1. WHEN DID YOU WRITE YOUR FIST BOOK? I wrote my first book for kids in 1991, and it was first published in 1995, by Philomel. One Night – a story from the desert is set in Niger and is about how a Tuareg boy earns his turban. It’s my favorite book of the 8 I have written, and now is only available in the UK, published by Puffin UK under the title of Muhamad’s Desert Night.  I love the voice, the gentleness of the text, the gorgeous illustrations by Ian Schoenherr, and the connection I developed with Muhamad, a real Tuareg boy that I based the story on.

2. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR? My favorite author, and book, as a kid was Anne of Green Gables by L.H. Montgomery.  My favorite authors now are Andre Brink, Barbara Kingsolver and Judy Blume.

3. WHY DO YOU WRITE BOOKS? I write books for kids because I don’t think they read enough. People always ask me why I don’t do video of the exotic places and stories, and I always say kids need to read more. Also, as a kid I didn’t find enough books set in foreign cultures, and I always swore one day I would write them! I hope to create a curiosity about the world with my books. In today’s world, connecting kids across continents and oceans seems more important than ever before. By introducing kids from other cultures through my books and slide shows I hope to promote tolerance and acceptance of different lifestyles, religions, or ways of life, at an early age, and plant the seed of curiosity about the world around us. My books take kids to foreign lands long before they have passports.

4. WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE? All my book ideas come from real experiences I have seen first hand. When I live someplace I like to observe for at least a year to see what appeals to me, what I am most interested in. Three of the books are based on real events, but fictionalized – except for All the King’s Animals which is nonfiction. All my books contain details provided by specific entries from my journals to bring the story alive.

5. TELL US ABOUT YOUR MOST RECENT BOOK? Right now I have just completed my newest YA novel, called Trouble in Timbuktu.  This was an interesting challenge because I find my setting of Timbuktu is as a much a character as the main characters Ahmed and Ayisha. It’s definitely a challenge writing about the Sahara while living in the Caribbean, but fortunately I have detailed journals about my 3 trips to Timbuktu to bring the place alive on the page. My next book will be Animal Party, a book about group names for different animals.

6. ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? Tips I always give future writers during our special lunch sessions are simple – READ, READ, READ; be a sponge; and keep a journal. I encourage them to soak in all the five senses of wherever they are, then write it down in a journal. You never know when you’ll use it again, if ever, and by keeping a journal you get used to writing regularly. And most importantly, to have fun, while you research, write and re-write.

7.  WHY DO YOU WRITE ABOUT AFRICA?  I love Africa, and I write to celebrate Africa in general, and the various cultures that are facing the challenge of change today, and to record them permanently. For example, my first book, called One Night – a story from the desert is about how a young Tuareg boy earns his turban, in Niger. It’s also about the gentle side of Islam, rarely recognized by the American press. It’s about respect for nature and feeling wealthy when you own nothing. In these days it’s important for kids to know that not every Muslim is a terrorist. That Muhamad is scared to spend a night alone in the desert, just like they would be, but he does. The realization of shared values, fears and fun at a young age creates a bond that will serve well in later life. It never ceases to amaze me to see the cultural diversity in American classrooms, and often my books provide the opportunity for kids of different cultures to share their background with their fellow students for the first time.