When I was younger, I dreamed of being so many things when I grew up. Isn’t that always the case? What did you dream of becoming?

Rebecca Gardyn Levington has visited my blog several times. She will always be a writer, even if she never publishes another book, because penning playful and poignant picture books and poems, primarily in rhyme, is her passion! Rebecca is the author of Whatever Comes Tomorrow, Brainstorm!, Afikoman, Where’d You Go?,and a plethora of other books. She lives with her family in Summit, New Jersey, where you can find her bouncing on a mini trampoline, playing mah-jongg, and eating chocolate–peanut butter ice cream (although not usually at the same time!). You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or BlueSky.

I WILL ALWAYS BE is the story of a young girl who dreams of a variety of things she could be when she grows up. I love that she is so eager to try lots of different things, even if she isn’t good at them. I wish some of the kiddos in my classroom had this same mentality. This is a fun romp of a book with a sing-song rhyme that keeps the reader moving from page to page. The illustrations are beautiful and add to the fun with multi-media approach that will make readers want to examine pages for much longer. This book is perfect for starting kiddos wondering about the future, but also a great gift for graduates in my opinion.

Welcome back Rebecca!

Me: I love the potential in every kid’s future I see here, and I’m slightly reminded of “Oh the Places You’ll Go.”  What gave you the idea for this book? 

Rebecca: Aw, I love that. Thank you!  Well, as is true for pretty much all my books, this one was ignited by a personal experience — a conversation I had with someone around five years ago.

At that point, I had been writing picture books (and taking classes, and reading, and joining all the things, and submitting too soon to agents and editors) for about four years, but I hadn’t yet sold any books. I was dealing with some major Imposter Syndrome and I dreaded anytime anyone asked what I did for a living because inevitably it would always go something like:

Them: “What do you do for a living?”

Me: “I write picture books and poetry for kids.”

Them: “Cool! What are some of your books?”

Me: “Well, none have been published yet.”

Them: “Oh, I see.”

(but what I actually heard was): “So, you’re not a ‘real’ writer, are you?”

But then one day, I was having this same conversation with someone and my youngest son (who was around 8 years old at the time) was standing by my side. Almost immediately after the person said, “So, what do you do for a living?” my son interrupted, piping in with enthusiasm and pride, saying:

            “SHE’S AN AUTHOR! SHE WRITES BOOKS AND POEMS FOR KIDS!!!” 

It was an “A-HA!” moment for me. My son was absolutely right. I was a writer. I am a writer. And I will always be a writer, whether or not I ever publish a book, because I am doing it. I’m writing. And writing is what I love to do most in this world.

Not too long after that, I wrote the first draft of I WILL ALWAYS BE… which is a reminder to myself and to all kids (and adults!) to “do what you love and love what you do” – whether or not we ever publish a book, make it to Broadway, win a World Series, cure cancer, or do anything ‘real’ with that passion at all.

Funny enough, very soon after writing this manuscript (and changing my attitude), I ended up selling my first book BRAINSTORM! without an agent. And then a few months later I sold I WILL ALWAYS BE… to an editor via a conference opportunity (which ultimately led me to connect me with my wonderful agent, Kaitlyn!). So, this was actually the 2^nd book I ever sold, but because of the craziness of publishing it is my 6^th to come out!

Me: I love that. I can relate to conversations exactly like that! Not only is your text rhyming in the most glorious of ways, but you have a repeated refrain as well. How many revisions did this beautiful manuscript take?  (Please tell me it wasn’t a “gift from the Muse” done in one setting!)

Rebecca: Thank you for your kind words. I love when you ask me these questions because it forces me to go back into my files and remember (as I said, it’s been a while!) The very first draft was written on 9/11/20, and I see 13 additional revisions. You joke, but I do actually feel like this book was a “gift from my Muse” because it really did just flow right out of me. Other than the refrain (which did, to be fair, go through a lot of changes), most of what ended up in the final book was there from the very beginning. I wrote the first several drafts while in a cabin at the Highlights Foundation on a personal retreat for the very first time. People talk about how that place is magical and it really is. In fact, I’ve now been back there many times (I’m very lucky that I live within a couple hour drive) and most of my subsequent books have been created there. It’s a very special place.  

Me: The illustrations by Rahele Jomepour Bell are wonderful.  There are so many gorgeous textures and facial expressions that really help develop the main character’s personality.  And I LOVE that she included your book “Whatever Comes Tomorrow” in one of the illustrations! Were there any illustration surprises for you?  Any favorites?

Rebecca: When I first saw the final art I remember looking closely at the spreads saying: “WAIT!? Are there photographs mixed in with her paintings?!?” I was absolutely stunned and in awe with how Rahele mixed together photos and fabrics and paint and all kinds of other mixed media into this glorious world she created for our girl!

Rahele later told me that she herself had taken most of the photographs she used throughout the book and most had some kind of personal significance for her. For instance, the rug in the MC’s bedroom (in the “dance” spread) was put together using photographs that Rahele took of mosaic floors in Florance, Italy, while on vacation. And the polka-dot art on the walls in the “gallery” spread are images of her own daughter’s artwork. I love going through all the pages and finding new details now that I know this.

And YES, I absolutely ADORE that she included WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW on the bookshelf on the “writer” spread. How amazingly meta is THAT?!

