Brenda A. Ferber is the author of “The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine Ever.” The following is a complete transcript of her interview with Cracking the Cover.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I dreamt of being an author when I was growing up, but I didn’t think it was a real possibility. I assumed when I got out of college I had to get a real job with a paycheck, so that’s what I did. It wasn’t until I was a stay-at-home mom that I felt the freedom to try to make that dream a reality. I figured I was already making no money as a mom . . . I might as well make no money as an author while I was at it.
Why do you write for young people?
I think there’s a special relationship between young people and books. They are falling in love with reading for the first time, and they are also developing their own identities, often with the help of outside influences such as characters in books. I can’t imagine a greater privilege or responsibility than creating characters and stories that can find their way into young people’s hearts and minds. I feel so fortunate to do that.
Where do your ideas come from?
All my ideas come from real life. I add a bit of imagination to real situations around me, and I go from there.
Where specifically did the idea for “The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine Ever” come from?
All three of my kids inspired this story. My daughter was in second grade, and I was charged with bringing a Valentine’s Day story to her classroom party. I looked around the bookstore and library, but I didn’t find anything that would suit these specific second graders. They were too sophisticated for anything mushy or lovey dovey, and they wouldn’t stand for anything with a moral. I wished there was a funny Valentine’s Day book that would address the real feelings kids have about love in elementary school, so I decided to write one. Besides my daughter, I have two sons. One of them has been a total romantic since the day he was born. He has had crushes since preschool, and he loves doling out hugs and kisses. The other one thinks love is yucky, and all he cares about was candy. In fact, when he was in first grade, he came home from school on Valentine’s Day and sorted all his valentines into two piles: Good and Bad. He wasn’t even opening them to see who they were from. The good ones had candy attached! So I based Leon and the valentine on my two sons, and decided to let them go at it. Was this holiday all about candy? Or was it about love? It took a long time for a satisfying ending to emerge, but eventually I realized love comes in all shapes and sizes, so I let Leon win the girl, and the valentine ended up falling in love with a valentine made of candy.
What’s your favorite thing about Valentine’s Day?
I know some people think Valentine’s Day is corny or too commercial, but I like the reminder to be romantic and to appreciate the love we have in our lives. I also love chocolate, and any holiday where people give me heart-shaped boxes of chocolate cremes is a good one in my book.
What are the challenges of writing a picture book?
There is so much to balance: interesting characters, a dynamic and surprising plot, fun read-aloud-ability, enough illustratable moments, and a story that will appeal to both kids and adults. And you have to do all that in around 800 words or less. I’d say it’s extremely challenging.
What are the highlights?
I’m not exactly sure if you’re asking about the highlights of writing a picture book or the highlights of having a picture book published, so I’ll answer both. There is something incredibly gratifying about being able to write an entire story with a beginning, middle, and end, in one day. Of course, I spend a lot longer than that revising, but focusing on something short is a wonderful contrast to how I spend most of my writing time, working on novels for kids and teens. Having a picture book published is a total joy because I love sharing it with kids, and I love knowing that kids are sitting on their parent’s lap and laughing at my story or asking to read it again or even memorizing it. There is nothing sweeter than an adult sharing a book with a child, and I love knowing that my story is part of that intimate connection.
Picture books are so short. How do you develop characters and a story in such a limited space?
The characters in a picture book have to be pretty single-minded and focused. Leon loves love. The valentine loves candy. That’s all there is to either one of them. We don’t find out anything about Leon’s family or how he does in school or what his hobbies are. He just loves love. The key is to focus on one thing and play that up to the max because you don’t have any words to spare. Similarly, the story has to be simple. In this case, pitting Leon against the valentine in a gingerbread-man-like chase seemed to be the perfect way to structure the plot.
Did the book turn out the way you thought it would?
It exceeded my expectations. I think Tedd Arnold’s illustrations are brilliant. Each page has so many wonderful details to look at. The expressions on all the characters are simply delicious. They crack me up. And I love the Sunday-comic style of the book. I think older kids, especially, will enjoy that a lot.
Why do you think young people like your books?
I’ve been told that I write in a very authentic way, and I think people respond on an emotional level to that authenticity. Whether readers laugh or cry, they’re feeling something real, and that connection feels good.
Looking back, how has your writing evolved?
I honestly don’t know how my writing has evolved, but I do know how I’ve evolved as a writer. The dream of getting published is very different from the reality of it. I’ve come to understand that I’m a writer because I love the journey of creating characters and stories. I no longer think of getting published as the goal or the destination. Instead, the goal is the creative process itself, and getting published or being well received is all icing on the cake. And quite frankly, I like cake, even without icing. Focusing on the journey instead of the destination has freed me to truly enjoy being an author.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on another picture book, a contemporary tween romance, and a young adult novel set in the future. I have no idea which one of these projects will be the first to sell!
Is there a book that still resonates with you from your own childhood?
So many books! Judy Blume’s books have had the biggest impact on me and still resonate today. In particular, Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret, and Blubber have stayed with me in a very visceral way. My other favorite novel from childhood was Beat the Turtle Drum by Constance Greene. And my favorite picture book was The Little Engine that Could. I read that book so many times as a child, I’ve got to believe that my determination and optimism come directly from it.