Allison's Book Bag

Natasha Wing grew up in Connecticut, not far from New York City. After graduating from Arizona State University, she worked in advertising for a number of years. In 1991, she decided to write children’s books, and sold her first book within six months. Now she’s the author of many picture books, including the best-selling Night Before Series. Below is an interview with Natasha Wing, courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers. Please return tomorrow for my review of her latest picture book, When Jackie Saved Grand Central, which I received as an Advanced Reader Copy.

Q. If you weren’t an author or illustrator what would you do for a living?

I’d flip houses. I love resurrecting neglected things and making them beautiful. Hey! That’s like polishing up old manuscripts!

Q. What is the first book you remember loving as a child?

The Cat in the Hat.

Q. What’s your favorite word?

pickle

Q. If you could have any super power what would it be?

Erasing fear.

Q. An ice cream sundae is not complete without _____

Warm chocolate sauce!

Q. The best thing about my job is______

The freedom to explore any topic.

Q. What’s the best snack to eat while reading a good book?

Cheese and crackers with a glass of wine. I eat potato chips when I’m editing since the crunch seems to address my frustration.

Q. Picture books are important because _____

They are portals into other worlds.

This photo of Jackie on the train helped the illustrator see what Jackie was wearing during her Landmark Express train ride to Washington, D.C.

What Natasha thinks is the most beautiful part of the terminal and one of the reasons why she’s glad this building was saved–the ceiling!

And here Natasha is at the renovated train station in Denver near where she lives in Colorado.

Related Posts

• Review of When Jackie Saved Grand Central