Me: I find it fascinating that Rahele chose to put the main character in a beautiful shirt covered in butterflies for most of the book. There’s that butterfly motif again, which is so fitting for this book as well. Was that something she created on her own? Or did you have an art note for that? Given the inclusion of your previous book within the illustrations and the butterflies showing up again here, would you consider this book a companion to “Whatever Comes Tomorrow”?

Rebecca: I noticed the butterflies right away too, but I definitely didn’t have any art notes about what the MC would look like or what they would be wearing! In fact, when I wrote this, I didn’t even imagine it to be one MC and instead envisioned an ensemble cast of characters, with a different child on each spread doing each activity. The single MC (and her clothing choices!) was all Rahele’s doing, and I absolutely love it! I think having ONE free-spirited, curious, adventurous little girl who isn’t afraid to try new things or make mistakes, and who is fully engaged in every one of her interests and passions, makes this book come alive with so much more meaning.

As for whether I consider this book to be a “companion” to WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW, I’d probably say not really. Although I can see how they are similar in some aspects (both SEL themes and lots of butterflies!), the books are produced by two different publishers, and the themes are different. And, as I mentioned, I WILL ALWAYS BE… was actually written and sold before WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW. All that said, it is definitely fair to say both books come from a very personal place and are both similar in that they encourage kids to be true to themselves and confident in their abilities, so I do see how they make a great pairing!

Me: I find it fascinating how many different “career” paths you chose the main character to be interested in. It reminded me of Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences (which I studied as a young educator). He mentions a musical, mathematical, and plant intelligence among others (I think there are 8 of them, if I remember correctly). We even took little personality-like quizzes to figure out what our “intelligences” were (I was definitely NOT in the plant one). How in the world did you decide which aspects of children to include here? Did you look at a model like that?

Rebecca: No, I didn’t! In fact, I’ve never heard of Howard Gardner or his theory, but now I definitely have to go look him up! Perhaps there should have been more reasoning behind the different activities I chose, but I really just started by making a huge list based on the types of activities I loved as a child — writing, dancing, arts and crafts, acting (a spread I ended up having to cut for space) – as well as the types of activities my own boys love — sports, science, inventing things. To be honest, I don’t remember how I ended up with “baker.” I’m definitely NOT a chef by any stretch, but I know a lot of kids like to cook so I figured it was a good one to add to the mix! 

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?

Rebecca: I think the biggest thing that surprised me wasn’t really in the writing, but that the book was acquired at all! As I mentioned, I met my eventual editor via a conference opportunity (it was during Covid, so it was a virtual critique day via my local NJ SCBWI chapter). I’d submitted a completely different manuscript for critique, one she didn’t connect with. That story was also in rhyme (naturally) and during our conversation she mentioned that rhyming manuscripts can be difficult for big publishers to justify acquiring because they can be hard to translate into other languages. Obviously, I love writing in rhyme so that was hard to hear. But since the conference included a submission opportunity and I didn’t have an agent at the time, I figured I should go ahead and send something. I’d just finished writing I WILL ALWAYS BE… so sent it, despite the fact that it rhymed. I did not expect to hear anything back. But then, two months later, she sent me an email that read: “Please tell me no one has offered on this yet – I LOVE IT and would like to bring it to acquisitions this month!”

So, it just goes to show that just because getting a big publisher to acquire a rhyming manuscript may be difficult, and even if it’s true that rhyming manuscripts can be hard to translate, it doesn’t mean it is impossible or that publishers won’t take a chance on them! In fact, I’ve now sold 13 rhyming picture books and I WILL ALWAYS BE… is now being translated into Simplified Chinese! Oh, and WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW has been translated into nine languages as well!

Me: That’s amazing! I laugh when I look back at the younger me and what I thought I would be when I grew up. What did your younger self think you would be when you grew up? Did you become that? Are you happy or sad that your younger self was wrong (or right)?

Rebecca: What an awesome question! So, when I was a kid, I desperately wanted to be an actress, which is funny because I’m a super anxious, introverted person. I seriously start shaking anytime I have to do any kind of public speaking or performing and, even though I was that way as a kid as well, I still loved being involved in musical theatre. I took ballet, tap, and jazz dance lessons beginning at age 4 and voice lessons as a tween and teen. I was cast in all my elementary and middle school productions (my biggest role was Dolly in Annie Get Your Gun in 8^th grade. I may or may not still be bitter about the fact that I didn’t get the lead…).

But all my dreams were shattered once I got to high school. There were SO many incredibly talented kids in that school (it had a very strong drama department). When I was cast as a poppy (as in a singing flower) in the Wizard of Oz my Freshman year, I knew I’d better make other plans for my life. Lol. But, no, I’m not sad at all that it didn’t work out. As much as I loved (love) the theater, the anticipation of and the actual performing zapped my energy every time and caused me to feel a lot of stress. It really would not have been a good career path. I am much happier belting out show tunes alone in my car!

That’s funny. I loved to play act as a child and worked up the courage to be in my high school play one year, but I too realized it wasn’t for me. I had the same stress and anxiety! Thank you for stopping by my blog again Rebecca.

Dear readers, this book was published just this week. If you haven’t yet had a chance to track it down and read it, I highly recommend it. I suspect it will be a gift to many graduating seniors this year and a great classroom read for younger children as well. You won’t want to miss it.

And if you enjoyed reading this interview, Rebecca also offers answers to questions from subscribers and great tips and advice learned throughout her writing journey via her newsletter. You can click the subscribe button at the bottom of her website.