in conversation with kathy izard
all about the making of my first illustrated book!
Today, I'm thrilled to bring you a delightful conversation with Kathy Izard, an acclaimed author known for her inspirational narratives and her impactful work in Charlotte's homelessness, housing, and mental health sectors. Together, Kathy and I collaborated to bring to life "Grace Heard a Whisper," a charming little story of a girl who hears a whisper and begins a journey into learning what it means to listen, live, and love well.
When Kathy initially approached me with the idea for this project, I immediately knew that I wanted to be a part of it. The theme of listening to your own whispers resonates deeply with me, as I've previously explored it in this very substack, and I believe it's a vital message to convey to children. Furthermore, the serendipitous connection of "Grace" being the name of my childhood best friend added an extra layer of meaning to our collaboration. Kathy's journey is truly inspiring, and her kindness and giving spirit are qualities I aspire to embody. In the following conversation, Kathy graciously shares insights into our collaborative efforts and the art of crafting compelling stories for young readers, while I'll share a couple of behind-the-scenes images of the illustration process in the creation of this sweet little book.
Kathy, thank you for joining me today! Can you share a bit more about your journey to becoming an award-winning author and speaker?
Hey Aniella! Great to join you, and it was such a wonderful experience working with you on this new children’s book! My writing journey began in 2010 on New Year’s Eve when I made a resolution to write something longer than an email! From 2007-2010, I had been part of an incredible project called Moore Place to build housing for those experiencing homelessness in Charlotte, North Carolina. To build those homes for over 120 men and women, we raised $10 million—in the height of the recession. The whole journey felt like such a miracle that I didn’t want those stories to be lost, so I wanted to write them down if only to preserve the memory. My first draft was pretty terrible, so I began taking writing classes and studying how to write a nonfiction book. Over six years, I learned how to write, publish, and market a book so it finally came out in 2016. As people read it, I was asked to come to book clubs, church groups, and women’s groups, but speaking was never something I had intended. In fact, I still get incredibly nervous speaking even though I have spoken a lot now. But I have learned the best way to meet readers is speaking, so now I always try to travel to spread the word about a new book.
Your first two books, 'The Hundred Story Home' and 'The Last Ordinary Hour,' are celebrated for their inspirational messages. What drives you to craft stories that encourage belief in oneself and something greater?
I don’t think I started out trying to write inspirational nonfiction, but 'The Hundred Story Home' was naturally a feel-good story about a community coming together to do good. In writing that, I ended up writing about how in building homes for people experiencing homelessness, I found my own way home. It came at a time in my life when I was looking for more purpose and meaning. I had always had big dreams for my four daughters, but as they grew older, I realized I had forgotten what my own were. Over the years, I have met so many other women who hit a similar point in their lives either approaching empty nests or burning out on their career (or both!) so they are looking for their next chapter. I love writing and coaching women to find faith in their own story as well as re-examine their spirituality. Often we grow up with the faith of our families and for some reason or another, turn away from it all together. As we approach midlife and older, I think it is important to really understand what we believe and why. Many times, we have old narratives that aren’t serving us any more so those next chapters are all about writing new stories for ourselves.
You've ventured into children's literature with 'A Good Night for Mr. Coleman' and now 'Grace Heard a Whisper.' What prompted this shift, and what do you hope young readers gather from your stories?
My first children’s book was 'A Good Night for Mr. Coleman,' and it really wasn’t my idea! At a book event in Austin, a reader asked me if I had ever considered making 'The Hundred Story Home' a children’s book because she was a church librarian always looking for books to explain ideas like homelessness to children. At the time, I didn’t think I could do it because it had taken 300 pages and six years to write 'The Hundred Story Home'! So how in the world would I make that a children’s book? But the idea kept following me, and one morning I woke up with the story in my head. Over the past few years, schools and churches have paired the books and created parent-child reads. I loved this idea because kids often have so many questions about complex topics, so having a book discussion is a great way to explore ideas together. When I started writing my next adult book 'Trust the Whisper,' I wanted there to be another parent-child read, so that is how 'Grace Heard a Whisper' came to be. By reading books on similar themes, I hope kids and parents can explore challenging topics together and learn from each other’s questions.
'Trusting the Whisper' is a central theme in your work, especially in 'Grace Heard a Whisper.' Can you recount a specific moment where you had to trust the whisper personally, and how did it shape your life's trajectory?
The idea of “Trust the Whisper” came from writing my first book. Professionally, I was a graphic designer and personally I had been a volunteer in a soup kitchen as well as a mom so there was no reason to think I could do anything about our city’s vast housing and homelessness problem. But there was a moment when a man named Denver Moore who had once been homeless for over thirty years challenged what I thought I knew about homelessness. I write all about it in 'The Hundred Story Home,' but the short version is he helped me see the problem in a whole new way and after that, I could never “unsee” it. I began hearing this whisper to do something about it. For a couple of months, I tried to forget it and go back to my old life but I couldn’t—that whisper was just too insistent. So eventually, I quit my job and went to work for the soup kitchen to figure out how we might build housing. My life has never been the same since that moment and I am grateful every day. That was the first whisper, and there have been many more since—including the whisper to write it down, which has become five books! I believe there is something whispering to each of us; we just need to find the courage to listen.
