Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester is very happy to shine our Friday spotlight on children’s picture book author Kristy Kielbasinski. Kristy is a Boston based stand-up comedian and author. She draws inspiration from her life as a stay-at-home mom and housewife. Her children’s book “I Don’t Know” blends her comedy and love of reading. When Kristy is not making jokes, she can be found at the bus stop telling her kids to tie their shoes.
My first question to you Kristy is, where can people find your work? (Besides Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester–though they should totally check here first!)
You can find my work on Amazon, Tatnuck bookseller, Escape into Fiction, and on my website
wwww.kristykielbasinski.com
How can we follow your work and share your awesomeness?
You can find my comedy and book on my website: http://www.kristykielbasinski.com
Facebook, Instagram, etc.
What was the inspiration for I Don’t Know? What were the steps you took to bring it from
initial inspiration to the finished book?
One of the greatest joys I receive as a mother is hearing my children’s laughter. This book was
inspired by all the times I would ask my own kids questions when they were very little and they
would respond with “I don’t know”. Those conversations would always lead me to create silly
tales to see if I could possibly guess the answer.
In this book you follow two penguins on the search for a little penguin’s favorite book.
Every time the adult asks ‘what’s your favorite book’ the child responds as most children do with
‘I don’t know’. During the quest to find the child’s favorite book you hear silly rhymes that first
conjure images of classic stories and then ones that are made up to make kids laugh.
What was the biggest challenge in writing and putting out I Don’t Know? How did you
overcome that challenge?
I imagine with any picture book, one of the biggest challenges is working with an illustrator and
making sure that your thought as the author is accurately brought to life. Luckily for me I was
able to work with Jay Gaudette, Worcester artist and queen of drag. Jay and I had worked
together in the arts prior to the book and clicked immediately. The artwork Jay created for this
story not only met my expectations but brought the characters to life in a way I couldn’t have
even imagined.
What do you consider the most challenging part of the writing process? And how do you
overcome that?
As a stand-up comedian and author the hardest part about writing for me is making sure other
people find your work funny. This book is meant for young children and is intended for them to
laugh and maybe find some new books along the way.
The hardest part of writing for young children is to remember your audience. What a 4 year old
finds funny is obviously not the same as what a 20 year old or 50 year old would find funny.
I read this book numerous times throughout the process of writing to young kids to see if the
jokes hit the mark. Some jokes were changed, others eliminated if kids did not laugh when they
heard the rhyme.
What is/are your passions when you’re not writing? How do you make time for your non-writing
hobbies/things you love?
My favorite hobby is playing board games with my children. I enjoy the conversation that takes
place during a game that you don’t get at other times.
Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions, Kristy, and good luck with I Don’t Know!
Annie's Book Stop of Worcester 