My interview with Erin Dealey

Please enjoy my interview with the wonderful Erin Dealey. We talked about her book DEAR EARTH. #ChatWithThePBLady

Favorite flavor of potato chips?

📚I’m more of a tortilla chips & guacamole fan.

Favorite ice cream topping?

📚At the fro-yo shop: Cookie dough.
At home: vanilla ice cream is the topping—on pies or fresh fruit.

What song has been stuck in your head recently?

📚I head the theater dept. of a Fine Arts Camp in the summer, so there are camp songs in my head!

What’s something you’d like to learn how to do?

📚I’m currently working on my first screenplay and learning a lot! Does that count?

Let’s talk about your book DEAR EARTH…FROM YOUR FRIENDS IN ROOM 5. I love the idea of the earth being pen pals with the students. Was this your intent from the beginning, or did the story change over time?

📚The pen pal format came to me very early on. I’ve always wanted to try writing a story with letters. I’m a big fan of epistolary picture books like THE JOLLY POSTMAN (Allan & Janet Ahlberg) and Mark Teague’s DEAR MRS. LARUE series. What changed was that. at first, the kids in Room 5 were writing to an angel (inspired by a beautiful holiday illustration by my friend, author/illustrator Dow Phumiruk) who was holding the Earth in her hands.