The DMS was lucky enough to interview
Kara Van Kirk Levin. Fairday shared her thoughts after reading
Soldier with her sister, Margo. It was great to share our thoughts about it and hear yours! We're excited to learn a little more about her story. So, without further ado... take it away, Kara!
What inspired you to write
SOLDIER?
It is hard to say exactly from where the story came but I
have a hunch it had something to do with my own experience growing up alongside
my beloved cousin, who was born with an intellectual disability. From that vantage point, I saw how he thrived
under the love and care of many creative and supportive others, such as his
mother, father, teachers, and his extended family. I suppose Soldier
is an insider’s take on what it’s like to love someone whose differences make
life a little bit more challenging.
How did you come up with your
characters, Soldier and the field mouse?
Soldier took shape as the words landed on
the page. It’s funny how this process
worked, almost a little magical, actually.
I began with a sentence and let the mood and tone of the words I
selected inform me of where to go next.
I listened to the character that was taking shape and I allowed
what I know about human nature to guide me.
As for mouse, she was a cool character to create. She represents all the helping people out
there in the world, who, for whatever reason, choose to come to someone’s
aid. I specifically chose not to give
mouse a name (yet) because the point was that she did not need to be recognized
for her kindness, that the act alone told the reader all that they needed to
know about her character. Don’t worry,
though, she will definitely get a name in the next book. For now, with great pride, we have taken to
calling her “Helper mouse.”
Soldier plays the flute. Do you
play any instruments?
I did play an instrument when I was a child – the violin! I
begged my mother to let me play and she did.
But, I was sort of a rambunctious child and I ended up breaking my
violin bow three times. Perhaps the
violin was a little too delicate for me.
Later, I joined the choir and that was perfect. I love to sing and it’s much harder for me to
break that instrument!
You worked with two illustrators
to create SOLDIER. What was the process like?
I worked with two women from Ukraine, both of whom are
incredibly talented artists. If not for
their involvement, there likely would not be a Soldier book today. Because
of their experience illustrating books in Ukraine, we were able to print our
book in Kiev and shipped back 1000 copies to the US. It was thrilling!
What was so great about working directly with my
illustrators is that we got to create the work together. We would sit down a couple of times a month
over coffee and brainstorm about how we envisioned the images. Sometimes I would have an idea and Vlada
would say, “YES!” Then she’d go back to her studio and work until it was
perfect, often far better than I could have ever imagined. And sometimes, I’d have an idea and Vlada
would say, “Eh.” And I would have to admit it wasn’t a great idea. And that is what you call collaboration! It was an exhilarating process.
What are some of your favorite
books from childhood? Were there any specific authors who inspired you?
Here are some of my favorites from childhood:
Madeline (Ludwig Bemelman)
Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats)
Where the Wild Things Are, Pierre (Maurice Sendak)
Good Night Moon (Margaret Wise Brown)
A Great Day for Up (Dr. Suess)
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Dr. De Soto (William Steig)
Lyle Crocodile (Bernard Waber)
Corduroy (Don Freeman)
I really like books that read a little like poems, for
example stories that have a language and a cadence of their own. I find these rhythms calming and
magical. I think that stories that fit
this description inspired the style I used for Soldier.
I also really like books where the illustrations have
whimsical details, in which the words and the illustrations merge to take you
to another place. And where something
emotional and perhaps a little troubling is happening. These books invoke a feeling of wonder in me
long after I’ve finished them and I can return to that feeling instantly, with
only the smallest bit of my memory jogged.
These are the books that truly inspire my writing and creativity.
If you could live anyplace real or fictional, where would it be? Why?
I used to watch the cartoon Little Bear with my children.
It is set in a gentle idyllic countryside, and the bear family is
nestled inside a cozy home with apple pie baking and stories being read by the
fire. Even though my boys were little
(probably only 3 years old at the time – they are twins), I used to say to
them, “Oooh, how I wish I lived in Little Bear’s world!” That is still
true. I love nothing more than a place
that feels cozy, where signs of love and respect for humans and the natural
world can be felt at every turn.
Where do you like to write? Do
you listen to music while you are writing?
I do some of my best
writing while traveling between places, for example on the airplane or the
subway. There is something about moving
from one place to another while being surrounded, usually in close quarters, by
handfuls of strangers that stirs my emotions and makes the writing flow from my
thoughts to the page. But mostly I can
write anywhere that I have something to write with or on. And interestingly, I almost always lose track
of time when I am writing.
Are you currently working on a book? If so, can you tell
us a little bit about it?
I am
currently working on the second Soldier book,
in which little Soldier begins to outgrow his sweater and must go out in search
of mouse for help. I hope to be able to
release it within the next year. And I
am working on a new title, which I am very excited about called The Pattern Thrower, about a little girl
who experiences her emotions through patterns and when she feels something
strongly, she throws a gorgeous
pattern out onto everything in the vicinity: happy patterns, angry patterns,
sad patterns, thoughtful patterns, playful patterns, etc. There is a special character in the book – I
don’t want to say who yet, as I want it to be a surprise – that tells the whole
story from a unique point of view. I
hope to have this book written by early next year.
Where can we buy your books or learn more about them?
If you
wish to purchase Soldier or learn
more about him and Little Wooden Flute, our publishing company, visit our website.
You can also see lots of fun posts on Facebook and Instagram at
#SoldierBook and #littlewoodenflute. The
book is also available for sale on Amazon.
