On Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Cynsations blog — an essential resource for those who care about contemporary children’s literature — intern Gayleen Rabakukk has interviewed me about my process in creating my new picture book All of a Sudden and Forever: Help and Healing After the Oklahoma City Bombing.

From Gayleen’s introduction:

In February 2001, when President Bush dedicated the Oklahoma City Memorial Museum, I accompanied my daughter’s third grade class to see the ceremony. Both parents and teachers had a difficult time explaining why we were there beyond “seeing our president.” His dedication speech prompted even more questions about what happened and why. As a former journalist, the facts of April 19, 1995, were etched in my mind, but they weren’t things you shared with eight year olds. If I took that field trip today, I would start by reading All of a Sudden and Forever with the students. It would’ve made our day easier, but this book also has a reach far beyond the Oklahoma tragedy.

All of a Sudden and Forever, written by me, illustrated by Nicole Xu, and published by Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing