Don’t you find authors of kids books fascinating? Don’t you wish you knew how they found their calling, what inspires them, how “the sausage is made”?
Well, you’re in luck! I’m thrilled to share what I learned in conversation with STEM-for-kids superstar writer Vicky Fang.
Your children know Vicky Fang from classroom favorites Layla and the Bots and Friendbots. Vicky’s books (11 so far with as many out soon!) introduce STEM concepts to 0- to 8-year-old readers through entertaining stories and lovable characters.
To write, Vicky draws on her background as a product designer, at Google and elsewhere, and her expertise as a mom of two.
Vicky, what brought you to and keeps you in the KidLit world?
I started writing books on the side while I was still a full-time designer. I was working on kids' products at Google and had just started having kids of my own, so I guess I had kids on my mind all the time! Once I started digging into the book world, I discovered SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), 12×12, and the Writing with the Stars mentorship (which is sadly no longer active), and that's how my journey began! After that, I fell in love with the community and with developing a new craft, and that’s what’s kept me here.
Your books are a great balance of educational, accessible and entertaining, with great illustrations to boot! What inspires you to focus on this (not very easy) age group?
Thank you for the kind words! Honestly, I focus on that age group because it’s the style of writing that works best for me! I love getting kids excited about ideas and their own agency and their ability to solve problems creatively. I think that younger elementary kids are so receptive to new ideas and can really grab onto them and do wonderful things that surprise and impress me.
How can fellow parents help make the most out of your books when reading them to their children? What have been some fun interactions you’ve had with your young readers?
One of the reasons I started writing books is because I loved reading with my kids. Several of my books have interactive elements, but just sitting with your kid and reading is already interactive! Together, you get to choose what to stop and point out, or laugh about, or discuss. You get to go as fast or slow as you want. You get to decide when to turn the page.
As kids start reading early chapter books themselves, they’ll still want to sometimes sit and read with you, which makes the book a whole different experience.
I also have a lot of activities on my website to accompany my books! From activity sheets to STEM projects, there are a lot to choose from. Since I worked as a kids’ product designer, I am constantly coming up with activity ideas, so I try to add a couple with every new book. Seeing what kids create after reading my books has been one of the most fun parts of the job. I’ve had kids send me photos of their creations or visit me at events with drawings. Kids are so creative, and I’m so impressed by what they make. I even have a creation gallery on my website, though I haven’t updated it in a while as I’ve been so busy writing and illustrating!
Tell us about your writing process. How do you come up with your topics? How long does it take to write a book, from idea to editor submission? What is your least favorite part of the writing process?
I love coming up with new book ideas! That’s the most exciting part for me, because of all the potential. I have a running list of ideas, and usually something will spark on one of them and I’ll percolate it in my head for a bit.
Once I start writing something, I can’t stop, I just get it out and obsess over the shape and details of it until I have something I am happy with.
That first draft usually happens pretty quickly for me, maybe a week, because it’s already been bouncing around in my head. Then it’s the frustrating part of having to wait to see if it’s actually as good as I thought it was, which needs some time and distance. After that, revisions can take anywhere from a month to years. And that’s all before an editor might decide to take it on and request their own revisions, which takes months as well! That’s probably my least favorite part of the writing process… all the waiting!
Two of your books just came out – the interactive The Boo Crew Needs You! and my favorite, Alphabot. What inspired them?
All of my books sort of have themes of creativity and problem solving. The Boo Crew Needs You! started off because I wanted to show a team working together to save Halloween – and then the interactive spark came in when I decided that the team should include the reader! It was tricky to get it all to work in rhyme, but I’m so happy with the end result and Saoirse Lou’s illustrations are gorgeous!
I’m so glad you like AlphaBot! That one really started with the title. Once the title, AlphaBot, popped into my head, I knew I wanted to make a novelty alphabet book, but I wasn’t sure what that might be. When I finally had the idea for mix-and-match flaps, I was so excited because it meant kids would be able to create their own robots as they explored the A-Z of robot terms!
You also have two new series coming out soon: Best Buddies (out this month); and Ava Lin (out in June). Tell us what to expect and get excited about!
I’m so proud of both of these because they are full of heart and humor. The early seed for Best Buddies was the idea that there are different ways of solving problems – from planning to improvising, from plotting to “pants”-ing (writing terms), from “sniffing” to “scratching”! That seed sat around for a long time until the pandemic, when my kids and I watched tons of cute pet videos because I wouldn’t let them get a pet (I’m allergic) – and that’s when Sniff and Scratch, a dog and cat best friend duo, came to life.
Ava Lin is my first self-illustrated chapter book series and I’m thrilled with how it’s turned out. It’s a funny and super relatable series about a six-and-a-half-year-old girl who gets herself into – and out of – some sticky situations. The first book is about her wanting to find a best friend in first grade, but not knowing exactly how to go about it. It’s inspired by the shenanigans of my kids and my childhood, and I hope readers will have a good laugh and relate to Ava’s experiences!
To see when Vicky is presenting her new books in your area, check out her News & Events page or sign up for her newsletter (comes with giveaways every month!).
Vicky loves meeting people at book events – if you go, tell her you’re a My Kid Reader subscriber and send me a picture!