In this post, we feature author Lisl H. Detlefsen, whose previous titles include Farm Boots, which was a gold medal winner of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for Picture Books. You can hear her speak about her new picture book, Still There Was Bread, illustrated by David Soman. You can also try her “invitation to imagine” activity and find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
Still There Was Bread
- Written by Lisl H. Detlefsen and illustrated by David Soman
- Published by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
- Release date: October 15, 2024
Nana is coming to visit! She’s going to teach Little Pickle to make her famous “Nana rolls”—a special bread recipe that Nana’s nana taught her. Together, they gather ingredients: eggs and milk, flour and oil, sugar and salt, yeast and water.
As they mix them together to form the dough, Nana shares stories about how making this treasured family recipe has changed over the years, and how it’s sustained their family through good times and hard ones, times when they could be together—and the times when they couldn’t. Sometimes, a simple loaf of bread can mean so much more.
From author Lisl H. Detlefsen and artist David Soman, Still There Was Bread is a heartfelt and joyful celebration of the traditions that nourish us—and a delicious reminder that warm, fresh-baked food feels like a hug when you really need one.
Explore Still There Was Bread
Listen to Lisl H. Detlefsen talking with TeachingBooks about creating Still There Was Bread. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.
- Listen to author Lisl H. Detlefsen pronounce her name.
- Explore TeachingBooks’ collection of activities and resources for Still There Was Bread.
Invitation to Imagine
TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Lisl H. Detlefsen.
Imagination Activity with Lisl H. Detlefsen
Here’s my favorite writing exercise to do with students—of almost any age! It’s something I call, “Two Truths and a Twist.”
Think of an event or experience from your own life. Then, think of two important details that you would like to include while writing about this event. Now comes the twist: add a third, fictional detail to the mix! It can be from any genre: realistic fiction, sci-fi, mystery, humor.
You can make this “twist” element as wild and crazy or as completely plausible as you’d like! The point is to thoughtfully consider which details need to remain true-to-life and which could be added, edited, changed, or heightened when you’re using your own life as inspiration for writing fictional stories.
Finish This Sentence . . . with Lisl H. Detlefsen
As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Lisl H. Detlefsen’s response.
“A surprising thing that helps me work is…”
A surprising thing that helps me work is not working at all! What I mean by this is if I’m really stuck on something in a story, sometimes the best thing I can do is step away from my keyboard and head outside to go for a walk or run. Often, letting ideas swirl around in the background of my mind while I’m moving out in nature will help, and I’ll be ready to get to work again with more focus and inspiration after the break.
“Where I work is…”
I work in a restored farmhouse on a family-owned cranberry marsh that is over 150 years old. I designed the stairs leading up to my office to look like favorite books from my childhood and young adulthood. I’m often joined at my writing desk by my family’s two black cats, Jiggles and Wiggles.
The “book stairs” that lead up to my office in our 150 year-old restored farmhouse.
Jiggles is a big fan of Still There Was Bread. Here he is on my office chair in front of my favorite piece of furniture—it’s a cabinet made from pieces of old boats!
Thank you!
To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Lisl H. Detlefsen for signing a book for all of us.
More Connections to Lisl H. Detlefsen and Still There Was Bread
- Discover books like Still There Was Bread on TeachingBooks.
- HarperCollins’s page about Still There Was Bread, written by Lisl H. Detlefsen and illustrated by David Soman.
- Buy Still There Was Bread, written by Lisl H. Detlefsen and illustrated by David Soman.
Author photo is by Amy Morrison. All other text and images are courtesy of Lisl H. Detlefsen, David Soman, and HarperCollins and may not be used without expressed written consent.
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