A splendid interview (I'm biased, but so what, it really is splendid) with Annie Kelley, who makes children's books come true at Random House Books. We talk about what she looks for in a manuscript (strong voice and not generic, needs to stand out in some way). She talks about her love for children's books as a child and how she found her dream job as editor. Annie urges authors to ignore the advice of "writing to the trend" and to write from the heart. Annie talks about her 'specialty', finding the right illustrator for the right book. Annie talks about some of her recent and current books (including mine!!!). So am I lucky or what? Heads up, people: EMILY SAW A DOOR, illustrated fabulously by Orit Magia, launches on Feb. 24th, 2026.

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