Arts & Entertainment

Waxing Poetic

Pho to by Jon Ho lde re r

The JN catches up with prolific children's author
and former Metro Detroiter Wendy Wax.

French film director.
the Armadillo, Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah!
"I also like the father-and-son story:'
and The Big Book of Clues.
says Wax, married to photographer Jon
Wax's success probably is not a surprise
Holderer and the mother of Jonah, 7."I
to her family, which is filled with pub-
would think that kids would be able to
lished writers.
identify with Jean because the son cares
Sister Naomi Wax, a co-author on the
about what the other kids think and
not-yet-released Even Firefighters Go to
doesn't want to be teased about looking
the Potty, has established a varied writing
like a girl."
career on her own and has worked on Cool
When Wax moved to New York City,
Women, a book for teens.
with a BFA in graphic design from the
Aunt Judy Wax Goldwasser of West
University of Michigan, she did not antici-
Bloomfield is a former reporter doing
pate a book-writing career. She started
freelance business writing. Cousin Amy
out in advertising, holding positions that
Goldwasser has edited Red the Book, a col-
involved editing and illustrating, with a
lection of teen essays.
specialty in photo col-
"My mom, Laney Wax,
lages.
is an artist who likes to
"I was looking for a
says Wax, who
C el t write
job, and there was an
still creates collages that
At vr e,*
ad for the managing
she sells at art fairs. "She
tt%
editor of a children's
hasn't had any books
book publishing corn-
published, but she's very
pany:' she recalls about
creative and always took
her career change. "I
us to the library. She lives
applied with no experi-
in Maine now:'
ence and got the job.
Wax, also the daughter
"As managing editor,
of Ann Arbor attorney
I had to come up with
Harvey Wax, is working on
ideas for books and
a book about Hebrew let-
hire the writers and
tering and doing the art as
illustrators. I thought
well as the text.
Wax's book on painter Auguste
that Hiked to do all
"My son just started
Renoir and his son, film-
this and could hire
Hebrew
school so I'm
maker Jean Renoir, is a good
myself. I wrote my first
making
it
for him:'
introduction for children to
six books when I was
says
Wax,
whose reli-
Impressionism.
there. One was called
gious training was at
Inside the Aquarium and was part of a
Congregation Shaarey Zedek. "It's bringing
series."
back my own Hebrew school experience."
Wax moved on to become senior editor
With lots of ideas for more and more
at another publishing company and sold
books, Wax is looking for an agent to deal
more of her own books.
with sending out manuscripts and negoti-
"By working in publishing, I got to
ating contracts. She and her husband work
know people at all the different houses
out of home office space in the Hamptons.
and could send manuscripts to them:' she
"I want to free up some of my time
explains. "Knowing these people didn't
[from commuting];' she says. "I'd rather
mean my manuscripts would get pub-
write. I love to work. I keep journals and
lished, but it probably meant that they
I'm always taking notes."
weren't put at the bottom of some pile."
When Wax wants to relax away from
Wax, who decided to go freelance after
work projects, she swims, practices yoga
her books started selling to different pub-
and sings with a gospel choir.
lishers, has worked on series to supple-
"I really love what I do;' she says. "I
ment programs on the Nickelodeon chan-
think it's important for everybody to do
nel. She creates stories using established
what they love." ❑
TV characters, such as Sponge Bob.
For more about Wendy Wax's current
Among her independent titles, which
and
upcoming children's books, go to
comprise more than half of her projects,
www.wendywax.com
.
are Bus to Booville, Clara the Klutz, Arlo

eNet.

Wendy Wax: Doing what she loves.

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

W

endy Wax has lots to say to
children — 90 books full of
things to say — and she's
upping the number quickly.
The author, who grew up in Southfield,
found favorite young people's books at
the Southfield Public Library (her favor-
ite children's authors included Astrid
Lindgren, Beverly Cleary, Roald Dahl, Jean
Little and E. B. White). Now, she is on her
way to filling up library shelves with her
own projects.
Wax's latest release, Renoir and the Boy
with the Long Hair (Barron's; $14.99),
combines her interest in writing with her
interest in art. The picture book, which

describes the conflict between a father
who wants his son's hair to stay long and
a son who wants a haircut, precedes four
books coming out in the fall and manu-
scripts being submitted to publishers.
"I like that the Renoir book is a true
story that also introduces kids to a
famous painter and a style of painting,
Impressionism," says Wax, 44, whose other
subjects range from fantasy fiction to reli-
gious observance.
"Hopefully, kids will have more fun at
museums than they've been having just
because the artist has become a real per-
son. The pages include reproductions of
Renoir's works."
Wax got the idea for her book after
reading Renoir, My Father by Jean Renoir,
the painter's son who became a famous

January 24 • 2008

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