Children’s Author Creates New Family Classics Author Interview
with Mary Quattlebaum, Family Reunion By Lisa M. Hendey
I love the joy of discovering new authors and sharing them with
my children, both of whom love to read as much as I do. One of
my new favorites, although she’s been writing for years, is Mary
Quattlebaum, author of the beautifully illustrated Family
Reunion (Erdman’s, February 2004, hardcover, 32 pages) and the
wonderful Jackson Jones chapter book series. A classic
storyteller, Quattlebaum takes a little “poetic license” in the
beautifully illustrated Family Reunion. Through the eyes of one
young girl, the story of a family’s reunion at the shore unfolds
in fifteen uniquely styled poems. Watercolor illustrations by
Andrea Shine combine with Quattlebaum’s artful verse to make
this a book your family will treasure together.
Moving away from the picture book format and into chapter books,
Mary Quattlebaum has also recently released the second
installment in her popular Jackson Jones series, Jackson Jones
and Mission Greentop (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, August
2004, paperback, 112 pages). This celebrated children’s author
has the gift of storytelling, and she’s working to encourage
children to find their own voice. In conjunction with Reunions
Magazine, Quattlebaum invites children to reflect on time spent
at family reunions through their written or drawn reflections.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Mary Quattlebaum and
am pleased to share her thoughts on writing and her books.
Q: I'm pleased to be able to share the following Book Spotlight
interview with Mary Quattlebaum, author of numerous books
including Family Reunion and Jackson Jones and Mission Greentop.
Mary, thanks for your time and for sharing your talent! Tell us
a bit about yourself and your family.
A: Hi, Lisa. Thanks so much for having me. I grew up with three
brothers, three sisters, and many pets (dogs, cats, hamsters,
chickens, ducks, horses, cows) in the country (rural Virginia)
and now live in our nation's capital (Washington, DC) with my
husband, daughter, guinea pig and numerous fish. I've loved
writing since I was a kid and was lucky to have parents who read
aloud to us. I especially remember my father reading Black
Beauty and nursery rhymes before bedtime and my mother bringing
us to the public library every two weeks. We'd carry all our
books in a big wicker laundry basket!
Q: Family Reunion tells the story of Jodie, a ten year old
taking a trip to a meet extended family at a special reunion.
The book's artwork, by Andrea Shine, is incredible. Please share
with our readers how this book came about.
A: Writing the poems in Family Reunion gave me a chance to
re-live the joyful gatherings of my childhood and to explore
what made them deeply memorable--playing with cousins, hearing
grandparents' stories, eating fun food like watermelon. My
daughter, nieces and nephews all enjoy today's family reunions
for the very same reasons. Family Reunion is also a lot a fun to
talk about when I visit schools. Kids love to share and write
about their own experiences--whether they gather at the beach,
Disney World, or their grandparents' home and whether they eat
hamburgers, mangoes or spicy adobo. Kids also like finding the
collage treasures (leaves, letters, bits of pretty paper)
illustrator Andrea Shine has hidden in her beautiful
watercolors. (Check www.maryquattlebaum.com for information on
Reunions, a national magazine, interested in publishing kids'
stories, drawings and photos about their family reunions.)
Q: Family Reunion is unique in that it features a story, told
through a variety of forms of poetry. What was your goal behind
using poetry, as opposed to prose, to share your message?
A: Through poetry, I hoped to capture and quickly convey a
reunion's emotional high points for a child: the initial shyness
of "Getting There," the fun of connecting with cousins in "Cloud
Visions" and "Lightning Bugs," the pleasure of cooking and
eating together in "A Feast and Talk-Fest," the sadness of
leaving in "Going Back" and "Letter to Nana." Also, as a kid, I
had loved (and still do!) the incredible "language package" that
is poetry, the way everything--metaphor, rhythm, image,
sound--is heightened, the way each word, each mark of
punctuation is important. Family Reunion includes different
poetic forms (sonnet, haiku, ballad, free verse, etc.) to expand
young readers' awareness of poetry--and encourage their own
writing.
Q: How do themes of faith and family impact upon your writing?
A: I'm often unaware of larger themes when I write a book. When
I get an idea, I'm so curious about the characters that my early
drafts revolve around trying to stay true to their voices and to
figure out what they want to do next. The themes must sort of
creep in, I guess, while I'm writing.
Q: My boys and I loved your latest children's novel Jackson
Jones and Mission Greentop, for its great story and its positive
themes. Do you have plans for future additions to the Jackson
Jones series? Why do you think kids are so drawn to Jackson?
A: I'm so glad your boys liked Jackson! I've heard from other
young readers that they liked this character for his humor and
the way he'd "keep trying" even when things got rough. Some kids
have also said that they enjoyed the community garden setting.
As to another Jackson Jones book, I'm delighted to report that a
third book will be published in the next year or so.
Q: I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you about your wonderful
classic, The Shine Man. Tell us about this story and its moral.
A: The Shine Man was inspired by my father's stories about
growing up during the Depression, a time when many Americans
lacked food, warm clothing and adequate shelter. Larry, a
shoeshine man, moves from town to town, trying to find work. One
snowy evening he makes a little Christmas ornament--a spoolie
angel--from scraps and suddenly encounters a poorly dressed,
mischievous boy who teases him for the toy. When Larry finally
gives it to him, the child gives him a Christmas miracle. So the
book is about the power of giving--even when there isn't much to
give. For me, it's been so touching to see how children
interpret the ending. After one reading, a little boy sat back
and said with satisfaction, "Well, now Larry is an angel."
Q: Mary, I know that you do a lot of work with encouraging
children to express themselves through writing. What can parents
do to motivate their children to write and to share their ideas,
hopes and dreams in story or poetry form?
A: Probably one of the best motivators for kids is the example
of their own parents! Families might set aside time after
holidays or vacations to organize photos and write a paragraph
or so about the event. It's fascinating to see how differently
each family member will remember the same event! And it's so
much fun to re-read those pieces as the years pass and to see
how handwriting, perceptions, etc., have changed.
For more information on books by Mary Quattlebaum visit
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?search-type=ss&
tag=catholicmomcom&keyword=Quattlebaum%20Mary&mode=books
Lisa M. Hendey, wife, mother and webmaster of
http://www.CatholicMom.com and http://www.ChristianColoring.com
is an avid reader and writes from Fresno, California.
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