Ilana R. Wieder is the author of the new children's picture book Shira the Singing Puppy. She is also a playwright and a director.
Q: What inspired you to write Shira the Singing Puppy?
A: Shira the Singing Puppy arrived from asking myself, “What if?”
My own little dog, Mitzi, is pretty chill at home, but when we take her on road trips, she likes to sing with the songs we play in the car. Sometimes we think her singing is cute; other times we tell her to hush and shush so we can enjoy listening to music without her howling.
One day, I started asking myself, “what if … What if there was a dog who loved to sing so much, they wanted to sing every day but their family kept telling them to “hush and shush”? And what if the dog finally got to sing during Havdalah songs?” After many revisions, Shira the Singing Puppy was born.
Q: What do you think Alexandra Colombo’s illustrations add to the story?
A: I absolutely LOVE Alexandra Colombo’s illustrations. The colors are vibrant and the characters are fun. She really has a way of bringing the characters to life.
The puppy Shira, is adorable. In one spread, Alexandra depicted her singing in a car, which is exactly what we experienced with our dog, Mitzi.
Q: Can you say more about Mitzi?
A: Mitzi is a Bichon Frise/Mini Poodle mix and she loves music. Classical music soothes her and she likes to just listen quietly. She also loves listening to my son practice his piano but when we play any song with lyrics in the car, she likes to sing along.
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?
A: Mostly, I hope kids will be entertained by the story and be able to relate to Shira, the puppy. I hope kids will enjoy how much Shira loves to sing and think about the things they really love to do. And I hope they will love to sing Havdalah songs.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I have a few polished picture book manuscripts that are out on submission and I’m working on more manuscripts for children. (Picture books, middle grade, and young adult)
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I would like to thank Joni Sussman at Kar-Ben Publishing for believing in my story.
Also, you should know the back matter of the book includes Havdalah blessings and an explanation of the ritual.
Lastly, if you go to my website, you can download a free pdf - educator’s guide where you can find discussion questions, puzzles, and Havdalah-related arts and crafts. https://www.ilanarwieder.com/shira-the-singing-puppy/
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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