The book emphasizes the act of listening to whispers. How do you define these whispers, and what advice do you have, particularly for young readers, on tuning into their inner voice or intuition?
I actually think kids are way more tuned in than adults, but as we grow up, we stop trusting that instinct. That is why in the book 'Grace Heard a Whisper,' she is the one hearing it and reminding the adults in the book to listen! I define a whisper as that little voice inside you that is telling you to do something that feels uncomfortable, inconvenient, or unexpected. It probably is whispering to try something for which you feel unqualified, yet at the same time, you can’t ignore it because it is incredibly insistent. You ask yourself, “Who am I to think I could do that?” But at the same time, you can’t stop thinking about it. A whisper is always nudging you towards doing good for others and your community. At some point, it feels crazier not to at least try it than to keep pretending you don’t hear it. I have learned, however, it is the small stirrings from our soul that connect us to our purpose, to each other, to God, and to our own truest story. Often the best way to begin listening is to be still—get away from the loud, busy, tiny world—meditate or walk in nature. For kids, it might begin with something like a gentle nudge to be kind to someone in their school or help with a service project. The more we exercise our “listening” muscle, the easier it becomes to recognize and follow.
Bringing your words to life through illustrations was a pleasure. How did you envision the collaborative process, and in what ways do you feel the illustrations enhance the overall storytelling experience for readers?
As a former graphic designer, I had an idea of how to storyboard my words. But you took it to a whole new level! You suggested we begin with a character sketch, which was so fun to really give Grace a personality—I never would have thought of that! Then, you created the mood boards so we could agree on the color palette and style of illustration. From there, I loved how you took each scene and gave it so much more life. For example, my manuscript might have said “A dragonfly lands on Grace’s shoulder.” But you created the beautiful art nouveau inspired gardens that filled the page. And Mrs. Cook became an interpretation of your Venezuelan grandmother! The illustrations allow a child of any age to enjoy the book even before they are ready to understand the concepts. My two-year-old grandson likes to point out the dragonflies on each page!
As a parent yourself, could you provide insights into the role of parents in nurturing their children's curiosity and recognizing the importance of their inner voices?
As the mom of four daughters, including a set of twins, I learned how each child was born with completely different gifts. It was especially evident in the twins—one was right-handed, one left; one an introvert, one an extrovert; one math-oriented, one language arts. Truly, children come very hard-wired! Our job as parents is to help identify their innate talents and encourage their curiosity. One of my daughters loves to cook, another paints, one is a film producer, and one is in finance. As they grew up, I grew wiser about listening to their interests, especially when they were pulled towards an interest I couldn’t really understand. That was all part of them following their own life path and inner whispers.
Stories have a unique way of fostering human connection. How do you believe 'Grace Heard a Whisper' contributes to building connections between parents and children, and how can families utilize the book to strengthen their bonds?
That is so true—stories have been the way we as humans have connected for generations, both in the written word and in oral storytelling. I would love to imagine three generations (child, parent, and grandparent) all reading this book together. I hope the scenes about “busy, busy, loud, loud, and tiny, tiny world” can open conversations about how we spend so much time with our digital devices. Maybe this book can help different generations see their computers, phones, and social media a bit differently and encourage them to connect in the real world in deep conversation.
The book touches on faith and purpose. How do you see these themes positively impacting readers of all ages, and what do you hope they take away from this particular story?
My personal belief is that we are all born with a purpose and our lives are about fulfilling that purpose. So my hope is that this book helps readers of all ages to be curious about what that might mean for them and wonder how they might fulfill their purpose. You are never too young (or too old) to begin that work!
Our collaboration has been wonderful. I’m so grateful for your guidance! Reading the book for the first time with my girls was a surreal experience. So, I’d love to hear from you: What is the best parenting advice you’ve ever received, if any?
It has been such a great experience working with you and who knows maybe there will be a whole Grace series to follow! I am not sure it qualifies as “parenting advice” but I know my grandmother was extremely important in my life. Most Sundays, we would have lunch at her house after church and I remember how she would pull me close to her on the sofa to ask all about my week. She listened as if I was the most important person in the world. She made me feel seen and heard in a way that made me understand unconditional love. I think it is really important to have adults in our kids’ lives who aren’t their parents to provide that multi-generational lens and love. If you are truly lucky, that will be your children’s grandparents but if not, look for neighbors, members of your house of faith, or school to be a part of your children’s lives. “Grandfriends” can make all the difference in helping a child feel accepted in this world and that perspective is priceless.
I love that. Thank you Kathy for all you do, and for entrusting me with this beautiful project. “Grace Heard a Whisper” is out now.
