Welcome back, Heidi! Heidi’s podcast, the Book of Life, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Over the years, Heidi has interviewed authors, illustrators, and more. The Book of Life has provided listeners with a window into the creation of Jewish children’s books and the publishing industry. Heidi and I have been friends for many years, serving together on the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, attending Association of Jewish Libraries conferences, and connecting with the children’s book community along the way! It is an honor to interview Heidi and celebrate all her contributions.
Mazel Tov to Heidi and The Book of Life!
How did the Book of Life begin? What made you choose the podcast format?
When I started the show in 2005, podcasting was brand new (the term was coined in 2004). I had just graduated from the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee and was looking for another way to stay immersed in the world of Jewish children’s books, and podcasting was the perfect solution. Also, back in the day I’d wanted to get involved with my college radio station and never did, so podcasting scratched that itch.
How did Jewish books for children become your passion?
I’ve been an avid reader my whole life, and I was a preternaturally nostalgic kid, so I never outgrew children’s books. I just started reading them in a deeper way as I grew older. It was my love of children’s literature that led me to become a librarian. When I lucked into my job as the school librarian for Congregation B’nai Israel, I became enamored of Jewish children’s books, and excited about their power to build Jewish pride and build bridges with readers of other backgrounds.
Have you noticed any significant changes to the landscape of children’s books over the last 20 years?
Oh yes! I feel like kidlit has become boldly and joyfully diverse, with representation of every kind of identity imaginable, and all sorts of topics fair game. For Jewish books, that means we’ve got books about Sephardim, Mizrahim, Jews of Color, interfaith families, queer Jews, neurodiverse Jews, and more. We now have Jewish fantasy, graphic novels, biographies of lesser-known people, and stories that explore Jewish identity itself and that acknowledge that Judaism is not one size fits all.
Have you had any unexpected or surprising experiences throughout your years hosting the podcast?
One surprising thing is how often authors share music that inspired their work, or actually burst into song! Maybe it’s because music is another form of storytelling.
A few examples are:
2007 dave horowitz (he spells it lowercase) talks about his picture book Five Little Gefiltes, inspired by the nursery song Five Little Ducks
2009 Judy Blundell tells how the Jo Stafford song Long Ago and Far Away set the tone for her YA novel What I Saw and How I Lied
2016 April Halprin Wayland plays the fiddle and I sing Dayenu, as we discuss her picture book More Than Enough: A Passover Story
2022 Co-authors Pamela Ehrenberg and Tracy Lopez share the playlist they created to go with their middle grade novel Detour Ahead
2024 Ruth Behar hums a few bars of the Sephardic song that is woven into the narrative of her middle grade novel Across So Many Seas
What are you most proud of in your career?
I’m proud that this project I started 20 years ago is still going, and that it’s become a force for good in promoting Jewish kidlit.
What’s next for you and for the Book of Life podcast?
The newest way I share the podcast is through my Substack newsletter, where I include bonus content you won’t find on the website: Jewish kidlit news and calls to action!
This year I’ve been posting archival episodes in between my regular episodes. This will culminate with my anniversary special, a retrospective episode featuring guests from 2005 through the present! It will post in December 2025.
Thank you, Heidi!
Heidi Rabinowitz is the Library Director at Feldman Children’s Library of Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton, FL, and the Host of The Book of Life: A Podcast About Jewish Kidlit (Mostly). She is a Co-Admin of the popular Jewish Kidlit Mavens group on Facebook, and The Sydney Taylor Shmooze review blog. Heidi is a past chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee and has served on the book selection committee for PJ Library.
Barbara, here is a list of some of the times I interviewed YOU on The Book of Life Podcast!
– December 2007 to talk about your chapter book Like a Maccabee
https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2007/12/hooray-for-hanukkah.html
– January 2012 when you chaired the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-sydney-taylor-book-awards-revealed_17.html
– October 2018 when you told me about your picture book The Sundown Kid
https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-sundown-kid.html
Thanks so much, Heidi! Great to revisit our conversations!
I had the pleasure of meeting Heidi in person last year! I really commend her for the work that she does and the many hats she wears. Mazal Tov on 20 years and thank you for helping spread Jewish book joy!
Thanks so much, Doreen!