Michelle Orrelle is the author of the new children's board book Todah: I Am Grateful. (Todah means "thank you" in Hebrew.) She grew up in Australia and lives in Israel.
Q: What inspired you to write Todah: I Am Grateful?
A: Thank you so much for interviewing me, Deborah. I follow your blog and admire so many of the authors here.
Todah, I Am Grateful is the first board book I have written.
As board books are for the very youngest children (1-4 years old), this made me think about the beginning of life and carefully consider what special message I wanted to share with a person so new in the world.
It had to be something simple and important, and, if I never got another book published, it would be the one idea worth sharing as my legacy.
Being Jewish, I thought about the prayer Modeh Ani, which is said each morning upon waking and expresses gratitude for the gift of being alive another day and the opportunities that brings.
Todah, I Am Grateful highlights some of the many blessings we have in life - our bodies, the people who care for us, and the world around us. It reminds children and their readers to be grateful for all the seeming little things that we mustn’t take for granted.
Q: What do you think Ailie Busby’s illustrations add to the book?
A: Ailie brought each line to life with charming, colorful illustrations that encourage children to lean in and explore what is happening on the page. From the little girl sniffing the rose on the cover, to the cute birds, cats, and dogs that appear, it is all so engaging.
She made it fun to spend time with the diverse characters, reinforcing the concept, and I can imagine readers pointing out all the lovely elements and chatting with the child about each scene.
I also appreciate all the Jewish elements, like the Shabbat candles, Hanukkah scenes, dreidel, and the Israeli pomegranate she has included.
Perhaps my favourite “Easter egg,” or “Afikomen” as we call it, is that she added distinctive colored glasses frames to the grandma in the story so she resembles my mother.
Q: How did you get interested in writing books for kids?
A: I’ve always loved writing, but reading to my children every night when they were little reignited my love of children’s books. The simple, often profound messages were presented in such marvelous ways, and so many books kept us in stitches.
With a background in art and design, and experience working in animated entertainment and as a museum guide, I’ve always been drawn to storytelling in different forms. Writing children’s books gives me the opportunity to explore it further, and I never run out of ideas!
In recent years, I’ve been able to focus more seriously on writing for children, and it has been an absolute joy—not just the writing itself but also being part of such a warm and inspiring community.
I’ve met incredible mentors, teachers, and fellow writers, and made wonderful friends through my critique groups. It has been an amazing journey so far.
Q: What do you hope kids (and adults) take away from the book?
A: The first takeaway is the simple joy of sitting together and reading a book, which I have always found to be an absolute pleasure.
The second takeaway is to introduce the concept of gratitude to a child and to remind the reader to take a moment to consider all the simple, wonderful blessings we have in life that we often take for granted. Feeling grateful for what we have helps us feel happier and more content.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: We are just wrapping up the final art for my picture book Habima Magic, a time-travel story set at the Habima Theatre in the heart of Tel Aviv and based on my family history. It will be released by Kar-Ben in Spring 2027.
I am also working on multiple picture books, as well as a middle-grade novel. You can keep up to date by visiting my website: www.michelleorrelle.com
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Please read widely and share books about many different cultures with your children. I encourage you to read Jewish and Israeli books so that the windows and mirrors can do their job of bringing people closer together through a deeper understanding of one another.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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