The Picture Book Buzz - Interview w/ Ella Schwartz, Juliana Oakley and Review of Violin of Hope
Ella Schwartz writes fiction and nonfiction books for young readers. She is always asking questions and trying to learn new things. The books she writes are for kids who are just as curious as she is.
In addition to writing books, Ella is a cybersecurity warrior interfacing with the U.S. federal government on strategic technology initiatives. She has a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering from Columbia University.
When she's not working, writing, or training to run a marathon, she volunteers on outreach initiatives to promote women in science and improve science literacy. Ella lives on Long Island, New York with her husband and three sons.
Ella is the author of Her Name Was Mary Katherine, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk (Christy Ottaviano Books, 2022), Stolen Science, illustrated by Gaby D'Alessandro (Bloomsbury, 2020), Is It Okay To Pee In The Ocean?, illustrated by Lily Williams (Bloomsbury, 2020), Can You Crack The Code?, illustrated by Lily Williams (Bloomsbury, 2019), and Make This! (National Geographic Kids, 2019). She is also a featured writer for National Geographic Kids magazine.
Juliana Oakley is an illustrator from Latvia based in Bahrain. She lives with her family; her husband, 2 children, a dog and a cat.
Juliana is a person in love with color! The world is a beautiful place, and she is trying to reflect it in her art. Her inspiration comes from her surroundings, her travels, the people she meets and beautiful memories from her childhood. Juliana’s art is contemporary in style but with a bit of nostalgia – she’s am a big fun of mid-century designs. Her work is very colorful, often childlike, with a touch of humor and mystery.
Her illustration process often starts with pencil sketches. Some elements of her illustrations might be done in colored pencils, gouache or acrylics and then incorporated in the illustration and finished digitally.
Juliana’s the illustrator of 8 picture books, including The Enormous Pineapple by Teresa Heapy (Oxford University Press, 2024), Ca vit, ça pousse! by Ruth Martin (Glenat Jeunesse, 2024), Never Give Up: Dr. Kati Karikó and the Race for the Future of Vaccines by Debbie Dadey (Millbrook Press, 2023), Tree Whispers by Mandy Ross (The Child's Play Library, 2023), Darcy and the Pebble Mouse by Catherine Baker (Oxford University Press, 2022), Saving Orb, by Nicola Sherry (Diversity Press, 2022), and Same Difference by Nicola Sherry (Diversity Press, 2021).
Their newest picture book, Violin of Hope, was released on November 5th.
Welcome Ella and Juliana,
Thank you for having me on the blog!
Tell us a little about yourselves. (Where/when do you write or illustrate? How long have you been writing or illustrating? What is your favorite type of book to write or illustrate?
ELLA - I’ve been writing since I was a kid, but professionally for about 8 years now. I write both picture books and middle grade, mostly nonfiction. My favorite projects are those that uncover untold stories—hidden or forgotten pieces of history that deserve to be shared.
JULIANA – The passion for drawing and illustrating was with me for as long as I can remember. But professionally I started to illustrate only around 4 years ago. I absolutely love children’s books, and I can’t stop myself from buying one when I see something I like. I also am a big fun of poster art.
It is so great to get to know about you both. What is one of the most fun or unusual places where you’ve written or illustrated a manuscript?
ELLA - My usual writing environment is quite boring – I often find myself planted on my coach, surrounded by snacks and a fluffy blanket. Occasionally, I mix things up by writing at a Starbucks which seems very fancy to me.
JULIANA – My work is pretty much always with me. Because mostly I work digitally I often do so while travelling. On the airplane, at the airport, in the coffee shops. This is what I love so much about my job, I can do it from anywhere.
Fancy indeed! Ella, what was your inspiration or spark of interest for Violin of Hope?
ELLA - For a very long time, I’ve wanted to honor my grandparents with a story that touched on the dark history of the Holocaust yet was joyous and inspired hope. Over the years, I explored many ideas, always searching for the right way to honor them. I wrote and published other works, but the story that would truly honor my grandparents’ memory remained elusive. One day, I was at a district concert where my children were performing. The orchestra came on with some of the most talented string players in our state. As a creative person, my mind started to wander, and I asked myself: If a violin could experience senses what would those senses be? It’s a strange question, I know, but that’s where my head went. I reasoned that a violin could feel touch, through the hands that hold it, and sound, through the music it creates. The idea for Violin of Hope began to take shape. I soon realized this was the story I had been looking for all along.
I love that question and the way it brought you to this touching story. Juliana, what about the Violin of Hope manuscript appealed to you as an illustrator?
JULIANA – There are very few families that were left untouched in one way or another by the events of WW2. We all have our sacred stories that we have heard from our parents and grandparents. And even though the stories are different – there is something that makes us feel that they belong to all of us. So, to be able to illustrate one of them -makes me feel proud.
