Interview by Shannon Barnes
Tell us about your latest book or a project you are working on.
My latest book, which came out last fall, is I’m a Big Rig!, a rhyming picture book about an arrogant truck. After rudely pushing past all the other trucks on the road, it learns a lesson in kindness when it runs out of gas and is stuck on a mountain. Illustrator Claire Manning did a marvellous job, and I love the seagull that rides along with Big Rig.
I have a few projects I am currently working on. One is a rhyming picture book loosely based on a true story about a bus ride that goes awry. I am also revisiting a project that I put aside for a while, a picture book biography about a Canadian woman who I think should be better known.
Tell us about your writing process
My writing process usually starts when an idea pops into my head. Sometimes it’s a simple rhyme that suddenly comes to me. I usually let it percolate for a while to see if I can flesh it out into a story, and then I will type up what I have and start expanding and refining the idea. Of course, it was a different process for the picture book biography. The first step was research, followed by the challenge of writing the story in a way that will be exciting to children.
How did you first get published?
I worked for many years as the Children’s Librarian at the Moncton Public Library, which has a beautiful children’s department that is a popular place for families and children to hang out. One day as I was walking around the area, there seemed to be babies and toddlers everywhere, and the refrain “Here babies, there babies see them everywhere babies” came to me. Building on that refrain, I wrote Here Babies, There Babies and sent it to Nimbus Publishing. Within a few weeks, I received a call from the senior editor saying they wanted to publish it. It was one of the most exciting days of my life.
What do you like about writing for young people?
I love the feedback I get from parents and grandparents who tell me that my books are their child’s favourites. Research shows that hearing rhythm and rhyme at an early age helps develop phonemic awareness, so the best part is knowing that my books may help build early literacy skills and lay the foundation for a lifelong love of reading. Working as a children’s librarian, I had the opportunity to meet many children’s authors, especially during Canadian Children’s Book Week, and it is gratifying to now be a part of that very supportive community of authors.
Tell us about writers who inspire you.
There have been so many, but I have been particularly inspired by Canadian children’s authors like Helaine Becker, Kathy Stinson and Frieda Wishinsky who have been writing for many years across different genres. I also look to masters of rhythm and rhyme such as Julia Donaldson, Margaret Wise Brown, Bill Martin Jr., and of course, Dr. Seuss. And I can’t forget Sheree Fitch, who is so inspirational and really knows how to tell a story through rhyme. I also have to give some credit to my father, who liked to recite poetry and introduced me at a young age to Shakespeare and the poetry of Wordsworth and Robert Burns.
For more information about Nancy and her books, visit nancycohen.ca.
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Disclaimer
Interview responses reflect the views of the interview subjects. Opinions and views expressed by interview subjects are their own and are published as part of the CCBC’s coverage of Canadian children’s books and creators. Please see our Editorial Policy for further details.