At least we have our sense of humor

An interview with Audrey Barbakoff on her new fable-tastic children's book.

Hey. It’s been a minute.

I miss writing this newsletter, and in a weird way, I hope you miss me too! I’ve been busy with a new-ish job and the never-ending job of parenting. That’s not to say I couldn’t squeeze in a newsletter, but low-level overwhelm can paralyze me at times. Sometimes, even thinking about adding another small thing to my plate makes my head spin.

But here I am, with a solution of sorts. For the next few weeks, I plan to share some interviews with fellow writers, thinkers, and artists to inspire you on your own creative journey. And let’s face it, the point is to inspire me, too.

The first is with Audrey Barbakoff, whose debut children’s book The Schlemiel Kids Save the Moon is a modern reboot of an old fable. (I also love the illustrations by Rotem Teplow). I’ve known Audrey’s sister-in-law since childhood, and I’m excited to celebrate this working mom’s accomplishments.

Here’s Audrey on her inspirations, process, and more.

1. Tell me about the origin story of this book. What was the inspiration behind The Schlemiel Kids Save the Moon? 
   I grew up hearing funny stories about the ironically named "wise" people of Chelm, but they weren't engaging for my young boys. I thought kids might relate more easily if they saw themselves in Chelm - that is, if the story entered on smart children today rather than silly adults long ago. As it turns out, the kids outsmarting the adults added a whole new layer of humor on top of the slapstick silliness of the original folktale. 
   

2. How does your (former) job as a children's librarian impact your writing process?  
   When I was a children’s librarian, I read an enormous number of picture books out loud to kids. Over time, I developed a strong sense of what engages kids and families - what keeps them interested, what makes them laugh, what encourages them to ask questions or come up with new ideas. So now, I write books that I hope librarians (and parents, teachers, and other caring grown-ups) will love to read out loud with their kids, even when it’s for the 10,000th time. 

1. A representation of the diversity among Jewish children and families was clearly important to you. What other Jewish values are reflected in your book? 
   This isn't really a value per se, but I think the humor you see in the book displays a very Jewish way of moving through the world. When you're presented with an unfair situation, as Jews so often have been throughout history, you have a choice in how you respond. You can scream and cry, or you can laugh. Laughter means deciding to live, to persevere. And after a few millennia of choosing to laugh, we've developed a uniquely Jewish sense of humor. When Sam and Sarah face an obstacle, they don't get mad. They don't give up. They don't lash out. They laugh, come together, and figure out a way forward that is both clever and kind. 
   

2. You're a working mom, plus a writer—and I know from experience that's not an easy feat. How do you balance it all? There's a common misconception about children's literature that minimal text equals minimal work—not true!
   
   Ha! Definitely not. There’s a quote I’ve seen attributed to a variety of sources (Twain, Pascal, Cicero) along the lines of “I apologize for writing such a long letter - I didn’t have time to write a shorter one.” When you only have a few hundred words to tell a story, each one has a lot of heavy lifting to do. But that’s not what you asked! I do run a full-time consulting practice and have two boys under 5. But writing actually helps me manage it all. When I feel like my brain is turning into putty from Zoom meetings or piles of laundry, doing something creative refreshes me. The busier life gets, the more I need to write. 
   

3. What do you hope readers take away from this story?
   Mostly, I hope they laugh! You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy the silliness. And when we laugh together, we also build empathy. Kids of all backgrounds need to see Jewish people and culture as three-dimensional. It's not all antisemitism and Chanukah! We're real, whole humans, who make jokes and have fun. We all need a little more Jewish joy in our lives!