David Zeltser is the author of our feature book from our August Picture and Family Boxes. The Night Library (beautifully illustrated by Raul Colon) has been described as The Polar Express meets The Night at the Museum. It’s a wonderful adventure about the magic of books and libraries, with a little help from the lions that guard the New York Public Library. David’s other books include Lug, a middle grade novel series and picture books Ninja Baby, Stinker, The Universe Ate My Homework and Codzilla.

Marmalade Books (MB): You graduated from Harvard with a degree in Physics and you thought about being a vet. Now you are a successful children’s book author. How did you ultimately make the decision to be a writer?

Nicola Killen is the author and illustrator of The Little Rabbit, the feature book in our March Picture Book Box. Nicola worked in greeting card design before going to art school. She lives in Cambridge, England.

MARMALADE BOOKS (MB): You graduated from the Cambridge School of Art in 2009 winning an award for the Best New Talent. Then in 2011, Julia Donaldson (Room on the Broom, The Gruffalo) chose your book Fluff and Billy, as one of her favourite picture books of the year. This must have been very exciting and an inspiring way to start your career as a children’s author and illustrator. Did it help to open doors for you?

Kit Pearson is a much-loved Canadian children’s author. Her award-winning novels include The Guests of War series (The Sky is Falling, Looking at the Moon and The Lights Go On Again), Awake and Dreaming (winner of the Governor General’s Award) and the just published Be My Love (companion to The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth). Also recently published The Magic Boat, a picture book she wrote with partner Katherine Farris. The Magic Boat is a lovely story about shyness, friendship and imagination. Marmalade Books was pleased to feature it in our February 2019 Picture Book Box. Kit and Katherine live in our hometown of Victoria, B.C.

MARMALADE BOOKS: Kit, I've long been a fan of your work. As a bookseller for the past twenty years, I regularly recommended your books to customers. It’s no surprise to me that you have won many awards. I've often felt that people don't appreciate how vital and beautifully written books are for young readers. So I was certainly excited for you and Canadian children's literature as a whole, when you were named a Member of the Order of Canada (“for your contributions as an author of Canadian literature for children and young adults”). It doesn’t happen very often that a children’s author or illustrator is recognized in this way. What does the award mean to you?