Miss Debby's Best-Loved Children's Books

The Charlotte Jewish News, March 2023

By Debby Block

Alan Silberberg is a children’s author and illustrator. He has created three very popular Jewish books, which successfully blend the genres of a picture book with witty cartoons and, every child’s favorite, the graphic novel!

Center for Jewish Education’s Jewish Book Festival and PJ Library Charlotte are very proud to be bringing Alan Silberberg to Charlotte to meet you and your family! Here is my recent interview with Alan Silberberg.

Debby Block: Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

Alan Silberberg: I grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts (near Boston) and had a pretty typical childhood. When I was eight, my mother died and I turned to doodling and drawing as a coping mechanism.

I graduated from the College of Massachusetts with a combined degree of Cartooning-Communications and Education. I also have a master’s degree in Education from Harvard. I became a writer for children’s television shows including the head writer for Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club and several Nickelodeon shows. I have lived in Los Angeles and the Berkshires. Currently, I live in Montreal, Canada with my wife.

DB: When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer?

AS: When I was in fourth grade, our class went on a field trip. Instead of looking at the museum displays, I went to the museum gift shop and bought a plastic toy alligator with my allowance money. The next day, the teacher asked us to write about our field trip experience and I wrote a fictional story about an alligator who came to life in the museum. My teacher praised my very first creative writing story. I was so excited that I continue to create stories to this very day!

DB: How many books have you written?

AS: I have three published middle-school books and three Jewish picture books including: “Meet the Latkes,” “Meet the Matzah,” and the newest in the series, “Meet the Hamantaschen.” I also have two board books that are coming out soon!

DB: Do you have a favorite?

AS: Of course, it is hard to pick a favorite, because they each mean something different to me. But “Milo” has a special place in my heart as it uses humor and grieving to honor the memory of my mom and the boy who lost her at such a young age.

DB: Your books use a lot of humor and puns. My favorite is the matzah character’s named “Alfie Koman!” Do young children understand the jokes in your books?

AS: I love to use humor and, in fact, I was part of an improvisational comedy troupe in college. Sometimes the humor in my picture books is aimed at the adult reading the book, but kids always seem to sense that something very funny is going on. I knew my humor hit the right balance was when a fourth grade boy took one of my pic- ture books to read to his younger brother’s second grade class!

DB: What is one of the most surprising things you have learned in creating your books?

AS: I grew up Jewish, but more culturally Jewish than religiously Jewish, even though I did go to religious school and had a Bar Mitzvah. Writing Jewish children’s books has helped me reunite with my Judaism. I am truly grateful and happy to be reconnected with my Jewish roots!

DB: What has it been like to be a part of PJ Library?

AS: Becoming a part of the PJ Library family has been an amazing experience both professionally and personally. Not only did PJ Library select and distribute many thousands of copies of my picture books worldwide, but also PJ Library sponsored a Jewish writers’ 10-day trip to Israel, which was a very positive experience! PJ Library has solidified for me the idea that writing Jewish books is cool!

DB: What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?

AS: I love movies, bicycling, and spending time with my family. But doodling is still my favorite go-to for relaxation!

Meet the Author: Saturday, March 25 at 4 p.m. Alan Silberberg will share his book “Meet the Matzah” A Passover Story” and teach us how to draw cartoons. Space is limited, so regis-