Old Blue Is My Home: An Interview With Lita Judge

This spring, celebrated children’s author Lita Judge released a beautiful new picture book: Old Blue Is My Home. The topic of the book, housing insecurity, is unusual for a picture book. Learn the very personal reason why she chose to tackle this topic and how she approached writing about it for children in this author interview.

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An Interview with Lita Judge

On Writing About a Difficult Topic in A Child Appropriate Way

Housing insecurity isn’t frequently covered in picture books. What considerations guided your approach to ensure the story would be both honest and appropriate for young readers?

 Whenever I write a story for young readers, I want to get to the emotional heart of the story but tell it in a way that won’t overburden them.

I chose to tell this story through the eyes of one little girl because she can give an honest rendition of what she faces: her fears, her feelings of isolation, her hopes, and also her joys.

I didn’t need to dive into every detail of housing insecurity in all of its many forms, or describe why this family is facing their current troubles. I focused on telling the emotional reality of this little girl in a way that would resonate with young readers. 

Selecting the Best Details to Share

How did you decide which aspects of living in a vehicle to include when creating this story for children?

First of all, I wanted to give children a sense of what it feels like to be a kid just trying to have a normal life despite living in a car. How it can be very hard to go to school and make friends when everyone sees you as different. How it can feel very sad at times, and then surprisingly normal at other moments, because that is your reality.

Secondly, I wanted to give readers a sense of the reality of a car as a home: where do you store your belongings, how you have to cook your food outside, where do you shower, etc. I knew young readers would be very curious about this as those are questions I’m always asked. 

An Author-Illustrator Approach to Storytelling

The artwork in “Old Blue Is My Home” captures both family love and your deep appreciation of nature. Could you share how you approached the visual storytelling for this particular book?

I approached it the same way I approached all of my books, namely, to start with images and drawings first and then the words and writing.

I always see a story before I hear it. In this case it was particularly true as I was drawing from my own experiences. Though it depicts a time in my early childhood, the details of that van, our belongings, our dog and cat, all remain very clear in my memory so it was quite easy to construct the illustrations. Even the sweater the little girl wears is my sweater, knitted by my grandmother.

In some ways it was the hardest book I’ve ever done because of all the memories it holds. But in a practical way the illustrations were the easiest to create because they were all there in my memory. 

On Writing Fantastical vs Autobiographical Stories

Many of your previous works are highly imaginative and feature whimsical animals. What was different about your creative process when working on this autobiographical story?

Well, it is very strange to have to draw yourself for a book. I never imagined I’d be depicting myself in my underwear for all the world to see.

But ultimately I just kept reminding myself that I’m telling a story for young readers, so I kept thinking about all the details that they would need in order to understand the story.

For that reason I really focused on showing the emotions the little girl in this story is feeling. When is she sad, scared, happy? When does she feel very alone and separate from other kids? What makes her feel safe? And how can I show that she has the same hopes and desires as any other kid? I chose some normal moments, like playing with her cat, or pretending she could fly to emphasize that. 

Takeaways From the Book

What do you hope children who are experiencing housing insecurity might take away from reading your book?

I really hope that they can see that they are not defined by the circumstances in which they find themselves. I want them to see how brave and strong they are.

I particularly wrote the author’s note for them. I wanted them to understand that though I lived through these experiences I’m now living a life I could only have dreamed of then.

I wanted them to be able to see all the potential they hold within themselves. And that they deserve love, kindness, and a feeling of belonging as much as anyone else does. 

For children with stable housing, what understanding do you hope this book might foster?

I really held those children close to my heart while writing this book as well. My hope is that they will have much more empathy for a child facing home insecurity. That instead of seeing them as different, or making fun of the fact that they might wear the same clothes every day, or live in a car, or hotel or any other situation, they will instead see how incredibly strong children who face these circumstances are. I hope they will understand better that everyone deserves compassion and a chance to belong. 

On the Importance of Illustrations

Picture books have the unique power to help children process complex emotions. What moments or images in the book do you hope might be particularly meaningful for children experiencing similar circumstances?

I feel like the moments when the little girl is going to school really illustrate how isolating it can be to face home insecurity. The little girl is made to feel different and apart as I think so many children in this situation feel.

In the illustration we see a circle of children laughing and talking together, but the little girl is walking away, her posture slumped, her back turned. You don’t even need many words for a younger reader to relate to the feelings she is experiencing. We can see how isolating her circumstances are.

Then when the family is pulling away in the car and she wishes she could ask a friend over to play, we see by her expression that she knows that is impossible. Her head is bent down, and she is holding her cat, her only friend and comfort. We also see the mother looking back, not sure how to comfort her little girl. And we see the school she has just left reflected in the window.

We see the car often depicted as a place of shelter in other spreads, but here I wanted to show how the very nature of the car being home rather than just a vehicle means that it keeps her feeling separate and different from others. 

On Also Capturing Joy

I also wanted kids facing these circumstances to also feel joy and that even though their family faces uncertainty, they are a still a loving family with hopes and dreams like everyone else. So I love the spread where they are all playing together from the shelter of the van on a rainy night. 

Thank you, Lita Judge, for this thoughtful interview as well as for your wonderful new book. We highly recommend Old Blue Is My Home as a read aloud for any child. We are long time fans of Lita Judge after discovering her book Red Sled when my children were very small, so if you haven’t discovered her other books please look for those as well!

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MaryAnne Kochenderfer

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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.