I’m very happy to welcome Lydia Lukidis to my blog today! Thanks for participating in this interview, Lydia.
For those of you who don’t know Lydia, she has several books published – mainly as work-for-hire projects – and recently her first “all hers” picture book came out. We’re celebrating that book today! NO BEARS ALLOWED by Lydia, with illustrations by Tara J. Hannon, published by Blue Whale Press, is the story of a rabbit who is afraid of pretty much everything, but especially BEARS. Then, horror of horrors, a bear comes into his life. Is Bear really someone to be terrified of?
Now on to the interview:
BETH: Lydia, I know you’ve done several interviews already, and there are links to those below that I will urge my readers to check out, so I’ll try to ask new and fresh things. I’ll try, anyway! What was it about this rabbit and bear that made you take the leap of faith to strike out into new waters after doing so many work-for-hire projects?
LYDIA: Actually, it was the other way around. My first trade picture book came out in 2014, and the second, in 2016. For these projects, I wrote narratives about a character created by the publishing house. After those experiences, I was inspired to write my own stories and wrote a slew of books. I learned about the industry and set out to publish them. I spent a few years with the wrong agents (two in total) and accumulated dozens of rejection letters for each book. At the time, making a living off my books wasn’t viable, so I also gave writing workshops in elementary schools and I turned to work-for-hire as a way to supplement my income. I have come to love both these aspects of my job and still do them today, in addition to working on my own books.
BETH: Ah. Thank you for the clarification. Can you give us a quick recap of NO BEARS ALLOWED (without revealing too much!) and tell us what your favorite part is, and why?
LYDIA: NO BEARS ALLOWED, like a lot of my work, is character driven. It’s all about Rabbit, who’s afraid of everything, including his own shadow. His biggest fear is, lo and behold, bears. And wouldn’t you know it, one day on his way to fetch carrots for his daily stew, he comes face to face with a …bear! The themes of confronting ones fears and not judging others permeate the story.
BETH: This definitely sounds like my kind of book! What sort of adjustments, if any, have you had to make to your thought processes and your book-launch processes for this book?
LYDIA: Every book and subsequent launch is a different entity, so I treat them all individually. The audience for this book is 3-6 years old, ideally, so I’ll tailor my book launch to suit them, and offer some carrot cupcakes, a free puppet making workshop and other fun elements.
BETH: Yum. Carrot cupcakes! I know you’re Canadian, as am I (waves across the miles). Has that made a difference in your process and progress as a writer?
LYDIA: Not really, though you would think it would. I don’t think most agents or publishers mind where you’re from, so long as they love your work.
BETH: That’s good news! The subject of fears and overcoming them, which is paramount in your book, is a subject that is dear to my heart. What do you hope kids will take away from your book in terms of their fears?
LYDIA: The takeaway is to learn to step out of your comfort zone. If you never try, you’ll never know who you really are or what you’re capable of. I hope this book encourages, even in a small way, children to look at their fears critically and learn to somehow overcome them. At the end of my book, Rabbit realizes that bears aren’t so bad, after all. Children may also feel like way about their own fears that have been built up in their minds.
BETH: Great message. That’s one that adults could use these days, too! This segues into the other takeaways you hope for your book, and the needs you see in our society that we as writers can help to address. I know having empathy for others is important to you. Can you talk about that? How do you weave that into your stories without being didactic or message-driven?
LYDIA: I wanted the book to cultivate empathy, since this is such a critical skill to have, especially today. It’s really about learning to see things from another person’s point of view. As Rabbit lets down his walls and allows Bear into his world, they slowly develop an unlikely friendship. Rabbit learns to become empathetic towards what he previously saw as a scary enemy. The end result is him learning to not judge others and make assumptions about them. These are lessons we could all benefit from.
Regarding not being didactic, this was a work in progress! My earlier works have been ridiculously didactic and message-fueled, and I learned through those mistakes. I came to realize that children are intelligent, and don’t need messages banged over their heads, so to speak. They much prefer an enchanting narrative, and you can weave your themes throughout that narrative.
BETH: Great point, that kids don’t need messages banged over their heads. It’s important for those of us who are writers to remember that. Books are important tools, but not in that way. That leads me to wonder what are some of the key roles of books for kids in our society, in your view? How do you hope NO BEARS ALLOWED fulfils those roles? How would you encourage other writers to work with those roles in their own books?
LYDIA: I think books are critical for many reasons. Here are a just few of them:
-books ignite one’s imagination
-books broaden one’s horizons
-books help us understand ourselves, as well as each other
-books help us find our place in this world
I hope NO BEARS ALLOWED fulfills these roles, it was certainly my intention. I think the best advice is to focus on your audience, and really understand them. What would they like to hear? And what do they need to hear about? If you keep everything child-centric, it will flow organically.
BETH: That is a perfect mini-course in what is important in writing for kids, right there. Thank you. Is there anything you’d like to add?
LYDIA: Being a writer is a wonderful journey, but it’s filled with ups and downs. I’m grateful to have found a way to build a career on telling stories and reaching children. I’m especially grateful to Steve Kemp and Alayne Christian from Blue Whale Press for seeing the magic in NO BEARS ALLOWED, and to Tara J. Hannon for agreeing to illustrate it.
BETH: And we’re grateful to Steve, Alayne, Tara, and YOU for making this book come into being. Thank you again, Lydia, for being with us today, and for your thoughtful, insightful answers.
Lydia Lukidis is a children’s author with a multi-disciplinary background that spans the fields of literature, science and theater. So far, she has over 40 books and eBooks published, as well as a dozen educational books. Her latest STEM books include The Broken Bees’ Nest and The Space Rock Mystery.
Social media links:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LydiaLukidis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LydiaLukidis
Website: http://www.lydialukidis.com
Publisher links:
Book trailer on Alayne Kay Christian’s blog
For more information on Blue Whale Press
Links to other recent interviews:
Jed Doherty’s “Reading With Your Kids”
Great book that gently gives the message of facing your fears. I think I’d be afraid of bears, too. Thanks for sharing your journey, Lydia. Great questions, Beth.
Thanks, Kathy! I remember the first time I saw a bear in Yellowstone National Park (I was 8 ½). It was just a cub who popped up along the side of the road and meandered along. We were in our car, but Dad stopped to take a picture (from inside the car). I was definitely scared. I think it’s wise to be afraid of bears. Smart bunny! (Although one who makes great carrot stew might be okay. 😉 )
Thanks for the great post!!
Thanks for the great interview, Lydia!
What a great interview! I especially love the reason for the book, and Beth, you’re so right even adults need to be able to have ways to better address fears. And the fun, mini course! Not being didactic is so hard, you seem to have done that so well inthis book, Lydia!