Author Chana Stiefel on AWE- plus a GIVEWAY! « Lydia Lukidis
Author Chana Stiefel on AWE- plus a GIVEWAY!
Hello world!!
Welcome to my kidlit blog, Blissfully Bookish. I’m so excited today! I got to interview an an award winning author who’s my friend and also shares the same agent, Miranda Paul. She’s is a force of life, just read what she has to say and you’ll see what I mean. Please say hi to Chana Stiefel, here to discuss her new fiction picture book, AWE!, illustrated by Susan Gal, and published by Scholastic Press.
BUT first- YAY! Chana is generously giving away a FREE signed copy of her book AWE, simply comment on this blog. US only, contest ends May 15, 2026.
Please describe the journey to publication and inspiration for AWE.
Thanks for inviting me, Lydia! The inspiration for AWE! came from a podcast I listened to in 2023, 10% Happier with Dan Harris, interviewing Dr. Dacher Keltner, a Professor of Psychology from Berkeley who was speaking about “the one emotion that may be the key to happiness.”
Since I was a child growing up in Miami, I’ve always loved nature, hiking, snorkeling, and kayaking, but I could never explain why I loved those experiences so much. It was something deeper than simply experiencing beauty or having fun. Dr. Keltner gave a word to those emotions: It’s AWE! I immediately took a deep dive into the research on awe and knew that I had to write a book for children about this Awesome, Wondrous, Empowering emotion.
What message would you like the book to impart to children?
What intrigues me most is that experiencing awe—in nature, people, the arts, sports, music, science, etc.—can transform the way we think and feel. Simply taking a walk (let’s call it an awe-venture) and noticing the colors of flowers, the variety of clouds, bark on a tree, beautiful bird calls, acts of kindness or generosity, can make you feel less anxious, more curious, and more kind. Awe is accessible every day, everywhere—in nature, in books, in people, even inside our bodies!
Please paste a short and compelling excerpt from your book.
“Awe wakes you, shakes you, calls you to create.
In unity, community, so much to celebrate.”
Awe is a very evocative concept. How did you approach translating such an abstract feeling into a children’s book?
Great question. After reading Dr. Keltner’s book and other research on awe, I started to notice patterns. I began with opposites: Awe can silent or loud; small or massive; light or dark (there is an element of awe that includes deep, dark fear). Starting with those contrasts, I expanded to spiritual awe, as well as awe in people and the love we share. I focused on images and ideas that I felt children could most relate to, whether they live in cities or out in the country. I’ve written lyrically in the past, but this book poured out of me as a poem. And somehow, after much meticulous editing, it worked!
Also, because illustrator Susan Gal and I had bonded over working on our previous book, THE TOWER OF LIFE, I knew that I wanted Susan to illustrate AWE. We share many of the same interests and have traveled to many of the same awe-inspiring places. Thankfully, Susan said yes! I left plenty of room for her to illustrate, and as readers will see, her illustrations are jaw-droppingly beautiful.
What is your writing process and does it vary depending on the project?
Yes, it definitely varies. I write both fiction and nonfiction. Both require research, but for nonfiction, I will generally delve much deeper into reading everything I can on a topic and interviewing experts. Then I highlight and distill my notes to narrow my focus and find my hook for kids. Our agent, Miranda Paul, has been an excellent mentor in helping me find a through line for a story, write sparingly, and leave the rest for backmatter.
Please share your favorite books that inspired you.
I’d love to include every book that has inspired awe, but the list is endless. Instead, here are a few heart-filled picture books that reflect the line in AWE! that reads: “Feel the awe in every good deed. Rise up to help a friend in need.” Experiencing awe in the kindness and generosity of others results in a ripple effect that can change the world: THE RABBIT LISTENED by Cori Doerrfeld; BE KIND by Pat Z. Miller and Jen Hill; OUT AND ABOUT by Liza Wiemer and Margeaux Lucas; MADDI’S FRIDGE by Lois Brandt and Vin Vogel; A FLOOD OF KINDNESS by Ellen Leventhal and Bythe Russo; NO MORE CHAIRS by Dan Gill and Susan Gal, and SOMETHING SWEET by Lesle’a Newman and Sarita Rich.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to other writers especially now that the industry is so tough?
Don’t write toward trends. Write the stories that you’re most passionate about, the ones that you can’t stop talking and dreaming about. Watch and listen for the reactions of others. Put your heart on the page. When you’re excited about a topic, it shows in your writing, and hopefully your readers will feel that too.
And a bonus question just for kicks! What experience form your childhood evoked a sense of awe?
So many! I feel so blessed that my parents instilled in me and my siblings a sense of awe and appreciation for nature. One summer, we traveled out west to visit the national parks. We were Florida kids who had never seen snow. We’re driving through the majestic Rocky Mountains, John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” is playing on a cassette, and suddenly we see a glacier in the distance! Ooh, ahhhh, whoaaa! So my dad pulls over and we try to hike to the glacier, but it’s too far. We drive a little further up the road and suddenly there’s snow everywhere! We get out and start throwing snowballs at each other. Except it’s not snow. It’s ice! And it hurts! But still, it’s freezing, and joyful, and awesome. Thanks for reminding me of that day!
Bio
Chana Stiefel is the award-winning author of more than 30 books for children. Her nonfiction picture books include AWE!, Let’s Fly!, Let Liberty Rise, and The Tower of Life, which received many honors, including the 2023 Sydney Taylor Book Award and a Robert F. Sibert Honor. Her funny fiction includes Bravo, Avocado, My Name is Wakawakaloch, and Daddy Depot. Chana’s most recent nonfiction middle grade is How Rude: Animals That Burp, Toot, Spit, and Screech to Survive. She loves to visit schools and libraries to share her passion for reading and writing with children. Chana is represented by Miranda Paul at Aevitas. Follow @chanastiefel on Instagram. Learn more at chanastiefel.com.
A free educational guide to AWE! is available here!
AWE! is available at Books of Wonder and wherever books are sold.
