Did you know that Barak Obama hosted the first ever Passover celebration in the White House in 2009?

Richard Michelson has stopped by my blog a few times 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.

NEXT YEAR IN THE WHITE HOUSE: BARACK OBAMA’S FIRST PRESIDENTIAL SEDER is a nonfiction take on a small Seder dinner on the campaign trail with 3 staffers who are joined by candidate Barack Obama. But that actually isn’t where the book starts. Instead, the story starts in the white house with Barack’s daughters who are about to celebrate the very first Presidential Passover. Then it flashes back to that small dinner that started it all, before flashing forward again to the final celebration. This picture book uses a frame! Brilliant!

Welcome back Richard!

Me: I didn’t realize that Barack Obama held the first presidential Seder at the White House.  When did you first hear about this?  What was it about this story that made you think this would be a great story for a picture book?

Richard: I heard of the first Presidential Seder soon after it happened (2009), primarily because Eric Lesser, who was Obama’s baggage handler and staff aide on the campaign trail, did an interview with a local newspaper. Eric lives in Western MA, as do I, so I read the article with interest. But, as much as I would love to take credit for having the vision to turn this important story into a picture book, and even though I tell aspiring authors that stories are all around you, you just need to pay attention, I promptly forgot about the Seder, until my friends at PJ Library called. I was thrilled that they thought I might be the right person to turn this bit of history into a picture book. Sometimes you do get a second chance!

Me: While this is a great story, what is truly interesting to me is the way you’ve told it.  Your approach is very intriguing: a flashback within a frame!  What gave you the idea to tell this story in this way?

Richard: Thank you. That was important to me to keep that flashback, and I thank my editors for allowing the unusual structure (the title page shows up five pages after the book begins).  Because the story starts with three recent college graduates in a dingy basement missing their family seders for the first time, I wanted to welcome the readers into the story with the color and grandeur of the white house dining rooms. And of course, I wanted to introduce the young Obama girls early, even though, chronologically, they would not show up until the end of the story.  It was mostly a visual decision, and it worked out beautifully. 

Me: Great thinking. I love that you also added the Obama’s dog Bo to the celebration. I was surprised to find out in the back matter that this was a creative decision on your part (i.e., one week earlier than was actually possible). Why is that important to you, to distinguish the nonfiction from the fictional elements in writing a book like this?

Richard: “Artistic license” is a wonderful thing, but if you are working with an historical occasion, I think it important to be very clear if you take liberties. When I watch a movie or read a novel “inspired by” real events, the first thing I do when I finish watching or reading is to research what really happened. Usually the full story is even more fascinating but, as artists, we are working with a limited canvas and have to make creative decisions in the interests of time or page numbers. For young readers, my books are often the first introduction to a topic, so it is even more important to show your cards.  I added Bo because the afikomen gift was a chew toy, and it would have taken extraneous explanations to introduce Bo at the end. Besides, what artist doesn’t want a cute dog to illustrate. Adding a dog to a story– or a life –always makes it better.

Me: Can you tell us a bit about your research process for this story?  Did you have to do a lot of research for this story?  Was there something you discovered in your research that impacted your writing?

Richard: By happenstance, Eric used to come into my gallery when he was younger and his ketubah (a Jewish wedding contract) was painted by Karla Gudeon, one of the artists we represent, and my collaborator on the National Jewish Book Award winner, and Sydney Taylor Gold Medal, The Language of Angels: A Story about the Reinvention of Hebrew. Eric and I met for lunch, and he shared his story and his notebooks. Of course, I had to fact-check his memory (remember when fact-checking was a thing?). I did my historical research before writing the story or accepting the commission and I did not sign a contract until my first draft was completed. I did not want to be obligated to write the story if I could not find a way to make it interesting for both children AND adults.

Me: I love that and I love what you’ve included in the back matter. The recipe for Flourless Golden Apricot Cake that was shared by Arun Chaudhary. I understand it was served at the first White House Seder, but why did Arun share it? Was it a traditional recipe for the Seder from his family?  Why was that particular recipe shared and not another for some other dish? 

Richard: Eric shared with me the menu cards from each of the eight White House Seders, and many of the guests sent their favorite family recipes to the White House chefs. The book starts out mentioning carrot souffle, noodle kugel, and Moroccan charoset.  I asked each of my “protagonists” to send me their favorite family recipe for the backmatter. Eric sent me his Mom’s Carrot Souffle, Herbie sent his grandmother’s Chicken Roast, and Arun sent the Flourless Golden Apricot Cake. Due to page concerns, the editor only had room for one and they picked the cake because…well, it’s a kid’s book!

Me: Ha! Of course. E.B. Lewis’ illustrations in this book are stunning.  His watercolor paintings are incredible and add such a fantastic layer to your writing.  Did you have any illustration surprises?  Any favorite illustrations? 

Richard: Stunning indeed! I thought of EB immediately after finishing my manuscript. We had done two previous books together, including Across the Alley, about a Jewish child and a non-Jewish Black child, whose bedroom windows face each other’s. They become best friends at night, though they aren’t allowed to play with each other during the day.  I knew EB spent many years celebrating Passover and was well acquainted with the Seder traditions, and that this story would resonate with him.  I encouraged PJ Library to reach out. EB was booked up years in advance, but a little magic happened, and he carved some time into his schedule. I love all the illustrations, but my favorite is neither the flashiest nor most dramatic.  It is where Barack raises his glass and says, “we have become a family.” EB had me, and my gallery staff pose around a table so he could get the perspective just right. He then turned us into the original Seder participants.

Me: Wow! That’s incredible. There is a line you wrote for this story that is repeated twice.  It’s such a great line and it just resonates: “But helping others doesn’t mean you don’t get homesick, or hungry, or tired.”  Where did the inspiration for that line come from?  Why was this something you wanted to emphasize for this story and/or young readers?

Richard: Thank you. I definitely wanted to emphasize those emotions, first expressed by Obama’s staffers, and later, by Obama. I want children to know (and all of us to be reminded) that doing something meaningful in life always entails some hardships along the way. Too often kids think of “great” individuals as different from them, but we are all human. We are all a combination of our successes and failures.

That is a great message. I love that too. Thank you again for stopping by my blog Richard.

Dear readers, this book is published next week. It’s an interesting story but it’s told in an incredibly fascinating way that you don’t typically see in a picture book. Trust me when I say that you won’t want to miss this one either!