That is a very poignant way to look at it and entirely correct. Everyone's family was touched by WW2 in some way. What is the hardest or most challenging thing for each of you about writing or illustrating Violin of Hope?
ELLA - This is the story about a violin that begins in the time of the Holocaust. It’s hard to make a Holocaust story hopeful and, dare I say it, joyous. Striking a balance between honoring the somber weight of the period yet inspiring hope was by far the hardest part of writing this book.
JULIANA – The challenge for me was to illustrate such a serious and somber but also beautiful story in a children friendly manner and to be able to translate the historical feel of it along the way.
I believe you both succeeded amazingly in striking this balance. How many revisions did Violin of Hope take for the text or illustrations - from first draft to publication?
ELLA - There must’ve been dozens of versions! I lost count!
JULIANA - I was given plenty of time to do my research on the subject and on the clothing, architecture, and events. I have collected a large library of references. All of this helped to bring the number of revisions to a minimum. I think there were around 2 or 3 revisions all together.
Julianna, that's a great point and something definitely worth thinking about for illustrators, and authors. Ella, how did the experience of writing Violin of Hope differ from writing Her Name Was Mary Katherine or Stolen Science?
ELLA - Violin of Hope, although inspired by real events, is a work of fiction. It’s my first fiction book which allowed me to explore a creative freedom I hadn’t tapped into before. With Mary Katharine and Stolen Science, I had the responsibility to present real stories accurately and with respect for the people involved. While I aimed to make those stories come alive in engaging ways, I was always mindful of staying true to historical events. Violin of Hope, on the other hand, has allowed me to go beyond those boundaries. This flexibility was exciting.
I can see where creating historical fiction would be appealing and this one is stunning. Juliana, many illustrators leave treasures or weave their own story (or elements) throughout the illustrations. Did you do this in Violin of Hope? If so, could you share one or more with us?
JULIANA – For me it was the interiors of the apartment in the book that carried that nostalgic element from my own childhood. The parquet flooring, the big rug on the floor, the stairwell with the checkboard pattern- all so familiar to me.
Thank you for sharing these special pieces of the illustrations! Ella, when you first saw Juliana’s illustrations in Violin of Hope, did anything surprise, amaze, or delight you? Which is your favorite spread?
ELLA - The characters in the book are named after my grandparents, Feiga and Itzik. When Juliana first joined the project, I sheepishly shared a photo of the real Feiga and Itzik with her, hoping it might give her a sense of the period and the image of the characters in my head. When I first saw Juliana’s illustrations, I was blown away. I never imagined she would capture the likenesses of my beloved grandparents.
There is one page, in particular, where the tilt of the father’s head and the calm strength on his face captured my grandfather’s essence so vividly it made me gasp. It truly felt like looking at my grandfather. I can’t thank Juliana enough for her talent and gorgeous artwork that helped bring this story to life.
Text © Ella Schwartz, 2024. Image © Juliana Oakley, 2024.
What an amazingly special thing, especially when you were writing the story in their honor. Juliana, is there a spread that you were especially excited about or proud of? Or perhaps one which is your favorite spread?
JULIANA - For me my favorite spread is the one with Papa showing Itzik how to hold the violin and the little Feiga is sitting with them on the sofa. I really wanted to show the warmth and coziness of their world that was about to be broken. I really hope I’ve managed it.
It is so fun when the same image is the one that means the most to both the author and the illustrator! What's something each of you want your readers to know about Violin of Hope?
ELLA - The characters in the book are named after my grandparents, may their memory be a blessing. This book is about family legacy and is my way of ensuring my grandparents' legacy lives on, not only through the remembrance of tragedy but through the joy and hope they left me. I want readers to know that the bonds of family, memory, and legacy are powerful and inspire hope.
JULIANA – I’d like readers to know that the power of creation is so much more than of destruction. Art and beauty will always find a way to survive and to help humanity to thrive again!
Despite it all, there is hope. May that always be the case! Are there any upcoming books or new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?
ELLA - I have multiple projects on the move right now! I am deep into research on a story about a little-known civil war hero who deserves to be celebrated. At the same time, I’m working on two picture book biographies, one about a pioneering woman inventor and the other about an inspiring woman in science who broke barriers.
JULIANA - I am working on a couple of new projects now. I can’t share them yet, but I can say that they are both just as beautiful and meaningful as the Violin of Hope.
Intriguing! I wish you both luck with your projects and we'll have to keep our eyes open for them. Last question, what is your favorite National Park or Forest, regional park, or city park? Or the one you’re longing to visit. Why?
