Rebecca E. Hirsch
Rebecca E. Hirsch is an award- winning children’s author with a PhD in plant biology. Her picture books include Plants Can’t Sit Still and Night Creatures: Animals That Swoop, Crawl, and Creep while You Sleep. She lives with her husband and three children in State College, Pennsylvania. You can visit her online at rebeccahirsch.com.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
I loved Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by E. L. Konigsburg. I also read every Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume book I could get my hands on.
What’s your favorite line from a book?
I love this opening line from Night in the Country by Cynthia Rylant: “There is no night so dark, so black as night in the country.”
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
There are too many to name them all. Cynthia Rylant, April Pulley Sayre, and Helen Frost are a few favorites.
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I grew up climbing trees and wading barefoot in cold streams. Nature has always been a big part of my life. Writing gives me a way to share my love of science and nature with children.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Read a lot. Write a lot. Every so often, take a break from all that reading and writing and go have an adventure. Visit your grandmother. Go exploring with a friend. Then come back and read and write some more.
