14 Sep Lisa Cloherty MABEL’S MITZVAH Plus a Giveaway!
EL: Welcome to Writing Outside the Lines again, friends! Author, Lisa Cloherty is with us today to tell us a little about herself and her new book, Mabel’s Mitzvah.
Mabel needs to find a mitzvah, often described as a good deed, for her Mitzvah Day at school. Although she finds a few ways to perform good deeds, nothing clicks until she notices an elderly neighbor who doesn’t seem very happy. Mabel decides to help her, and while it doesn’t work out well at first, things take a turn for the better when the neighbor invites her in. Without telling too much about the story, I will say that Mabel learns the true meaning of doing a mitzvah, and it’s more than what Mabel set out to do. Cloherty’s words and the beautiful illustrations by Yaara Cellier, make this a book that I will definitely be sharing with the kiddos in my life.
Welcome, Lisa, and congrats on this sweet book. What types of books did you enjoy as a child? And how did you get the idea of Mabel’s Mitzvah?
LC: As a child, I wasn’t an athlete or a singer or a musician. I was a reader, writer, and thinker. I wrote my first poem at age 5 about the journey of life from a baby to grandparent (pretty introspective for a five year old!). After that first poem, I never stopped writing. Picture books have always been precious to me. Two of my favorites from childhood are Moon Cakes by Frank Asch and Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco. I remember looking through the artwork in Moon Cakes and having this feeling that I could somehow float inside the pages. Reading that story felt like being inside a magical dream.
My parents recently found my original copy of Mrs. Katz and Tush which I bought at my school book fair and gifted to my mom for Mother’s Day. It’s inscribed from me to her. When I re-read this story as an adult, I cried all over again. It is a beautiful story of a diverse intergenerational friendship that is just as healing now as when it was published in 1992. It is one of the things that inspired me to write Mabel’s Mitzvah.
There are many beautiful stories about the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, but fewer about non-family intergenerational friendships. I am lucky enough to live in a wonderful neighborhood. When we first moved into our home, my children noticed an older woman across the street who never had visitors and was always alone. “She must be lonely,” my daughter said. Since we always talk about mitzvot (plural of mitzvah) at home, my children decided it would be nice to try to befriend her. The acts of kindness we extended to our neighbor are what inspired this story.
EL: That’s lovely. What made you decide to use “mitzvah” as opposed to “good deed”?
LC: The short answer to this is that in my home we always refer to “good deeds” as doing a “mitzvah.” So when writing this story, I didn’t think of it any other way. I recognize as a Jewish writer that this story does not thoroughly explain the religious significance of mitzvot in the Jewish religion. To me, this story offers casual representation of this important value by authentically infusing it into a universal story.
EL: You did that beautifully. I think the illustrations are perfect for your book. Did you get to communicate with your illustrator?
LC: I think Yaara did a wonderful job. She really used such care and thought to bring this story to life. While I did not get to communicate with her directly, I was thrilled that Free Spirit Publishers gave me a seat at the table when it came to bringing this story to life. I was able to look at early sketches and provide feedback throughout the illustration process. I could not be happier with how it came out.
EL: Do you have anything else in the pipeline you can talk about?
LC: I am partnering with PJ Publishing to bring another story to life in 2028. While I cannot share details about it yet I will say that it is my first non-fiction work, and I am incredibly excited to be working with their team.
EL: That sounds amazing. I can’t wait to hear about it! Do you have any words of advice for aspiring kidlit writers?
LC: Publishing is not a straight line. It is curved and zig zags in wild and unexpected ways. I have had large swaths of time (4 years in fact!) with no offers of publication. I have had amazing agents and not so amazing agents. I have networked, edited, and advocated for my work. The best advice I would give any writer is the same advice I give to myself. ‘No’ doesn’t always mean ‘no.’ Sometimes…it means not yet. Use your voice and make space for yourself in the world. If you don’t fight for your stories, no one else will. And also be kind to yourself. This is a slow and challenging market, and it takes LOTS of patience. You’ve totally got this!
EL: Thank you so much, Lisa! I wish you the best as you continue to bring stories to life. To find out more about Lisa and purchase her books, check out her website here.
And now time for a …
Lisa is happy to send a copy of Mabel’s Mitzvah to one lucky winner with a U.S. address. Just comment on this post to get in the running.
Lisa, again, thank you so much for visiting us! Good luck with this wonderful book!
Until next time,
Ellen
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Sue Ellen is back! She has had a long, twisty road, but she’s never really gone away.
Kim A. Larson
Posted at 09:53h, 14 SeptemberCongratulations, Lisa! I love the concept, and this sounds like a wonderful book!
Marti Johns
Posted at 12:05h, 14 SeptemberLisa, this looks like a fantastic story! I can’t wait to read it. Mazel tov on the launch!
Barb Cloherty
Posted at 12:13h, 14 SeptemberCongratulations Lisa! I can’t wait to read it. You have worked do hard and persisted in getting this written and published. We are all very proud of your accomplishments.
Ellen L. Ramsey
Posted at 13:45h, 14 SeptemberLooks like a fascinating book. I’ll be interested to hear more about your nonfiction book in progress.