Caroline Starr Rose

award-winning picture book and middle-grade author

Writing is a very silly business at best.

Leave a Comment

Writing is a very silly business at best. There is a certain ridiculousness about putting down a picture of life. And to add to the joke — one must withdraw for a time from life in order to set down that picture. And third one must distort one’s own way of life in order in some sense to simulate the normal in other lives. Having gone through all this nonsense, what emerges may well be the palest of reflections. Oh! It’s a real horse’s ass business. The mountain labors and groans and strains and the tiniest of rodents comes out. And the greatest foolishness of all lies in the fact that to do it at all, the writer must believe that what he is doing is the most important thing in the world. An he must hold to this illusion even when he knows it is not true. If he does not, the work is not worth even what it might otherwise have been.
— John Steinbeck, Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters

Read more quotes I enjoyed from the book here.

Classroom Connections: Thread of Love illustrated by Zara Gonzalez Hoang

Leave a Comment

genre: holiday picture book; Indian culture
age range: 4-8
Surishtha & Kabir Sehgal’s website
Zara Gonzalez Hoang’s website

Please tell us about your book.

THREAD OF LOVE was written by mother and son writing team, Surishtha & Kabir Sehgal, and was illustrated by me. It came out in 2018 with Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. THREAD OF LOVE introduces readers to the Indian celebration of Raksha Bandhan, a holiday that celebrates the love between siblings. The two sisters make bracelets called rakhi for their brother, and he gives them gifts in exchange. The text is set to the song, Frère Jacques, which makes it fun to read.

What inspired you in illustrating this story?

I was very inspired by the patterns and colors in Indian textiles while illustrating this book. I wanted the colors to be vibrant and warm and and invoke a feeling of joy and happiness that I felt was present in the text of this book.

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching? 

I do not come from an Indian background, so it was very important to me to do a lot of research to make sure that I was portraying the characters and the holiday correctly. I did all the normal research one might do – checking out all the books my local library had on the subject, searching online for images of rakhi and information about the holiday, and talking with friends who celebrated Raksha Bandhan about their experience and what was important to them about the holiday. The authors were also extremely gracious in their willingness to answer any questions I might have while I was illustrating.

What are some special challenges associated with introducing a holiday your audience might be unfamiliar with? 

Raksha Bandhan is a popular holiday in India, but it’s not as well known outside of the Indian community as other holidays like Holi and Diwali are. Traditionally, Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu holiday, but it has been adopted by non-Hindus as well, so we decided to focus more on the secular aspects of the holiday vs. the religious ones. It was very important to the authors that the holiday and the celebration of Raksha Bandhan seem approachable, and that is something that I tried to capture with the bright, warm illustrations.

 What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

It’s a great book to use to introduce Raksha Bandhan, the holiday that is depicted within THREAD OF LOVE, but it is also a great book to talk about sibling relationships, the bonds between siblings, and how we can take the time to honor and celebrate our siblings and everything we love about them. 

Clear Your Shelves Challenge: A Reflection 12 Months In

4 Comments

This year in addition to my regularly scheduled reading (which bears little resemblance to a schedule at all), I committed to reading 25 books I already own. The plan was to read two a month, but in typical eyes-too-big-for-my-stomach fashion (reading is like a wonderful meal, isn’t it?), that schedule fell away as I tackled recommended titles and library holds and other books that took my fancy. Reading should be fun!

In October I realized I needed to get serious if I wanted to read the books I committed to. (Also fun, just in a more disciplined manner.) So I buckled down (with a steady selection of library finds to supplement). Since then I’ve read:

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running — Haruki Murakami
Pride and Prejudice — Jane Austen*
Poison — Bridget Zinn
The Game of Silence, Porcupine Year, Chickadee — Louise Erdrich
The Cloister Walk — Kathleen Norris
Daughter of the Forest — Juliet Marillier
Their Eyes Were Watching God — Zora Neale Hurston
Blue Highways — William Least Heat-Moon
The Moonstone — Wilkie Collins**
Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth — Sheila O’Connor

Still to go are

Born Naked — Farley Mowat
The Shepherd of the Hills — Harold Bell Wright
Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters — John Steinbeck

Here are my takeaways:

  • Part of my job is staying current with my reading. This is something I enjoy, but it can also be never ending. Giving myself permission to step back from reading predominately newer titles has been freeing. There are plenty of older books worth my time and interest.
  • With the number of unread books I own (both on my shelves and Kindle), I could do this challenge (and will do this challenge) for years to come.
  • It is good to add structure to my reading. I appreciate the discipline a commitment like this brings. Assigning myself books (as a book club might) meant I read books I might not ever have gotten around to. While I didn’t always feel like reading a particular book in the moment, I can say I appreciated everything I read, enjoyed a lot, and adored a few. I’m so glad I did this.
  • There is deep satisfaction finally reading books I’ve meant to tackle for years!

Next year, while I’ll continue clearing my shelves (and Kindle), I’ve decided I want a bit more freedom. I’m committing to fifteen books I already own. This time around I won’t select them in advance. I’ll simply keep record as I read.

My hope it to keep this going for years to come (in whatever manner strikes). Have you ever done a challenge like this? I’d love to hear about your experience!

*Yes, I’d never read this. No, it didn’t start the year on my list. I switched out a title to suit my whims.

**I listened to this one to ensure I’d keep to my schedule. Also, Wilkie is a man. I had no idea.

Why We Read

Leave a Comment

IMG_1132
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.
—Anne Lamott



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...