The Picture Book Buzz - Interview with Diane Mittler
Diane Mittler is a kidlit author who finds inspiration in the high desert hills of northern New Mexico and the mountains of southwestern Colorado. With a mobility impairment, she rides a four-wheeled, electric mobility device constructed by her husband. Outside is where she loves to be – exploring, camping, taking photographs and breathing deeply.
She also draws on 50 unforgettable years in the world of education -– from preschool student to college student to teacher to charter school director to literacy consultant. Currently retired, she maintains her connection with kids through a weekly read-aloud to an early elementary classroom in her town.
Diane’s debut picture book, Ready to Ride, releases October 13th.
Welcome Diane,
Thanks so much for inviting me, Maria. I’m thrilled to chat with you and share more about Ready to Ride.
Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write? How long have you been writing?)
I’ve always considered myself a writer, from stories as a kid to journalism in high school, to my career in education where I was modeling and teaching writing to kids in grades K-8, as well as writing grants and an enormous application to start a charter school. Once I retired, I had time to devote to writing books for kids. My favorite place to write is outside. Living in New Mexico, I can do that much of the year. On extreme temperature days (hot or cold), I escape inside but only as a last resort.
It's wonderful to "meet" you Diane. What was your inspiration or spark of interest for Ready to Ride?
Ready to Ride is a story based on my lived experiences. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1995 but didn’t have many issues until just before I retired, which was also the time of the pandemic. My mobility declined rapidly and left me feeling stuck just like Jules feels early in my book. I got a mobility scooter to help me move around our home and in town, but Scootie wasn’t enough in the high desert hills where I live or in the mountains in southern Colorado. My husband designed and built me a mobility device so we could walk, hike and explore again. That device, a four-wheeled electric bike, re-opened my world AND gave me inspiration for a picture book.
What an amazing gift. Seeing his creation in your photo above, I am so impressed! What was the hardest or most challenging thing about writing Ready to Ride? And what was the most fun?
Since I lived all these experiences as an adult, I was a little concerned I might not have the full kid perspective. I pushed myself to stay focused on the deep, underlying emotions I’d been feeling without letting my adult brain chime in too much. The most fun part of writing this book was being out on my bike and really noticing the YAHOO! moments so I could capture them for Jules—which again is really focusing on the emotions behind it all.
I love how you succeeded in channeling a child's frustrations at being left out and the joy after their special bike is created. Did anything amaze or surprise you when you first saw Andrea Altamirano’s illustrations? What is your favorite spread?
I’ll never forget the day my husband and I saw the cover for the first time. We were both awestruck because it so perfectly captured his creation and the true-life experience we’d had. I don’t think either of us expected that tight alignment.
The more of Andrea’s illustrations I saw, the more they individually and as a group took my breath away. The emotion she captures on every spread, the color palette, the details are still overwhelming to me because somehow, across the miles, we had a very similar vision and her vision made what the words were doing exponentially more powerful.
Text © Diane Mittler, 2026. Image © Andrea Altamirano, 2026.
It’s hard to choose a favorite spread. The first one I saw was when Jules had the idea for the bike and I LOVE the way Andrea showed Jules’ creative brain working with the incorporation of the gears turning. I love the “wilder places” spread because it puts Jules and her family in the context of our big world and recognizes all the amazing places there are to explore. I also love the canyon country page; I use that for my computer screen saver because that illustration places Jules with me in my world. Andrea is masterful at capturing emotion (both the disappointment and sadness, as well as the joy) so I couldn’t let those spreads go without a mention too.
I can see why you like this image; it's a really creative split image. How many revisions did it take from first draft to publication for Ready to Ride?
I wrote about my own experiences first as a free verse poem about “a journey” for a NM-SCBWI contest in 2023. When I won an opportunity to submit to an agent, I wanted to get feedback on a picture book text, so I rewrote the poem as a story starring a plucky young girl. Since then, I’ve revised in response to feedback from critique groups, that agent, another agent and then the editor.
The biggest change during revision was to the beginning, which makes sense to me looking back because I knew all the emotions and plot points firsthand but hadn’t personally experienced a child’s entry into the story. I needed time to get to know my MC before I figured out how and where her story began.
Interesting and it makes sense that you had the middle and ending all figured out. What's something you want your readers to know about Ready to Ride?
We live in a time and place where we can each make a difference in recognizing the need and advocating for accessibility AND inclusion. This book has given me the opportunity to talk with individuals and organizations working hard to promote accessibility and inclusion—in activities, sports, travel, and in locations like national and state parks (check out what is happening in Zion National Park in Utah!). Sharing Ready to Ride with others can provide you with an entry point to begin or extend these conversations as well. Ready? Let’s go for it!
That is so exciting! Are there any new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?
I believe Jules has more stories to share so I anticipate I will continue to work on those.
Wish you luck with these projects and we will have to keep an eye out for them. Last question, what is your favorite National Park or Forest, regional park, or city park (anywhere in the world)? Or the one you’re longing to visit. Why?
I guess “YES!” isn’t an appropriate answer to this question but if it was, that’s what I’d say. I absolutely love the outdoors and am awed and inspired by nature. That said, I’ll offer a short list of my favorite places: mountains, canyons, arches, and moving water. I’d never pass up a chance to be surrounded by amazing trees or cactus either. If people asked for a recommendation of a place to visit that they might not have visited before, I’d suggest Chaco Culture National Historical Park, an incredible blend of history, culture and desert. Always worth the trip!
Thank you, Diane, for sharing with us a bit about yourself and your debut picture book.
Be sure to come back on Friday for the Perfect Picture Book #PPBF post on Ready to Ride.
To find out more about Diane Mittler, or to contact her:
Website: https://mochadiane.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writerdi2020/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.mittler
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