Today’s picture book takes a surprisingly deep look at charity, as well as homelessness through the lense of Maimonide’s Golden Ladder of Giving.
Richard Michelson has stopped by my blog before. He is a poet, an author of children’s books, and the owner of R. Michelson Galleries, known for its extensive collection of children’s illustrations. His books have been listed among the 10 Best Books of the Year by the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and The New Yorker; and among the 12 Best Books of the Decade by Amazon.com and have received Sydney Taylor Gold and Silver medals. You can learn more about him at his website or follow him on Facebook.
MORE THAN ENOUGH is the story of young Moses who is from a middle class family. He sees his mom give money to a person in need and asks why, when he knows money is tight at home. He begins to see the value of giving to others in need and goes through several stages of giving. It was only after I read the back matter about Maimonide’s Golden Ladder of Giving (which I’d never heard of before) that I understood even better what those stages were and what Richard’s intent was as the story unfolded. This is a book that I suspect will start many interesting conversations about giving to those in need: the how, the why, and more. It’s a fascinating approach to the subject that I’ve never seen before. And the illustrations by Joe Cepeda are amazingly rich in color and texture that bring other delightful layers to the text.
Welcome back Richard!
Me: I have never heard of Maimonide’s Golden Ladder of Giving. What was it that made you think this would be great material for a picture book?
Richard: Hi Jena, Lovely to be in conversation with you again. The truth is that I thought it would be terrible material for a picture book, so I set it aside for years. But it kept sneaking back into my consciousness–every time I saw a child approach a homeless person on the street, while their parents hurried them past. Or I saw a parent give a dollar to their child to put in a busker’s case. I could not parse my own feelings about charity, much less figure out how to approach this complex subject in words even a child could understand. But when my adult daughter asked me my opinion about Maimonides’s vision of a just society, I knew I could no longer avoid the subject, and eventually I found my way in.
Me: You created multiple characters in your story who are struggling through poverty with a variety of different needs all throughout this story. What inspired these ancillary characters and their various hardships? Were they based on real people in your own community?
Richard: Every day, as I walk less than half a block from my office to my favorite lunch spot (shout out to Paul & Elizabeth’s), I pass four or five people asking for money. Over the years I have gotten to know the regulars—Downtown Dan, and Busker Steve—and some of the transients. My characters are a composite of them all. You can read more about Downtown Dan on the Jewish Book Council site here.
Me: I love that you included a character who doesn’t acknowledge the child after receiving a gift. This is very true to real life, given the many layers of shame surrounding homelessness, poverty, and charity. Why include such a character in this book for younger readers?
Richard: Kids need to learn to live with disappointment. We all do. It is part of life. And I wanted young Moses to understand that the act of giving itself should be all the reward necessary. I still wrestle with my own need to be “recognized” for any good that I try to do, so I was mainly talking to myself.
Me: I was relieved to see your explanation of Maimonides’s Golden Ladder of Giving in the back matter. It made so much more sense to me and really added to my understanding of the layers you were incorporating. Was that your idea to include it? Why go into such detail for younger readers? Do you think they’ll understand it?
Richard: I don’t necessarily think picture books are only for younger readers. I know the market thinks it necessary to add an age range, but I want my books to appeal to all readers, regardless of their age. When I want to learn about a subject, I first check out the picture book section of my library (shout out to Jones Library). If the author has done their job well, they will have boiled down the subject to its basics and given me a broad understanding. I can always do further research on my own. In “More than Enough,” I hope the very youngest readers will just enjoy the fun story, and if they revisit the book as they age or, eventually, with their own children, they’ll discover more as they are ready. Since I used Maimonides Ladder as the scaffolding upon which I built my story, I decided to include it in the back-matter.
Me: Yes! I love that! Joe Cepeda’s illustrations in this book are pitch perfect. I love all the textures his oil and acrylic paints provide. Gorgeous work! Did you have any illustration surprises? Any favorite illustrations?
Richard: I am so glad you loved Joe’s illustrations. And yes—the textures!! I was thrilled when I saw Joe’s name among my editor’s suggestions. The story is based on Jewish scholarship, but Joe’s multi-cultural cast of characters makes it universal, which was important to me. I’d envisioned the neighborhood as darker, grittier, and more like the East New York, Brooklyn neighborhood of my youth, but Joe’s colors add humanity add hope to every page. I absolutely love the spread where Big Jim and Moses fist-bump. It reminds me a bit of one of my favorite illustrators, Ezra Jack Keats (Ezra grew up a few blocks from me and was one year ahead of my parents in the same high school).
Me: That is one of my favorite scenes as well! Your main character, Moses, grows on his own throughout the story (essentially climbing that gold ladder) without parental pushes. It feels exactly like a child to think in in such tangible terms of shoes and haircuts and not wanting to give away what you might receive. Yet Moses continues to give (reluctantly, willingly, and then joyfully). Why was it important to you to show a child coming to each of these steps on their own? What do you want young readers to take away from this story?
Richard: Let me first confess to being a reluctant giver, while my wife gives joyously, so I guess that means that I write the books I need to read.
Moses grows throughout the story, but he does get some guidance from his parents, who serve as role models (role modeling is always better than telling). In my first draft, every page turn saw a year go by, so Moses aged from six year’s old to an adult. In fact, that progression might have been a more realistic rate of change, but it slowed done the narrative, and I wanted to keep a young Moses front and center, so I condensed the story into a single year.
What I want children to take away from More Than Enough is simple enough. The next time they pass someone living on the street, I want them to understand that they are looking at a real person, not unlike themselves. In our society we view charity as an act of helping those less fortunate. But Maimonides did not view it as generosity, but rather as an act of justice, and fairness, and righteousness all rolled into one.
Me: You’ve written and published so many award-winning picture books over the last few years. Are there more coming? Any projects you can share with us that we can look forward to reading?
Richard: Thank you for asking. 2025 is a very busy year for me. I have a new book out in March titled, Next Year in the White House: Barack Obama’s First Presidential Seder. That will be followed in the fall by What Louis Brandeis Knows: A Crusader for Social Justice becomes a Supreme Court Justice. And I end the year with Fanny’s Big Idea: How Jewish Book Week was Born. I hope we find time to talk about all of them on Simply 7.
I would love that Richard. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today and sharing your book with us.
Dear readers, this book was published in January. It’s a deep dive into the many layers of giving and what it could mean to our own neighborhoods, let alone our society. Yet it’s done in a deceptively simple story with vibrant illustrations that is sure to capture young readers and adults alike. Trust me when I say you won’t want to miss this one.