Under One Roof – Judy Bradbury

Read on to meet Miranda and Baptiste Paul and learn about the making of Under One Roof, the warm and reassuring new book they have co-written.

Judy Bradbury: Tell us about this project: What seeded its creation?

Miranda Paul: Being a working parent (and having a working parent growing up), you spend many nights away from loved ones. We’ve had family and friends have to be separated temporarily and permanently from loved ones as well. It can be hard! But it is a shared experience—having to sleep away from the people you love, or having to lay down your head in an unfamiliar place for a time. But there are many devices and ways we can stay connected in this modern world, and remind us there’s a giant roof (the sky) over us all. The idea that the night sky is a roof over all our heads is comforting, I think. Learn more in answer to this question in the Authors’ Notes in the back matter of the book.

Baptiste Paul: For me, the answer to this question is simple. The idea of family, or what constitutes being a family, was the driving force behind this project.

JB: How did you decide on rhyming text?

MP: The text is ultimately a bedtime book and a lullaby. Having a rhythm and song-like quality makes a lot of sense to deliver the soothing atmosphere we were going for. The repetition of the meter also showcases that while every household and family is different, there is something that makes them all united or similar.

I’ve also written a number of other books in rhyme that have resonated with readers (Speak Up, Nine Months, Water is Water, Peace), and wanted to offer another.

BP: There was a lot of communication between us while we were working on this book. Since this was not our first book together, we talked openly, like we had done many times in the past, about all the projects we had previously worked on. And the choice was clear from the very beginning that this book would be in rhyme because of our targeted audience —very young kids.

JB: You co-wrote the text for this picture book. Tell us about a challenge you faced in the creation of Under One Roof, or provide a memorable (or humorous!) anecdote related to the writing of the book. 

MP: Originally, we wrote this book years ago, but our publisher passed on it without really giving feedback as to why. While it was frustrating, we didn’t give up hope and we sent the exact same book to our publisher (and others) years later and ended up selling it, at auction! Sometimes, timing is everything and so much is out of our control.

BP: Hmmm… I would say the wait. We both loved Christopher Silas Neal’s illustration style, but there was one problem— his calendar was full. And since we thought he was the perfect match, we waited until he had an opening on his calendar to illustrate this book.

JB: What is one unexpected joy that came from the creation of Under One Roof?

MP: Seeing the illustrations for the first time and how beautifully Christopher Silas Neal captured the original vision. It still brings me joy to see the aurora on the page with the sailboat; I often “chase” aurora the past few years and love seeing the Northern lights, and I also sail!

 Illustration © Christiopher Silas Neal

BP: For me, there was none at all. The one thing that stood out the most was how Christopher Silas Neal highlighted the diversity of what families look like through his illustrations.

JB: What is your favorite illustration in the book? Why?

MP: While I do love the spread with the Northern lights, I also am in love with the spread with Mom and the dog. I’ve been fostering animals from the Humane Society for years, but some very special dogs really do make cuddling at night really cozy.

 Illustration © Christopher Silas Neal

BP: My favorite illustration is on the page where the text reads:

Surrounded by chirping, one family lies by the glow of a campfire beneath a big sky.

This spread brings back happy memories of camping with kids. I sat and stared at that page for several minutes every time I open this book, and the feeling of being in nature with my kids draws me back to all the good times we had by a campfire.

JB: What would surprise readers to learn about you or about the writing of Under One Roof?

MP: Every spread or situation in the book is a lived experience (by us) or a close friend or family member. As I mentioned before, being separated from loved ones or having to sleep under an unfamiliar roof is a very universal experience.

JB: Who do you perceive your target audience to be for this book and why?

MP: Everyone, really. Grandparents, parents, children themselves (of course). I think it will resonate significantly with families who have had to move frequently, children whose parents are separated or divorced, international families, and those who travel often for work or pleasure. If you’ve ever missed someone at night, this is the book that pays homage to that experience and also wraps readers in the warm hug that the sky is still the same roof we’re all under. It’s just one of those beautiful bedtime books that anyone can cherish.

BP: I would say very young kids and their parents for sure. As a parent myself, I remember the days when my children were very young, and all I needed was a quiet book to read to them after a long workday. Under One Roof is the book for those parents like me.

JB: What do you hope young listeners / readers will take away from Under One Roof?

MP: When I was young, I watched a movie called An American Tail. I don’t remember a lot about it, but I remember that there was a song called “Somewhere Out There” that made me feel comfort—the song taught me that no matter how far away someone was, we’d still be looking up at the same sky and be together again one day. I suppose I’d like readers to take away that same sense of comfort that I got all those years ago, thinking about the sky as  being the same roof over everyone I loved.

BP: I hope that my young audience sees and appreciates everything that makes their family unique and special. Honestly, I do hope that this is something they appreciate because family is much more complex than being blood-related.

JB: How do you see Under One Roof connecting to curriculum or being used in learning settings?

MP: Children often learn about families around the world or in different kinds of housing. This book would pair well talking about bedtime routines, or comparing and contrasting (and celebrating!) all types of families. It could also be used in conjunction with a pen-pal or sister-school program, where technology or letters are used to communicate between students who are far apart from each other.

BP: I believe one way this book could be used in connection to curriculum would be any unit that talks about family. I know that the topic of family is explored in schools around the country. I do know that every family is different. I hope that this book serves as a great resource for teachers as they explore the topic of family with students.

JB: If you could ask your young audience one question, what would it be?

MP: What does it look like under your roof at nighttime?

BP: The one question I would ask my young audience is: If you had to change anything about Under One Roof, what would it be?

JB: What project(s) do you currently have on your desk?

MP: I’m waiting to see illustrations for my next picture book biography, which is about the incredible poet and children’s author Lucille Clifton. We also have a book out soon that celebrates the wonderful stuff on our heads—hair!

BP: The current project that I’m excited to share is my forthcoming picture book titled This Is My Family. This book is slated for a 2027 release. This book tackles an important question that is not talked about too often — homework inequality.

JB: What is one question you wish I had asked, and what is your answer?

MP: What is my favorite constellation?

Answer: Delphinus!

BP: Did you always want to be an author?

Answer: Absolutely not. Although I loved reading books, I did not know any authors, and none ever came to my school. So the thought of being an author never crossed my mind. I had no idea when I was young that people actually made a living doing this job.