| Collaboration |
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Pictures of Greg Mortenson and me
at the Listen to the Wind
book launch
on January 22, 2009. |
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 Listen
to the Wind was written in collaboration
with Greg Mortenson.
But every published book requires an enormous amount
of “backstage collaboration”, too. Besides the essential
participation of my editor, Alisha Niehaus, and
my designer, Teresa Kietlinski, I was privileged
to have yet another major, albeit unsung, collaborator
on this project. That heroine, or “backstage collaborator”
of Listen to the Wind
is Julia Bergman.
Julia Bergman was the first person to tell me the
story of the building of the Korphe school, and
I was the first person to hear the account of her
first trip to Korphe, Pakistan. Her descriptions
of the twenty-four varieties of apricots (in every
shade of orange in the universe) found in the high
valleys below Korphe, are as vivid for me today
as they were when she told me about them twelve
years ago.
When I expressed my great desire to write and to
illustrate Listen to the
Wind, Julia encouraged me immediately, and
never faltered in her support. She was perpetually
available for discussion, as a source and as a source
of sources of information. She sent me artifacts,
books, and photographs to study.
She never tired, nor did she ever encourage me to
give it all up, not even once, during the twelve
long years of my struggle to get this book published.
“Onward!” is what Julia always said to me at every
turn.
In a way, this long gestation period, often full
of frustrations, helped to make the lovely weeks
of being NUMBER ONE on the New York Times Bestseller
Picture Book List even sweeter. I’m happy to say
that Julia Bergman is continuing her collaboration
by enthusiastically celebrating with me.
Thank you, Julia, for Listen
to the Wind!
Julia Bergman
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 And
then there was Do Re Mi,
written in collaborazione
with Angelo Mafucci. Angelo helped me all along
the way with this book, providing me with invaluable,
scholarly information on my subject, and with introductions
to all the people and places I needed to visit and
to know. He gave me keys to his city. He shared
his cathedral, his school and his choir.
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Angelo Mafucci and I presented Do
Re Mi to Pope Benedict XVI in Rome on
September 5, 2007. Do Re Mi is now officially part
of The Vatican Library. |
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 No
collaboration was ever as difficult - or as rewarding
- as the one that Nancy Patz and I did when we both
wrote and both illustrated together, Babies
Can’t Eat Kimchee! It may not sound so difficult
to integrate two very different styles of art work
into one cohesive whole, but it is. |
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Nancy Patz and I are
celebrating Babies Can't Eat
Kimchee! at the launch party in
The Children's Bookstore, Baltimore Maryland,
January, 2007, with wine and kimCHEESE.
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 Collaborations
are great for ideas, support, courage, encouragement,
and, above all, fun. Made
in Mexico was created in collaboration with
my brother, Peter Laufer. He insisted that we take
a trip to Paracho in order to research the book.
The visit to Paracho inspired every illustration,
and we had a wonderful time besides.
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I began writing and illustrating children's books
in collaboration with Ruth Phang. Patchwork
Tales was first, followed by We
Build A Climber. Even though Ruth went on to become
a children's librarian, she still helps me with
almost every book I do: editing, encouraging, supporting
and sharing her ideas, knowledge and experience.
Ruth and I are now collaborating again on several
books. |
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