Interview: Anna Lazowski
SARAH STEINBACHER: Your newest picture book, I BUILT A ROCKET SHIP, is “an outstanding book on loss and grief…a must for all children’s collections” (School Library Journal, starred review). Kirkus called it “a thoughtful, considered look at loss that reaches for the stars” (starred review). What inspired you to have your main character build a rocket ship as they process the loss of a loved one?
ANNA LAZOWSKI: I had been wanting to use an object to represent the anchor of an emotional story and this one popped into my head. I think it’s because often, when we talk about death and loss with kids, there’s a vague explanation offered. So I was imagining how the concept of heaven or what happens after someone dies might be understood by a kid. I think the idea of a child building a rocket ship to help them reach the person they’ve lost is the type of thing that would make perfect sense to a kid processing a deep sense of grief for the first time.
SARAH STEINBACHER: In I BUILT A ROCKET SHIP, “[t]he tone is quiet, almost understated—this is a profound grief but not, at least at the moment, a stormy one” (Bulletin). How do you find the right tonal balance in stories that cover tougher themes like loss, grief, or depression?
ANNA LAZOWSKI: I try to look at it as honestly as possible, and make it something a kid can understand. That often means there’s no happy way everything wraps up nicely. But it can also mean finding moments of happiness during dark times that show how we deal with big emotions at any age.
SARAH STEINBACHER: Your picture book, DARK CLOUD, is “an empathetic and quietly profound portrait of a child’s emotional struggles” (Kirkus). Why are quiet stories still valuable for kids today?
ANNA LAZOWSKI: I think quiet stories are incredibly important to help kids process the world around them. Especially because so many people aren’t that great at talking about their emotions and feelings. Kids need to be able to find stories where they see their own experiences reflected. Diversity and inclusion of all types is essential in children’s books so there’s something for every kid when they’re at the library or at a bookstore. They’re also helpful at bedtime when you’re trying to calm things down a bit.
SARAH STEINBACHER: Given the recent dialogue about kidlit quality, how do you layer a story’s important message in a way that isn’t labeled ‘didactic’?
ANNA LAZOWSKI: Stories want to be told in different ways, and not every person will like every book. Some kids want silly, some want serious, some want non-fiction, some want fantastical and some want illustrations they can lose themselves in. Some want a bit of everything but only on a certain day or when they’re in a certain mood. Insinuating there’s one way to create stories for children is ridiculous. We don’t talk about music, film, or visual art that way, so why on earth would anyone apply it to children’s books? Children are the least elitist audience out there so I see no reason to put arbitrary parameters on who should tell their stories and how that should be done.
SARAH STEINBACHER: In your debut picture book, T. REXES CAN’T TIE THEIR SHOES, “[t]he implicit value of trying new things with a good attitude in order to learn is augmented by the silliness of the colorful cartoon drawings, which add a positive objective to the overall message” (Kirkus). How did your process differ when writing this humorous picture book versus your other stories?
ANNA LAZOWSKI: I wrote this manuscript before I knew anything about the world of children’s publishing. Literally zero. I just wanted to write something silly that would make my kids laugh. What’s similar to this one and my other two published works is that all three came together quite quickly, despite being different in tone and style.
SARAH STEINBACHER: What do you like most about writing for children? And what’s one thing you wish you could change?
ANNA LAZOWSKI: I love hearing that kids (and sometimes parents) have connected with my work in some way. I also love seeing how an illustrator imagines a world I created and brings it to life.
If I could change one thing, I’d change the speed at which publishing operates. I’m a wildly impatient person and there is soooo much waiting in this industry!
SARAH STEINBACHER: What advice do you have for new kidlit authors?
ANNA LAZOWSKI: Write what you want to write, don’t try to write like anyone else and surround yourself with people who are just a few steps ahead of you. Seeing what’s possible makes it so much easier to imagine getting there yourself.
SARAH STEINBACHER: What are you reading right now and what book do you wish more people knew about?
ANNA LAZOWSKI: I just picked up Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews and am looking forward to diving into that. I’m a huge Gothic lit fan so I think everyone should read Shirley Jackson and I’m always on the lookout for new haunted house books.
Follow Anna through her website and Instagram.
*****Order Anna’s newest picture book, I BUILT A ROCKET SHIP.*****
