Do you remember the excitement you felt as a child when a favorite holiday approached?

Maisha Oso is the author of picture books Buster the Bully, My Hair Is a Book, Before the Ships, and the It’s Almost Time For… series, as well as the Venus Washington chapter book series. She writes stories to empower, entertain, and encourage emotional intelligence in young children. A former strategy and analytics professional from New York City, Maisha is currently working in her most challenging role to date: a stay-at-home mom of three tiny humans. Learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram or Twitter.

IT’S ALMOST TIME FOR … HALLOWEEN is a picture book all about the anticipation one feels approaching a favorite holiday. There’s SO much to do! And this book has a twist you won’t see coming. Though if you pay attention to the illustrations you just might. There’s plenty of fantastic Easter eggs and hints hidden all along the way.

Welcome Maisha!

Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey? When did you start writing picture books? How has that brought you to writing this picture book?

Maisha: My journey began as a parent. When my oldest, Selah, was just a toddler, story time became the highlight of our evenings. She loved it, and soon her younger brothers did too. What I didn’t expect was how much I enjoyed those moments myself. I fell in love with the lyrical language and the way simple stories could carry big, universal messages. Most of all, I loved the joy they brought to our family.That’s when I knew I wanted to write stories of my own, ones that would give other families that same experience. This book does just that. It’s fun, full of laughter, and perfect for reading aloud together.

Me: I agree! I love this rhyming holiday-focused picture book. What gave you the idea?

Maisha: The idea for this book came from the team at Simon & Schuster, who wanted to create a playful, rhyming series to help children get excited about upcoming holidays.  It was the perfect fit for me. I’ve always loved writing in rhyme and celebrating holidays with family and friends, so the opportunity to combine these two passions was something I couldn’t resist.

Me: Speaking of rhyme, your rhythm is magical! There is such a lovely cadence that just waltzes the reader through the story. Was this always an element of your story from the first draft? Or did that come about through multiple revisions? Did you struggle with the rhyming aspect of it?   

Maisha: Thank you so much! Yes, the story was always meant to be in rhyme. I honestly couldn’t imagine telling it in any other way. Rhyme isn’t something I really struggle with. I genuinely enjoy the process. The challenge (and the fun) comes in making it sound natural. I think of it as a puzzle, and when the pieces click into place, the words practically dance off the page.

Me: The illustrations by Tom Knight are super fun! I love the teddy bear! Flour angels! HA! Were there any illustration surprises for you? Any favorites?

Maisha: Tom’s illustrations truly took this book to another level. He’s so thoughtful and creative, and found many clever ways to add little surprises that I never expected. The Easter egg hints he sprinkled throughout the pages make the ending even more fun. My favorite spread is the pumpkin patch scene. I don’t want to give anything away, but when I saw the teddy bear pointing toward the man with all the pumpkins, I laughed out loud.

Me:  This is just the first of several holiday books with the same characters. Can you talk about that? Was this always a series in your mind? Did you pitch them together? How did it become multiple books?

Maisha: Yes, the series was always part of the plan. In fact, my initial deal was for three books – It’s Almost Time For… Halloween, Christmas and Easter. Since then, we’ve added two more books, Thanksgiving, which is scheduled for 2026, and St. Patrick’s Day, coming in 2027.  What I love about this series is that while each book focuses on a particular holiday, together they create a year-long celebration for families to enjoy. 

Me: Congratulations! That’s fantastic! What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?

Maisha: I was most surprised by just how much fun the ending misdirection turned out to be.  When I first read it to my kids, they laughed so hard, and as soon as we finished, they couldn’t wait to go back to hunt for all the clues Tom had hidden in the illustrations. I expected the twist to get a laugh, but I didn’t realize it would be such a big one, or how much joy children would get from searching for Easter eggs in the art.

Me: You have written in many different picture book genres: non-fiction, fiction, and rhyme. I love that! Any advice for new picture book writers?

Maisha: One of the best pieces of advice I can give a new picture book writer is to read a lot. Not just a handful of picture books, but dozens, even hundreds if you can. When we first start writing, it’s easy to try to replicate the stories we loved as children, but publishing has changed so much since then. As you build your craft, take time to study the picture books that are coming out now to see what resonates with today’s readers. So, while it may feel counterintuitive, one way to become a stronger writer is to spend more time reading.

That is great advice Maisha. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.

Dear readers, this book was actually published in July but it’s well worth the read now as we approach Halloweeen. It’s a perfect holiday read that’s sure to surprise young readers in the most delightful ways. You won’t want to miss it.