Thanks for visiting my website. I'm so pleased you want to know more about me and my books.
Hmmm…how would I describe myself?
I’m an American-Israeli which means I think and talk simultaneously in English and Hebrew, making me fluent in Hebrish.
I'm a wife…a mother…and a doting grandmother of two adorable grandchildren!
And…I’m an award-winning children's book author. Writing has been my passion for a very long time. My other passion is my Jewish heritage. I've been lucky enough to be able to combine the two so that I can share both passions with you.
That's when I wrote my first "book." It was the summer between third and fourth grade. Outside, bolts of lightning crackled in the sky, thunder boomed, and ominous gray clouds let loose harsh, pounding drops. "Yes!" I said to myself, sitting inside the cozy bungalow my parents had rented in upper New York State. "This is the perfect time to write a mystery." I was no stranger to this type of book. My mother was an avid reader of Perry Mason and Agatha Christie mysteries. She gave me my first Nancy Drew book as a Hanukah gift when I was in second grade. By the time I entered fourth grade I had read the whole series. So, I sat down and wrote "The Case of the Green Eyes" – a story about a mysterious black cat. I even tried my hand at illustrations. Folding the pages in half and stapling them together in a paperback format, I presented the "book" to my parents who declared it an instant best seller. After that, creative writing became my passion and I continued writing for myself throughout high school, college and grad school.
With a Masters degree in Communications, I opened my own advertising copywriting company – THE WRITE STUFF – and went on to become one of Israel's leading English language copywriters. In between, I wrote magazine articles and an Israeli cookbook called The Melting Pot. Still, I didn't abandon my love for children's books. Watching a real-life experience of my older son Boaz, I wrote my first book – published in Hebrew by Yediot Aharanot – called Khlik Lak. It's a story about a silkworm that doesn't want to turn into a butterfly.
My first book for the English-speaking world came out in 2003.
It's called Tasty Bible Stories and I'm proud to say that it was the first children's book to combine bible stories and recipes. I loved writing it and inserted cool puns into some of the narratives, making each tale an enjoyable reading experience for young children, parents, and even older children!
Since then I have written 14 more books…
Many of my books have won awards and several have been chosen as PJ Library selections. Thanks to PJ Library, I've also had three of my books translated into Spanish and one book into Russian. And I have two books in Hebrew that have been published in Israel. I never imagined that my books would be read all over the world.
While you’re reading this, I have three more books in the publishing pipeline, and I’m brewing more picture book ideas!
…and I’m the Editor of My Very Own Jewish Calendar.
In 2014 Kar-Ben publishing approached me about taking over their My Very Own Jewish Calendar project from their venerated chief editor, Judye Groner, who was retiring. By then I had already published several books with Kar-Ben. Judye knew my work and suggested to Kar-Ben that they approach me. I am forever indebted to Judye, both for launching my North American writing career as a children’s book author, and for choosing me for this project. This is a very special calendar and I love working on it. Instead of a main image for every month, I research and write up four out-of-the-box Jewish tidbits relating to that particular month. Ohhh the facts that I’ve learned! I’m thrilled to be able to pass them on to Jewish families throughout North America. Equally wonderful – sometimes a quirky fact can lead to another book….leading me to my next point.
People Ask What inspires me to write each story?
I've been asked that question a lot and my answer is always – I never know what the trigger will be. Sometimes it’s something I see or experience; other times a sentence from a book or newspaper article will prompt me to create a story. I never know where my hyper-active mind will lead me. There’s no one set rule for writing a book that evolves from a trigger. Occasionally the process is like a slow boil, and the idea simmers for many years until…voila! Other times it’s like making instant mashed potatoes: OMG! I’ve got it and I have to write it now!
My goal is to create “Books that Get You Involved”
That’s my mantra. Some of my books have engaging activities matching each story. Others have phrases that repeat, making the out-loud reading experience a fun, joint effort. Some books have space at the end for you to write your own story, while others have their own matching activity pages. The point is, I want you to feel that you are a part of each and every one of my books.
Happy Reading!
Tami
