Bringing Hope and Belonging to Children Near and Far
An interview with children's book author, Candice Klopfenstein!
Welcome to another edition of The Confidence Loop's author interview series! The Place Where I Belong is a heartwarming picture book that lovingly affirms a child’s identity and honors the reality of their feelings when places of safety and comfort are shaken.
The story beautifully captures the essence of resilience in children who have experienced the upheaval of losing their home, a family member, or a place where they once felt a strong sense of belonging. It delicately navigates the emotions that arise from such losses, offering a message of hope and reassurance to young readers. The meaningful text, coupled with enchanting illustrations, creates a safe space for children to explore their emotions and find solace in the idea that their true essence remains intact despite external changes.
This book serves as a gentle reminder that one's sense of belonging is not tied to a physical location, but rather to the unwavering core of who they are. Through the whimsical pages, children are encouraged to embrace their inner strength and resilience as they navigate life's challenges. Let's now dive deeper into the creative process and inspiration behind this beautiful book by meeting its author, Candice Klopfenstein.
Written by Candice Klopfenstein
Illustrated by Antonia Ruppert
Interview with Candice Klopfenstein
Q - What is the main take-away you hope people get from your book?
A - As children and families read The Place Where I Belong, my hope is they feel seen and valued. The book explores the idea of belonging, and how ideally children experience this in a safe home environment. If this place of stability is shaken through displacement or other kinds of loss, children need to be reminded that these experiences don’t erode their value. They can still find the keys to belonging, such as knowing they are loved, that they are treasured and that they can experience joy, while they journey towards a new place to call home. While this book is written with displaced children and families in mind, my hope is that every reader, no matter what their circumstances or age may be, will be reminded they have significant value.
Q - Are there any additional resources or initiatives on this topic that you want readers to know about?
A - After the story, in the back of the book, there is further information about the current refugee crisis. Readers who want to learn more can visit https://www.unhcr.org/us/. Given the magnitude of the global crisis of displacement, and especially how it impacts children, I encourage readers to learn about what is currently happening in their communities and worldwide, and to consider ways they might help. I believe that sometimes, because the need is so great and it isn’t always clear how best to make a difference, people may tend to look away from the issue. But there are simple and powerful ways we each can find to help a person or family in need.
Q - Can you tell us about your experience working with your illustrator?
A - Antonia Ruppert and I met a few years ago and connected as fellow artists in the Chicago area – she is a painter, and I am a mosaic artist. As I learned more about her, I was really drawn to her artwork – the way she uses color and the expressiveness of her work. When I shared with her about my book idea, she loved the premise and had always wanted to illustrate a children’s book. Since this book was a first for both of us, we each had our own steep learning curve. But we completed the book and learned so much in the process. In the end, her colorful and warm style beautifully accented the message of hope I wanted to convey.
I’d like to share a heartwarming story from the illustration process. Even from the beginning vision for the book, it was important to me to represent children from different cultures within the story. When Antonia paints people, she works from photographs she has taken. As she was preparing to paint the five children from the different countries that I had chosen, she initially only was able to connect with one of the ethnicities. But through a serendipitous meeting, we were able to connect with a local refugee organization who made arrangements for Antonia to meet with the other four families needed to create the illustrations. These connections were priceless and provided her with the needed families to photograph for her work.
Q - How do you prioritize/make time for writing in your life?
A - Finding and making time to write has been an ongoing challenge. With other creative interests and day-to-day responsibilities, I’ve had to work to carve out specific times during the week – such as mid-mornings before I leave for my art studio, in order to give priority to writing. At one point with this book, I was having trouble staying focused and making progress, and I realized I needed to change the location where I write so I could move forward. For me, that meant taking my writing notebook to my studio for a couple weeks and working from there. At times I’ve also moved away from my designated computer desk to another room in our home in order to have a different environment for writing.
As I think about my next idea for a children’s book, I find I am facing new challenges. I have found that with self-publishing there are so many choices that could take up my time, such as, should I start working with someone on the next translation of this first book, should I apply for various awards, should I sign up for another book writing or self-publishing webinar? I am beginning to learn to choose carefully what I focus on for the success of my personal book writing journey
Q - What inspired you to write for children?
A - My inspiration to write for children has two parts – One has come from connecting with refugee families over the years, who have faced enormous loss and challenges, but have shown tremendous courage and resilience. Years ago, when I first met two refugee women who had recently arrived in the US, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to leave everything behind from their home country, including close family, living for years in a refugee camp and eventually starting over in a foreign country, with an unfamiliar culture. Learning about their experiences and the experience of others who I have met since then sparked a desire in me to be a source of hope and to speak identity into those children and families who have faced these challenges. Writing a children’s book with them in mind became a way for me to do this.
The second inspiration should have been obvious to me from the beginning of writing The Place Where I Belong, but I didn’t make the connection to my own childhood until well into the writing process. A friend helped me see as I reflected on my childhood that even within a stable physical home, emotionally I often felt lost, vulnerable and on the outside of my family. This created a foundation where I longed to feel safe and to know deep inside that I belonged, which led to me wanting others, especially children, to find this as well.
Q - What are some of your favorite children's books?
A - That’s a great question! Growing up, I loved Little Bear, by Elsa Holmelund Minarik. I was drawn to the heartwarming illustrations by Maurice Sendak, and as a child, I was taken in by the amazing imaginative adventures of Little Bear. My children loved Good Night Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, and it became a favorite of mine, too. Jane Yolen’s book, Owl Moon, also stands out.
I have purchased a lot of children’s books while writing my own, and one that has become a favorite is How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz. He is an amazing author and illustrator of many children’s books, and this one is a poignant story of his own life as a refugee child. There are so many others that come to mind, but I do want to mention You are Special by Max Lucado. It is a favorite book that I love to give to new parents, because of its timeless message about discovering our true value, deep within each of us.
Thank you to Candice Klopfenstein for sharing her journey and insights with The Confidence Loop! To learn more about this author, you can follow her on social media @cjklopfenstein, and her book, "The Place Where I Belong" can be purchased here!
Are you a children's book author with a story to share? The Confidence Loop is always looking for new and exciting ways to promote confidence, acceptance, and overall kindness through children's books. So, please get in touch via the Contact Us page, Instagram, or Facebook!
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