Interview: Cathy Sheafor
SARAH STEINBACHER: Your debut picture book, KEEP ON A-WALKIN’: KIMBERLY BURWELL STANDS UP FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, co-written with Dollie Burwell and illustrated by Safier Hudson, tells the true story of how a 10-year-old stood up for what they believed in. Why do children need access to stories like this?
CATHY SHEAFOR: Children's voices are powerful! Sometimes children don't know the value of their voice and sometimes adults don't remember the importance of children’s voices. Stories like Kimberly’s serve to empower children to speak up in meaningful ways. In addition, this book tells an important part of our country’s history that sometimes is forgotten in classrooms and history books. Like Howard Zinn, I think it is important for children to know all of our country’s history.
SARAH STEINBACHER: How do you decide what historical details to highlight when writing nonfiction?
CATHY SHEAFOR: It depends on the story but this story evolves around one event that took place in North Carolina in 1982 so my co-author and I decided to try to stick to the details about that event, choosing the most compelling details to connect the reader to Kimberly, the main character, and the event itself. There were some darling lines that we ended up cutting because they weren’t directly tied to either of these.
SARAH STEINBACHER: What’s your collaboration process look like?
CATHY SHEAFOR: Dollie Burwell, my co-author, and I talked a lot about the events that inspired the book, what our goals were for the book and what the structure and POV of the book should be. Then, we exchanged drafts and comments and asked each other many, many questions. That continues to be the way we collaborate for post publication events.
SARAH STEINBACHER: Your next picture book, SITTING AND KNITTING, illustrated by Hannah Sanguinetti, is about a child who learns to knit from an uncle while waiting for her mom to come out of surgery. How can crafting help children? And do you have a favorite crafting memory?
CATHY SHEAFOR: I am so excited about this story because it shares how knitting can serve to help us manage difficult emotions. For me, art has always been a release and a regulator. As I child, I drew hands and rollercoasters and I cross-stitched. As an adult, I mostly paint. But when my father was recently hospitalized, the first thing I turned to was knitting. I didn't make anything. I just knit row after row. It helped me self-regulate during that very difficult time.
SARAH STEINBACHER: How do you navigate heavier topics in picture books?
CATHY SHEAFOR: I believe kids can handle more than we give them credit for. I had cancer when my twin daughters were 7. One asked if I was going to die. My husband and I told both of them the truth in a gentle way—we didn't know if I would die then, but we hoped not. We told our children that they were so important to us that I would do everything I could to get better so that I could spend more time with them. I think writers can handle tough topics in picture books in the same way—gently and truthfully. We can't protect children from hard things even if we wish we could. But we can always be compassionate and candid.
SARAH STEINBACHER: How does writing fiction picture books differ from writing nonfiction pbs? Do you like one more than the other?
CATHY SHEAFOR: I love writing all kinds of picture books. I think the biggest difference between writing fiction and nonfiction is the research. Crossing t’s and dotting i’s is so important in both fiction and nonfiction but the research takes longer for me when writing nonfiction. As a history major and retired attorney, I love to go down a rabbit hole and sometimes it takes a while to climb back out! The research process is fun even if I end up not using what I discovered.
SARAH STEINBACHER: What’s your favorite thing about being a swim coach? How is it similar or different from writing kidlit?
CATHY SHEAFOR: I love kids and adore everything about swim coaching but I especially love the moment when a child realizes they can do something hard. Both coaching and writing are about connecting—connecting to each other, connecting ideas, connecting people to their own potential. My favorite moment as a writer is not very different from my favorite moment as a coach—the greatest reward is when a child reads a book and has an a-ha moment.
SARAH STEINBACHER: Which kidlit authors inspire you the most and why?
CATHY SHEAFOR: Overall, I'd say I am inspired by the second career of Vivian Kirkfield. For nonfiction, I'd say I’m very inspired by Rob Sanders and Kirsten Larson. I have worked with Rob and Kirsten and have learned so much from both. And, I am in love with Carole Boston Weatherford’s ability to poetically tackle hard nonfiction subjects. For fiction, I am in awe of the heartfelt writing of Pat Zietlow Miller, and the lyricism of Jordan Scott, Joanna Ho, Jacqueline Woodson, Michaela Goade and Carole Lindstrom.
SARAH STEINBACHER: If you could change anything about kidlit, what would it be?
CATHY SHEAFOR: This is a tough one. I think I'd like to see more authors sharing more stories. But, the big question is how do we truly open up traditional publishing to more writers when the economics of the industry are changing so rapidly. I'm not sure anyone has a quick solution but I know that telling authentic stories of all people is one way we can empower children to make our world better for all people. And, I feel compelled to do my part to lift up children through stories.
SARAH STEINBACHER: What’s the best writing advice you ever received?
CATHY SHEAFOR: When Rob Sanders* teaches classes for writers, he almost always says something along the lines of “Not everything you write is meant to be published, but everything you write contributes to something that you will publish.” I love this notion that writing has value whether published or not. And, I love Rob’s belief that every part of our process leads to our goal of publication.
*See my interview with Rob Sanders here.
Follow Cathy through her website, Instagram, and Facebook.
*****Order Cathy’s picture book, KEEP ON A-WALKIN’: KIMBERLY BURWELL STANDS UP FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, available 10/15/26.*****
