Barb’s Law: Every picture book should have a swizzle of magic.
That “swizzle” is the thing that makes your spine tingle and your heart leap. It allows you to believe that ANYTHING is possible— for you, your friends, your enemies and our great green world.
If you read a book and your skin doesn’t tingle just a little, the author has only done half of her job.
Planting Seeds of Empathy
I love that books let us into the secret hearts of others. When you open the cover of a book, and peek into characters’ lives, it plants a tiny seed of understanding. You discover, again and again, that others are a little like you. And it makes you feel less lonely.
Lucia Esme Marina
Grand Inspiration
My grandchildren—Lucia, Esme and Marina—teach me about the world.
Each is brave beyond imaginings.
Crackerjack smart.
And troubled, too.
They live in a world with friends who are sometimes great and sometimes bossy. They feel deep disappointment and soaring joy. They’re troubled with shyness, wiggly brains, and broken hearts. Sometimes, when I'm very, very lucky, they tell me their secrets. I’m the keeper of my grandchildren’s secrets . . . and the keeper of yours.
Home Port
Port Washington, WI 1860 Lighthouse Lake Michigan
Five years ago, I moved to Port Washington, Wisconsin - a little harbor town on Lake Michigan. I’m a docent at our light station (lighthouse / light keeper’s home). As I wrote in The Fishermen, the Horse and the Sea, “the lake can be soft as a kitten one day, and terrible as a sea monster the next.” The beauty and fury of the lake thrill me to the bone and inspire my writing.
FUN FACTS . . .
How many books have you written?
“Fifty-seven and counting.”
What’s your favorite?
“Honestly, it’s the one I’m working on. I get so excited my eyeballs jiggle. But today, my favorite is my new graphic novel ‘Death’s Door: Tales of Tragedy, Mystery and Bravery from the Great Lakes’ Most Dangerous Waters’. Tomorrow, it will probably be a different one.”
Have your books been translated into other languages?
“I have books in 29 different languages. This is one of my greatest thrills.”
Where do you get your ideas?
“I think about the world and imagine the things you think about or worry about.”
What’s your best-selling book?
“Mama, Do You Love Me? has sold around 3 million copies.”
Do you like to write?
“I love every single minute, except the ones where I’m banging my head against the wall in utter and complete frustration. I do NOT like those minutes.”
What are your favorite words?
“Mysterious. Higgledy-piggledy. Marshmallow. Eyeball. Granna (my grandma name).”
Do you have a favorite color?
“Orange because it’s cheery and cozy.”
Do you have a family?
“My husband, Chuck, is a bronze sculptor. I have three children, who are my hearts—Maaike, Anneke and Rob. Also, three clever, hilarious grandchildren—Lucia, Marina and Esme. I am their greatest fan. And we adopted Booker in 2021.”
Booker making trouble
Where do you live?
“Port Washington, Wisconsin, a little harbor town. I live in a perch I call “The Crow’s Nest,” right on the harbor. My perch is on the fourth floor, which is super high for Port Washington, so I live in the sky. The sky is a very good place for an author to live.”
Why does your hair look like that?
“I have curly, purple and blue hair. On a good day, it looks like birthday ribbon. On a bad day, it looks like a UFO experiencing a mechanical breakdown. I picked this style because I like it and . . . why not?”
When is your birthday?
“The month of February. The whole month. I celebrate from the first day until the last, though I do share my birthday with two famous presidents.”
Besides writing, what else do you like?
“I like planting poppy seeds along the rip rap on Lake Michigan, hiking, adventures with my grandkids, exploring, and reading. I like the outside. When it’s cold, I like the inside. Dogs. Birds. Animals of all stripes, except for the blood-sucking monsters of Wisconsin—mosquitos. Kids. Fog. Mysterious things. Laughing.”
Is there anything you don’t like?
“YES! Meanness. Bossiness. People who think they know all the answers. Cliques or clubs that don’t have room for you. Rules that don’t make sense.”