The Picture Book Buzz - Interview with Lesléa Newman
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Lesléa (pronounced “Lez-LEE-uh”) Newman was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up there and on Long Island. She now lives in western Massachusetts, and from 2008-2010 served as the poet laureate of Northampton, MA.
Currently she teaches writing for children and young adults at Spalding University’s Naslund-Mann School of Professional Writing.
She is the author of 47 picture books, 2 middle grade novels, and 5 young adult novels, in addition to a number of poems and magazine articles. Including the picture books, Joyful Song: A Naming Story, illustrated by Susan Gal (2025), Like Father, Like Son, illustrated by AG Ford (2024), The Fairest in the Land, illustrated by Joshua Heinsz (2023), I Can Be…ME!, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez (2023), The Babka Sisters, illustrated by Tika and Tata Bobokhidze (2023), Alicia and the Hurricane: A Story of Puerto Rico / Alicia y el huracán: Un cuento de Puerto Rico, illustrated by Elizabeth Erazo Baez (2022), ABC Cats: An Alpha-Cat Book illustrated by Isabella Kung (2021), 123 Cats: A Cat Counting Book, illustrated by Isabella Kung (2021), Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale With A Tail, illustrated by Susan Gal (2020), Remembering Ethan, illustrated by Tracy Nishimura Bishop (2020), Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story, illustrated by Amy June Bates (2019), and Baby's Blessings, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata (2019).
Her newest picture book, Something Special: A Sitting Shiva Story, releases March 24th.
Welcome back Lesléa, thank you so much for stopping by to talk about your newest book and writing.
Happy to be here!
Is there an author or illustrator (children’s of otherwise) who has had an influence of your writing or creativity?
Oh, so many! If I had to pick one author, I would choose Patricia MacLachlan, who was my mentor and dear friend. In addition to her own writing, which is indescribably lovely, she gave very good advice. One little gem I always remember: “The title takes you by the hand and the first line leads you into the story.”
Thank you for sharing that nugget of advice. What was the inspiration or spark of interest for Something Special: A Sitting Shiva Story?
Julie Bliven, who was my magnificent editor for Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale With a Tail and sadly is no longer with Charlesbridge, pitched me the idea. She said, “There needs to be a children’s book about sitting shiva and honestly, you are the only person I can think of who could write it.” In other words, she flattered me into it! I loved the idea and sat with it for about a year, mulling it over consciously and unconsciously until I had my aha! moment and started putting words onto the page.
That's a wonderful way to start a book. What was the toughest part of writing Something Special? And what was the most fun?
The hardest part was simply figuring out how to approach such a serious topic. Once I realized that the best way to tell this story was from the point of view of a child who is not familiar with the customs of sitting shiva, I was able to dive right in. That way, Joshua, whose grandfather has died and whose family is sitting shiva, could actually take Lizzie by the hand (see Patty’s advice above) and lead her into the story. Which means that children who have never paid a shiva call get to learn something new, and Jewish children who are familiar with sitting shiva get to see themselves and their families represented in a story.
The fun part was weaving Grandpa’s dog Queenie, who now belongs to Joshua into the story; I thought having an adorable pup around would lighten the sorrow that is of course part of the narrative. And it was also fun to base “Grandpa” on my beloved Uncle Terry and include some wonderful memories of him in the flashback scenes. Like “Grandpa,” my uncle loved magic tricks, playing chess, and chocolate!
Oh Lesléa, what a wonderful way to create an ode to your uncle. As someone who has not sat shiva, I really appreciated participating through Joshua and Lizzie. How long did it take from the first draft to publication?
That sounds like a math problem! I believe I first started thinking about the book in 2021, and wrote my first draft in 2022, so that would be four years, which is actually pretty fast in the children’s book world.
That is both good and sad at the same time. Did anything surprise or amaze you when you first got to see Sarita Rich’s illustrations? What is your favorite spread?
Text © Lesléa Newman, 2026. Image © Sarita Rich, 2026.
Everything amazed me! Sarita is such a talented artist and her paintings beautifully express all the emotions that both Joshua and Lizzie are feeling. I have two favorite spreads: the depiction of Rabbi Sarah embracing Joshua in a warm hug is so comforting and so beautiful. And on the very next page, we see Lizzie putting her arm around Joshua’s shoulders. We just see the backs of them, but it is so tender and kind and loving. Sometimes the smallest gestures have the largest impact. And what surprised me and delighted me were Lizzie’s rainbow socks, which could, though not necessarily, be interpreted as a nod to the LGBTQ+ community.
Lizzie's gesture is such a wonderful tender moment. I just love the tender, softness of Sarita Rich's illustration. What's something you want your readers to know or discover about Something Sweet?
I’d like readers to learn or remember that children feel grief very deeply and it’s important to allow them to do that, as opposed to brushing their feelings aside. And that it’s okay to cry, and even to laugh when remembering a beloved family member who has recently died And that there are beautiful Jewish customs to help a grieving family get through this time of deep sorrow, one of which is allowing your community to show up and support you in concrete ways. (There is an author’s note at the back of the book that explains these customs.)
Dealing with grief is tough for everyone and you've done a great job offering families a way to work through it. Are there any new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?
Yes, I have many new projects in the works including the children’s books, Rainbow Cookies, illustrated by Z.B. Asterplume which will come out later this year and Song of the Dead Sea Scrolls, illustrated by Vesper Stamper, which will come out in 2027. And I am really excited to announce that I have a poetry book for adults coming out this year—my first since 2021! It is called The Last Flame Last, and it is a suite of 18 poems written in response to October 7th and the surge of antisemitism that surged afterwards here and around the world.
Great news! We'll have to keep our eyes open for these books. What animal or natural feature (place) do you want to learn more about? Why?
I love cats and always want to learn more about them. Plus, I strive to be like them – they are little Zen masters, always in the present moment. Mitzi, the feline goddess with whom I live is a wise and patient teacher!
Thank you, Lesléa for stopping back by to share with us your newest picture book.
Thank you!
Be sure to come back on Friday for the Perfect Picture Book #PPBF review of Something Special: A Sitting Shiva Story
To find out more about Lesléa Newman, or to contact her:
Website: https://lesleakids.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslea.newman
