We are so excited to interview debut author Bayan Lahham who co-wrote the board book, A Party of Colors, with Kidlit in Color co-founder and author Aya Khalil! Read more about the upcoming board book, illustrated by Olivia Aserr below.

Kidlit in Color: What are your favorite illustrations in the book?

Bayan Lahham: My favorite illustration in this my book is the book where Baba and Salem cover their ears. It reminds me of my father when I was young and my husband now with my children. It embodies what a father looks like to me and that's a very special image in my head. 

KLiC: What’s the one thing you want children to take away from your book?

BL: I want children to be excited to embrace the STEAM world. I hope that books like this help build that connection and love for learning at a young age and eventually grow to be creatives in their fields.

KLiC: Please tell us about your writing process. How long did it take you to write and sell this book? 

Aya Khalil: I saw a call out to authors on Charlesbridge's social media looking for STEAM books for their upcoming STEAMWORKS collection, specifically for diverse authors. I thought it was such a cool idea. I reached out to one of my best friends, who is the only person I know that gets really excited about math and science. She thought it was a great idea and we actually wrote a picture book together about geometric patterns. It got rejected. Then one day, I was thinking how much my car needed a car wash and I texted Bayan about the idea right away. We met wrote and revised on a google doc for a few weeks and sent it in shortly before the deadline. To our delight it was acquired! Writing a book is often lonely, but having a good friend collaborate on this one and share exciting moments like seeing sketches for the first time and holding our arcs together has been  an amazing experience! 

KLiC: Do you have any tips for pre-published authors?

AK: Read, read, read! Spend hours, days, weeks at the library. You can't just wake up one day and say you want to write a book. It's a long, difficult process and now it's even more competitive and challenging than ever. I recommend spending time working on your craft, networking, take classes, join a writing community and stay hopeful. 

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Aya Khalil is an award-winning author, librarian, and freelance journalist. Her titles for children include The Night Before Eid, The Arabic Quilt, and The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale. Aya’s books have won numerous awards and honors including The Arab American Book Award and NCTE’s Charlotte Huck Award. You can follow her updates at www.ayakhalil.com 

Bayan Lahham is a math and science teacher. She has been a tutor and homeschooler over the years. Bayan grew up on the East Coast and currently resides in Ohio with her family. A Party of Colors is her debut.

We are thrilled to interview debut picture book author, Razan Abdin, about her upcoming picture book, Splendidly Sawsan, illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani. Read the interview below.

Kidlit in Color: What was your inspiration for Splendidly Sawsan? 

Razan Abdin: My inspiration was my own experience navigating neurodivergence and big, "bursty" emotions as a child who didn’t necessarily have the vocabulary to talk about it. Telling this story felt important to me because I knew there were other neurodivergent children who have, over time, internalized the message that they’re bad or somehow deficient. I needed them to know that’s not true, but wanted to deliver that message in a character-driven story that hopefully delights readers of all ages.

KLiC: Please tell us about your writing process. How long did it take you to write and sell this book? 

RA: I’m definitely a plotter as opposed to a panster. I created an outline, or story arc, but let Sawsan surprise me sometimes too.

It took me roughly a year to write and revise this manuscript before sharing it with anyone. A couple of trusted readers offered feedback. Then, my agent and I submitted it to several editors and received rejection after rejection after rejection.

When I finally heard back from an interested editor, it wasn’t an immediate yes. She offered a thoughtful Revise and Resubmit (or R & R). I took the editorial feedback and used it to shape my story into a stronger piece. I ultimately got a book deal after the revision process.

KLiC: Do you have any tips for pre-published authors?

RA: I know that being in the query trenches can feel wildly discouraging, but please remember it only takes that one singular yes to make your publishing dreams come true. So, keep putting yourself (and your precious work) out there. Your stories deserve to be heard!

KLiC: What’s the one thing you want children to take away from your book?

RA: I want children to feel affirmed by this story. To know that they’re splendid just as they are.

KLiC: What’s next for you? 

RA: I’d love to be able to continue publishing picture books and I know that will be easier to do if Splendidly Sawsan is well-received by the market. Fingers crossed!

I’m actively revising another picture book manuscript–-the story that landed me an agent, but hasn’t sold (yet!). I’m also in the plotting phase of another project. Something I originally wrote as a middle grade novel and am now reimagining into a young adult novel.

Stay tuned!
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Bio: Razan Abdin (she/her) is a Palestinian writer who grew up in the American South and spent many summers in her ancestral homeland. She has been scribbling down stories since elementary school. When Razan isn’t busy arranging words on a page, she can be found exploring places near and far, filling her life with art (in all its forms), or daydreaming about a better world where everyone has what they need to thrive. She currently lives in Little Rock, Arkansas―on the traditional land of the Caddo, Osage, and Quapaw people―with her wild, wonderful standard poodle, Margot. Splendidly Sawsan is her debut book. 

Website: www.razanabdin.com