Ilana R. Weider Interview
and Book Giveaway
Does your dog sing along with you? Debut author Ilana Wieder created a book about a dog who loves to sing. Shira the Singing Puppy was published last fall by Kar-Ben Publishing, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group. I am thrilled to feature an interview with Ilana who has taken time to answer a few questions about her new book. Not only that, but Kar-Ben is providing a GIVEAWAY.
Enter the Giveaway at the end of the post!
Interview with Ilana
Q. Welcome Ilana, thank you for taking time to answer a few questions about your new book. I think most dog owners have experienced their pets “singing along”. But I always have to ask authors, “What inspired your book?” How did your pet’s antics turn into” Shira the singing Puppy”?
A. Hi Julie, thank you for this opportunity. My dog, Mitzi, was definitely the inspiration for my book. When we take her with us on car rides, she often starts to howl along with the music we play in the car. Sometimes we think it’s cute, other times we tell her to hush and shush so we can listen to our favorite songs. Knowing how much Mitzi loves to sing, I began to wonder what it would be like if there was a puppy who wanted to sing every day but heard grownups tell her to hush and shush. I asked myself other questions too: What would happen every day of the week that would keep Shira from singing her heart out? How can the family show affection while saying “no”? When would she finally be able to sing? This was the beginning for my story.
Q. Please explain to my readers, if the character is modeled after Mitzi, why did you name her Shira?
A. Shira, in Hebrew, means song so I wanted the puppy’s name to reflect her passion for singing. There is a Midrash (A Rabbinical teaching) on Genesis 2:19 that before creating all the creatures on this earth, G-D had brought them before Adam and asked him what would the names of the animals be. Adam was able to tune into the creative spirit of each animal before naming it. The Rabbis teach us that our names are not only a reflection of our spirit but can also have power in shaping our characters. In this manner, Shira seemed like a perfect name for a puppy who loves to sing.
Q. On the surface, this book teaches the skill of learning the days of the week. But your story’s main focus is the theme of patience and knowing that everything has a time and place. I expected this book to end on Shabbat. Why did you choose Havdalah?
A. In my family, we like to teach our kids the difference between prayer and song. When we bless the candles, the kiddush cup or the Challah on Shabbat, we put our attention on what is deep and holy. Prayer is meant to elevate our souls and needs to be treated with respect. We chose for Shira the puppy to wait until after Havdalah to howl in order to teach our children the value of having sacred time, and to distinguish between a time to pray and a time to sing.
Q. Many people don’t realize that the publisher chooses the illustrator and the author and artist work independently. Alexandra Colombo did such a beautiful job. Did you have any art notes for her? When you received some of the artwork, did you have any surprises? Did you have to ask for any changes or adjust the text to fit her work?
A. What a great question. Yes, Alexandra Colombo did an amazing job with her illustrations. I’m so happy Kar-Ben chose her to be the illustrator for this book. I don’t remember having any art notes for her other than emphasizing that the character, Shira, is a puppy. One of the things that surprised me is the choice to illustrate the girl characters wearing kippot (skullcaps traditionally worn by men). This is not something that we practice in my home but I do know many women who find wearing a kippah meaningful to them. I decided to leave it in because there are few picture books out there that have representation of the Reform and Conservative Jewish communities where women enjoy this type of practice. I did ask for a few minor adjustments like putting the Challah on a tray and making sure the kiddush cups have wine (or grape juice) during the blessings. There was one tiny change I made to fit the illustration. Originally, I imagined many doggie day-care helpers but Alexandra illustrated only one so we changed the plural ‘helpers’ to a singular ‘helper’.
Illustration by Alexandra Colombo from Shira the Singing Puppy
published by Kar-Ben Publishing, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group.
