Official Interview: C. C. Lacavera (December 2024 book of the month)

[kandscreeley]

Today's Chat with Sarah features C. C. Lacavera author of What did you do at school today? book of the month in December 2024. It has also won the Mom's Choice Gold Award!

View the Official 5-Star Review

View Kindle edition on Amazon

View on OBC Bookshelves (Where you'll also be able to find the book of the month discussion)

***************************************************************************************************************************************
1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm an attorney with degrees in law, business and computer engineering. I have spent most of my career in tech, including serving as VP, Legal for Google and overseeing global litigation. The book was inspired by courtroom questioning techniques from some of the greatest lawyers in the world, and it has helped me with one of my most important jobs of all, being a mother. Using light-hearted, inviting questions, the book encourages sharing and invites children to tell their own stories.

2. Who or what has had the greatest influence on you?

My family is certainly the most important thing to me, and my son has profoundly influenced me.

3. Let's discuss your book What did you do at school today? Can you tell us a bit about it?

Parents the world over have asked this question and it goes unanswered. Using simple rhyming questions, the book invites children to share their school experiences and their own stories of their magical days. I'm excited that the book received the Mom's Choice gold award. I'm also happy that so many parents have shared positive reviews and told me that their children enjoyed the book and that it works!

4. Why did you decide to write about this issue?

I had asked this same question of my son, and many others like it, and I decided that I needed the book to help the conversation.

5. Would you say this story is more for the child or the parent? Who's your ideal audience?

The book is for both children and care-givers and is designed to strengthen family bonds and encourage sharing.

6. The reviewer praises the great illustrations. Can you tell us more about how those came about?

I'm so pleased the reviewer liked them. I am not an artist, but I knew what I wanted them to look like, so I chose an illustrator with Palmetto whose style I liked, and then gave descriptions of what I wanted each drawing to depict. It took a long time to get them just the way I hoped. We went back and forth for nearly a year to get them just right. The cover bus in particular took several rounds of revisions.

7. What was the hardest part of making the book? What was most rewarding?

Getting the illustrations to match the text, and then formatting it onto the page, took a long time. All of it was a lot of fun though. Receiving the first hard copy and seeing my son's face light up was definitely the best part. I've also had many friends send me pictures of them reading the book with their kids, which is really awesome to see.

8. What's next for you? Any more books?

I have two more books in production and many more planned. The next one is "How did you get so mucky?", another daily question around my house.

I like to end with fun questions.

9. Who is your favorite childhood author?

Dr. Seuss

10. What kid's show that's no longer on do you think they should bring back?

I like lots of them, but when I watch them again, I'm a bit shocked by them. Probably, they are best left in the past.

11. Who's your hero?

It's hard to choose just one. I've been fortunate to have a life filled with everyday heroes. But my number one hero is my mom. She is also the editor of this book. She was an English teacher for many years and has been an excellent editor of my writing all my life.

12. What's your favorite nursery rhyme?

Twinkle Twinkle

[Blueberry Dragon]

This was an absolutely inspiring interview. Thank you @kandscreeley.

[Carole Kendall]

Thank you for an interesting interview. I really wish you had written this book when my children were young. I have asked the “What did you do at school today?” question so many times only to be meet with silence or a curt reply. So frustrating! Inquiring Moms want to know. I’d love for you to tackle a book like this for talking to our adult children.

[Blessed Hope]

Nice to hear about your accomplished professional life. Bravo and keep it up!! I have also been fascinating by lawyers and like the strategies of how they win their cases particularly defense lawyers who people view as fighting for a hopeless case, a close and shut case