.com/school-visits.
Thank you so much for having me on your blog today! I really enjoyed it.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was conducted in partnership with Flying Cardinal Press. Enter this contest for a chance to win a paperback copy of My Love for You Is Like the Night Sky, signed by Laura Smetana. One lucky grand prize winner will receive a special bundle that includes a signed hardcover edition of the book, a mini original framed watercolor collage by the author, a lined journal, a set of colored pencils, a tube of glow-in-the-dark paint, and a wooden star craft kit.
No comments:
Post a Comment