Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stephanie Calmenson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Stephanie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
As a children’s book writer, I hope I might be remembered as someone who’s worked to enrich the lives of children. When writing a book, my goals often include:
— Teaching basics like letters and numbers
— Helping a child feel understood and valued
— Expanding a child’s view of the world
— Showing ways to get along with others
— Encouraging a love of reading, especially through laughter
Many of my books feature dogs, including my own, Rosie and Harry. I hope they’ll be remembered too!
Stephanie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I love books and being with young children, so it’s not surprising that I was an early childhood teacher, then a children’s book editor. The surprise was becoming a writer, something I never, ever imagined I’d be. Yet, here I am over a hundred books later.
It’s been gratifying seeing books I’ve written stand the test of time. The two that have been around longest are DINNER AT THE PANDA PALACE and MAY I PET YOUR DOG? Letters I get from families and educators let me know that the books are reaching a new generation. They are also being presented to audiences in new and innovative ways.
DINNER AT THE PANDA PALACE is now the basis of an educational math game for young children developed by the Wesleyan University Cognitive Development Lab team under the direction of Dr. Anna Shusterman, funded early on by The National Science Foundation.
MAY I PET YOUR DOG? is widely used in animal shelters to promote positive interactions between children and dogs. It’s also part of the valuable Overcome Fear of Dogs program developed by Stefani M. Cohen, LCSW.
My readings of each of these books can be seen at KidLitTV.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Media reviews and word of mouth from readers have helped build my reputation. Along with my books, my teaching and editing background has lead to speaking engagements at conferences for educators and writers, and at schools. It’s wonderful connecting with people who want to create, share, and talk about children’s books.
How’d you meet your business partner?
The person who taught me the most about children’s books and who lured me into the world of freelance writing is Joanna Cole, best known to the world as the author of the Magic School Bus series.
Starting as her secretary in the children’s book department at Doubleday, I became her colleague when I was an editor there, then I became her editor as Editorial Director of Parents Magazine’s children’s book club. When Joanna asked me to co-author a book, we became a writing duo and kept on going. We created anthologies and, later, wrote chapter books based on our friendship, and often featuring our love of dogs.
Joanna passed away in 2020. In so many ways, she’s still with me every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stephaniecalmenson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calmensonkidsbooks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.calmenson
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-calmenson-84343917/
- Twitter: https://x.com/CalmensonKidBks
Image Credits
Author photo © by Carmen Gonzalez