Q&A with Ruth Behar

  

Ruth Behar is the author of the new children's picture book A Snowy Hanukkah for Luz. Her other books include Lucky Broken Girl. She is an anthropology professor at the University of Michigan, and she lives in Ann Arbor. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write A Snowy Hanukkah for Luz?

 

A: My older granddaughter, who is now 5 and a half, was born on the last day of Hanukkah. She brought so much light to my life and to our family. Her arrival was especially meaningful in the midst of the pandemic. That inspired me to write A Snowy Hanukkah for Luz.

 

Then my younger granddaughter was born two years later, soon after Hanukkah, and she brought yet more light to my life and to our family. I was finishing the book by then and was so glad I could dedicate it to both granddaughters.

 

But the book would not have come about if not for Alexandra Cooper, my editor at Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, who wanted me to write a Hanukkah book. Knowing the book would have a home gave me the sense of security I needed to let the story go in unexpected directions, magical directions.

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Luz and her grandmother?

 

A: I think of Luz and Abuelita, her grandmother, as being in harmony with each other. They listen to one another’s ideas of how to define a miracle and their worldviews expand and let in more possibilities for wonder.

 

I should also mention that Luz’s Abuelito, her grandfather, appears as a quiet yet caring presence. I modeled him on my maternal grandfather whom I adored; he said little but radiated so much love.

 

Q: What do you think Marjorie Priceman’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: Marjorie Priceman’s illustrations are stunningly beautiful. I am so thrilled that she created the art for the book. Her illustrations, filled with pinks and reds and cerulean blue, bring joy to every page.

 

The snowy streets, the kind neighbors, the kitchen where latkes and rosquitas are prepared to honor both Ashkenazi and Sephardic family traditions, are depicted with a visual fluidity that reminds me of Chagall while also evoking the vibrant color palette of the Latinx culture that Abuelita and Abuelito are a part of.

 

What I find striking is how Marjorie’s illustrations convey a sense of movement that has the flow of dance and the glow of hope, and that energy builds as we turn the pages and get to the end, when Luz lights all the candles of the menorah.

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?

 

A: I want kids to think about Hanukkah as a holiday that enlivens us, that inspires us to notice and enjoy the everyday miracles surrounding us.

 

At the same time, it’s a holiday that connects us with the ancestors and the awe they felt when the oil lasted for eight days back when, as Abuelita puts it, “There was only one menorah. And one Temple.”

 

My hope is that kids will take away this mix of living fully in the present along with curiosity about the historical memory that Jewish people hold on to and carry forward.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’ve just finished a new middle-grade novel for Nancy Paulsen Books. And I am working on a new picture book with Alexandra Cooper. I have to be a little mysterious right now, but will share news about these projects soon.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I have book events coming up in New York, Miami, and Ann Arbor, which I’ll announce on Instagram.

 

There’s an Educators’ Guide available for A Snowy Hanukkah for Luz that includes two activity sheets for kids to connect with the story. One of the activities asks children to create a picture of an everyday miracle and I’d love to see what they come up with. Send those images my way here: ruthbeharauthor@gmail.com.

 

For more information about all my books, please visit my website: www.ruthbehar.com.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Ruth Behar.