Interview with Jessie Atkin, author of OODLES OF NOODLES
Jessie Atkin’s counting board book OODLES OF NOODLES (A Counting Word Play Board Book for Toddlers) (Little Bee Books, 2026), illustrated by Moesha Kellaway, follows hungry animals as they enjoy their favorite foods. Utilizing a fun rhyme scheme (like a fox that eats a box of lox and mice that eat rice), OODLES OF NOODLES is an appealing, playful introduction to counting and measurement concepts. Moesha Kellaway’s delightful illustrations add fun color and texture, emphasizing the book’s charm. I am happy to learn more about OODLES OF NOODLES. Welcome, Jessie!
OODLES OF NOODLES is a counting board book for little ones. Can you tell me a bit about your journey – from inspiration to publication?
The very original inspiration for this book was a rhyme a friend and I kept repeating in high school after my family got a golden doodle. “These are the poodles who love to eat noodles. Oodles of noodles for all of the poodles.” But I only got really serious about making it into a full book when my sister announced she was pregnant with my niece. I wanted to write a book just for her. So, jumping off from that old rhyme, I started putting together the early drafts of “Oodles of Noodles,” focusing on the rhythm and the rhyming of foods and animals. My agent had the manuscript out on submission for a little over three months before we heard that Little Bee Books wanted to pick it up. It wasn’t until my manuscript was picked that my editor suggested it could work really well as a counting book, and so the editing continued from there. From submission to publication took over two years.
You include Jewish foods in the book. Why was this Jewish representation significant to you?
I know that a lot of my earliest Jewish education is what has stuck with me. I’ve grown from the simplified stories of Noah’s Ark, but I know that the foundations I received from my parents and my Jewish preschool really set me up for the understanding and joy I still find in Judaism. My parents hosted all the Jewish holidays when I was growing up, and preparing for those holidays largely centered around food. So, I’ve always related the joy I find in being Jewish to my family, food, and early books and education. That’s why I really wanted to make sure there was some Jewish representation in the foods presented in the book (and I’m lucky I could find rhymes that worked). I also think it’s important to have Jewish representation in stories that are not 100% Jewish content because that’s a huge part of what growing up Jewish has been like for me. Jews, our foods included, are an integral part of a wider world, including in “Oodles of Noodles.”
What were your thoughts when you first saw Moesha Kellaway’s illustrations?
I was absolutely delighted! I always knew I wanted the illustrations to be colorful and have whimsy, but I’m an author, not a visual artist, and there was no way for me to really outline what that meant in a visual way that made any sense. It felt like Moesha had read the feeling in my mind (so hopefully that means that the color and whimsy are coming out in the text as well). The added detail and humor she added to each page with accessories for the animals and fully decorated environments were spectacular. I could not have imagined anything better.
How do board books differ from traditional picture books and why do you think they are important for young readers and families?
I think board books really invite the littlest kiddos into the literary world in a very unique way. I believe the stories in board books really meet kids where they are. The economy of words and the book length really helps (in my experience) introduce tiny humans to sounds and concepts, and keeps their attention. The best also have a little bit in them to entice caregivers who are a key part of the board book audience. The physical durability of board books also opens kids to the physical world of books immediately. Kids can interact with them without fear of tearing or other minor destruction, and caregivers can allow that. It’s an educational, safe, and fun shared activity. I believe that, in putting both caregivers and kids at ease early, all books can then become something to enjoy and use, rather than anything to fear or that simply live on a shelf. The tactile nature of board books matches perfectly the physical experience of reading together with a child.
Thank you, Jessie!
Jessie Atkin writes fiction, essays, and plays. Her work has appeared in The Rumpus, HerStry, The Writing Disorder, Space and Time Magazine, and elsewhere. Her full-length play, “Generation Pan,” was published by Pioneer Drama. She can be found online at jessieatkin.com.
