No. 18 Vol. 8
My Life Publications • 973-809-4784
August 2022
Mendham Children’s Book Author Inspired by the Miraculousness of the Everyday
T
By Alexander Rivero ogether with her family, Nadja Springer came to the United States from her native Germany in 2018 settling in Mendham. The mother of three girls enjoyed getting to know her new country, while chasing down experiences–such as hunting down the best bread and local ice cream shops–that reminded her of her native Germany. It was during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, she says, when the world was shutting down and it was unclear when travel would resume, that she began to notice her daughters grow sad at the thought of not being able to return to Germany to see their loved ones. “There was so much negative energy around, and my girls were very upset about not being able to go back home,” she says, “but for all the bad stuff, there was a great deal of positive things going on that got swept under the wave of panic.” Among some of those positive things were the ideas for stories that Springer kept coming up with, and writing down– on notepads and in notebooks, on napkins and looseleaf and even on scattered pieces of paper she kept in her car–for future book projects. An avid reader, she cites Bill Bryson as one of her personal favorite writers. She likes the ease and gracefulness with which Bryson, throughout his long career, has tackled a range of subjects as diverse as travel, science, and social commentary, each with fresh originality, insight, and a biting sense of humor. Riding on her appreciation of Byron, she has been working on a diverse range of personal book projects ever since her arrival in the United States, keeping brainstorming notes on her travels, childhood, memories of her life. But ever since 2020, her children’s work has materialized almost beyond her own expectations. “For me,” says Springer, “my children’s books all started with a strong sense of wanting to do something compassionate, especially after seeing how my daughters were feeling
about the new situation with [COVID-19] and the difficulty in ever returning to see their family in Germany.” Springer’s first book, The Big Adventures of a Little Tree: Tree Finds Friendship (it is also the first book in her Tree’s Life series), follows a tree that decides to rise up out of its set roots and explore the world around him. The tale is an enchanting ode to the wonders of daring to live beyond our own comfort zones, as well as a call to be more open-minded, caring, welcoming, and conscious about the natural world. The writing is playful and meaningful, and the illustrations are rich enough to get lost in over the course of an afternoon, or several afternoons. Upbeat and friendly, Springer considers what inspires her to write. “Honestly, waking up in the morning,” she says. “I have three kids and life can get rather crazy in all sorts of ways. I have so many moments in the day where I see something outrageous, whether something that the kids are doing, or something that we all see together outside, that I’ve realized the importance of keeping one’s eyes wide open, noticing all the tiny miracles that happen every single moment.” One cannot help but notice that much of Springer’s attitude to life–and her art–centers around her constant nourishment of a deep, robust gratitude. It is rather contagious. “Inspiration is everywhere. All you have to do is genuinely want to find it. I keep paper and pen with me at all times so that when an idea presents itself, or when I see something that I’d like to remember later on, I can jot it down. In the end, it all comes together.”
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Commenting on her artistic process when she comes up with a new idea for a book: “When I have an idea I think is terrific, I stay up and write through the night, when the kids are fast asleep. Then, I let the material sit and rest a while before going back to it. There are some times when I won’t go back to it for weeks. But when I finally do, I edit it with a fresh perspective, and then I send it off to the editor, who will look at it. I take a long time with my books because I’m a perfectionist at heart.” The children’s book market is a competitive one. When writers and illustrators sit down to produce an original work of art, they have to, says Springer, “write for the children but sell to the parents.” For the children’s book author, the endgoal is for the parents to sit down and read the books with their children. “At the end of it all, you absolutely have to remain a child at heart to succeed in this business,” says Springer. “And that’s a good part of the fun.” For more information on Nadja Springer’s books, please visit her website, www.thepassionatepeanut.com, check out her Instagram, @thepassionatepeanut, or find her on Amazon, along with each of her books.