ELLA - Last summer, I was so lucky to visit several national parks with my family and my parents, who are in their 70s. Bryce Canyon and Zion stand out as especially memorable. I had my parents hiking up Bryce and riding e-bikes through Zion in the oppressive summer heat. They did amazing and the trip left all of us with lasting memories. I know my boys will forever treasure this adventure with their grandparents.
JULIANA – I absolutely love nature in all its forms. Be it the park or the forest -I love it. I’d love to visit Yosemite Park one day. I’d also love to go on safari in Kenya.
Thank you Ella & Juliana for sharing with us a bit about yourselves and your new picture book.
To find out more about Ella Schwartz. or to contact her:
Website: https://www.ellasbooks.com/
X(Twitter): https://x.com/ellaschwartz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schwartz.ella/
To find out more about Juliana Oakley, or to contact her:
Website: https://www.julianaoakley.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oakjulart
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/julianaoakley0194/
Review of Violin of Hope
I was immediately intrigued by the title, the image of the boy choosing a violin, and the premise of looking at the history of WW2 through the lens of a violin's experience. This powerful picture book, interweaving history, families, and the modern work of many craftspeople and musicians in their overwhelming desire to create hope, is a wonderfully inventive way to explore WW2 with younger children.
Violin of Hope
Author: Ella Schwartz
Illustrator: Juliana Oakley
Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing (2024)
Ages: 6-11
Historical Fiction
Themes:
Family, WW2, loss, music, and hope.
Synopsis:
Based on the true story of luthiers who repair Holocaust-era violins.
Papa plays beautiful music on the violin, sometimes quick and lively and sometimes slow and sorrowful. But one night, there is a pounding on the door and a Nazi soldier snatches the violin away. The violin is silent for years until a luthier finds it and says, "I can fix you." Then a man comes to the shop and buys the violin for his son. In the boy's hands, the violin feels familiar, like a melody remembered from long ago.
Opening Lines:
The violin hung on its
special hook on the wall.
Most days, the house fell quiet after Mama scooted the
children to school and wished Papa a good day at work.
What I LOVED about this book:
I love how, though this is officially the second spread, it encompasses all of the opening. Showing the family setting off for their day and the violin hanging on its special hook. Juliana Oakley's gorgeously expressive illustrations capture the affection within the family, the treasured role of the violin, and the period setting. This is such a great opening, perching the reader at the dawn of the family's day and the "dawn" of the impending crisis of WW2.
Text © Ella Schwartz, 2024. Image © Juliana Oakley, 2024.
In the evenings, Papa plays “quick and lively” songs on the violin, to which Itzik and Feiga (named for the Ella's grandparents) dance in circles and giggle, or “slow and sorrowful” songs causing Mama and the kids to pause and listen. When Itzik's attempt to play the violin yields a shrill sound and a snicker from Feiga, Papa assures him, “Don’t worry . . .With practice, you’ll get better.” (See the illustration in the interview above.) This important refrain resonates .
Tying the violin to the family's Jewish observance of Shabbos and the startling arrival of soldiers as their "angry boots stomped into the house," is an honest and stark, yet compassionate, way to introduce young readers to these historical events. While the grumpy faces of the soldiers and their total disregard for the violin as they snatch it and carelessly toss it onto a bourgeoning pile of taken objects, is vividly depicted, the shift of focus to the violin's experience is a masterful way to deal with this history for very young children.
Text © Ella Schwartz, 2024. Image © Juliana Oakley, 2024.
The war is not mentioned as the reader follows the violin hidden in a "damp, dark cellar," where it waits dusty and warping with the seasons, until one day it is re-discovered by a luthier. Who takes it back to his shop to repair "the violin's broken body." Great spot illustrations show bits of the process, along with an amazing display of the tools a luthier uses. Lyrical text follows the loving mending and repair of the violin until - once again it hangs "on the wall in a place of honor."
Text © Ella Schwartz, 2024. Image © Juliana Oakley, 2024.
I love that, as noted in the back matter, this restoration of the violin is based upon work actually done by luthiers as a part of the project Violins of Hope. A project determined to restore violins as "symbols of triumph and hope" and memorials "to their owners, lost in the Holocaust." The historical context and explicit mention of the Nazis and the Holocaust is provided in the author's note. The ending, a beautiful mirror of the beginning, is tender, powerful, and hopeful. This is a touching picture book which addresses the history of WW2 through the point of view of a violin and the feel of various hands it encounters. It's a stunning expression of family connections, loss, music, and most importantly hope.
Resources:
make your own violin from cardboard, a box, (or here), or a bottle.
check out a video of Luthier Kevin Smith making a violin (here).
as family members and learn about some of your own family history.
pair this with The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Henri Sorensen and Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan.
