 We are excited to feature Nadia Salomon on the blog today to discuss her newest picture book, A Rakhi For Rakesh, published July 8, 2025 with HarperCollins (Versify), illustrations by Nabi H. Ali. KLiC: What was your inspiration for A RAKHI FOR RAKESH? NS: I wrote A RAKHI FOR RAKESH after celebrating Raksha Bandhan with my big brother, Superman. We used to exchange rakhis via mail. But as we got older, we realized the power of siblinghood. Once our parents are gone, we’ll only have each other. In 2018, Superman happened to visit during Raksha Bandhan weekend. We performed the rakhi ceremony. We choked up, there were tears, and I thought...I would love to write about this emotional experience for littles. KLiC: What are your favorite illustrations in the book? NS: I love all the illustrations in the whole book - Nabi's art is incredible. He created the images in a new style that I'm incredibly thankful for. After having read our book and flipped through the pages - my favorite illustrations are:
They capture emotion and joy beautifully.  KLiC: Please tell us about your writing process. How long did it take you to write and sell this book? NS: I use a cheat sheet to draft story ideas. While some stories write themselves, others are 'hot'. Some of my stories require a lot of revision, research, and additional brainstorming. I apply craft tools I learned along the way to write better stories. I wrote A RAKHI FOR RAKESH in 2017. I revised and polished it for a year. At the time I was unagented. I shopped it around myself and a small press offered publication in March of 2018. I was thrilled. This happened right around the same time I accepted literary representation. Sadly, I lost the book deal during the process. I was devastated, but my agent assured me we would find it a home. I set the story aside for several months. We revised A RAKHI FOR RAKESH then took it out on sub in early 2021. It sold to Editor, Elizabeth Agyemang, who fell in love with it and offered publication in August of 2021.  KLiC: What’s the one thing you want children to take away from your book? NS: I want children to takeaway, that love is a complicated emotion filled with conflicting feelings. KLiC: Do you have any tips for pre-published authors? Giving up is easy. Staying the course is hard, but so worth it in the end. Set goals. Follow through to complete them. Put the effort in and don't expect others to do the work for you. If something isn't working the way you expect, try something different. Querying wasn't working for me, I entered pitch events and landed my agent that way. I didn't get here alone. I'm thankful for every single person who helped me along the way. It took lots of hands and support from so many wonderful creatives who cheered me on, showed me how to write, and to believe in my words. They were shoulders for me to cry on, and were always standing by to help me reframe when I couldn't see through the forest. I'm a firm believer in paying it forward. Always give something back to the community that raised you. Knowledge is a gift and power. Be responsible with it.  Nadia Salomon is an award-winning journalist. She is the author of Goodnight Ganesha, a Bank Street Best Children’s Book and an ALSC Día Selection. A Voice of Hope is her acclaimed release. It received the 2025 BCALA, SLJ Children and Youth Literary Award, a 2025 Notable Social Studies Trade Book award, a Bank Street Best Children's Book award, and earned two starred reviews from SLJ and The Horn Book. Nadia's title, A Rakhi for Rakesh, released with HarperCollins (Versify) in July 2025. It's about a pair of siblings who must overcome big emotions to celebrate the sibling holiday, Raksha Badhan. She works closely with SCBWI, 12x12 Challenge, Kids Comics Unite, and Storyteller Academy. When Nadia’s not spinning yarns, you’ll find her blogging about her favorite reads at Nadia’s Nook.
You can find her online on her website and on Instagram @nadiasalomon.author. Comments are closed.
|
Archives
November 2025
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