Q. What do you hope readers take away from this story?
A. My hope is that readers enjoy howling like a puppy as they learn about the days of the week and about Havdalah, our rich Jewish traditional ritual of separating the holy from the mundane. I’m so happy that Joni Sussman decided to add the Havdalah blessings (in Hebrew and English translation) to the back of the book. It would bring me so much joy knowing that if a family decided to observe this special ritual, the kids would bring their SHIRA THE SINGING PUPPY book as a reference for the prayers and songs.
Q. You have been busy as a playwright and director, why the transition to picture books? Did your theater experience influence your writing?
A. The transition to picture books was a decision I made in 2020 when the pandemic hit and theaters closed. I was always drawn to working on family-friendly plays so transitioning to children’s books seemed natural. If you think about it, picture books are theatrical in nature. There is always someone reading them out loud (the performer) and someone listening to the story (the audience). The three-act story structure is similar to that of a play and the illustrations add to the visual delight that often happens on stage. I do think my theatre experience influenced my writing. It taught me how to think visually, how to analyze characters and plot, and how to tell a compelling story.
Q. This is your debut book, but I understand that there are other books in the pipeline. What can we look forward to reading?
A. Currently, I am working on several picture book projects and an MG novel. I’m eager to share more stories with you soon.
Q. Thank you, Ilana. I can’t wait to read your next work.
A. Thank you so much, Julie.
About ILANA R. WIEDER
Ilana brings her professional experience in film and theatre as an actress, director and playwright to children’s literature. Ilana is the founder of Shalom Writers Group. When she’s not writing or directing, she loves to paint, create jewelry, travel with her family and play with her dog, Mitzi.
Learn More about the Author
Find out more about Author and her books at ilanarwieder.com
Shira the Singing Puppy
Does your dog love to “sing“? Shira the Singing Puppy loves to howl. All week long this adorable dog makes too much noise. Ilana R. Wieder’s cute story takes the reader through the family’s activities each day. Every day, when the put starts to sing, they need to tell the pup “Hush and shush, Shira, not today.” But on Saturday night, when Shabbat is over, and the family sings the Havdalah blessings, Shira joyfully sings along. The story teaches readers about Shabbat and Havdalah. But it also teaches teaches the concept that there is a time and place for everything. Kids learn that they need to be patient, just like Shira. I expected this story to end with Shabbat, but the author ended the story on Havdalah to emphasize the difference between prayer and song. In my blog interview with her, she pointed out that the Sabbath blessings are sacred prayers, and Shira gets to sing out and play when Shabbat is over. Alexandra Colombo’s colorful illustrations are delightful and will enchant the readers young and old alike. Kids will love chanting the refrain on every page, telling Shira to Shush and Hush. Parents will appreciate the afterward which has an explanation of Havdalah and the blessings in English, Hebrew and transliteration.
About The Book
Shira the puppy loves to sing. At doggie daycare, she sings for her doggie friends, but the people say, “Hush and shush, Shira. Not today.” She sings when Aryeh and Arielle watch TV, but the kids say, “Not today, Shira.” On Friday, while Aryeh and Arielle are setting the table for Shabbat, Shira starts to sing. Aryeh says, “Shush. Not today.” Shira wants to sing along as Aryeh and Arielle bless the candles, wine, and challah on Shabbat, but still she is shushed. But on Saturday night, the sky turns dark and it’s time for Havdalah. Is it finally time for Shira to sing?
Picture Book
Publisher : Kar-Ben Publishing, an imprint of Lerner Books
Publication date : September 9, 2025
Print length: 24 pages
GIVEAWAY!
Hard Cover edition of SHIRA THE SINGING PUPPY.
The giveaway ends
Saturday evening January 24th.
Enter Now.
HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:
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What a great interview! I know Ilana, but I learned things here that were new to me. It’s lovely to see the book get the attention it deserves! Thanks!
This book is so cute and shares a lot of information.
What a great interview! This book looks adorable and my 5 year old would be excited to read it!
Thanks. I really enjoyed Ilana’s responses to my interview questions.