Hi, I'm Mel
As a young child, Dad would read me picture books at bedtime and the stories stayed with me my entire life. First and foremost, Madeline, which I can still recite.
I hand-wrote and illustrated my first children's book, "Bacteria Galore by Sunday at Four" when I was 23 years old. It was written for a small child in Northern Israel (I never found him and still have the original book!).
Twenty years later, Tel Aviv University published the hardcover version of my book on bacteria in Hebrew with lovely illustrations by Tali Niv-Dolinsky. It was reprinted several times in Hebrew and Arabic, and there are online versions in English, Arabic, French and Russian.
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For many years, my writing career was on a back burner while I became a scientist, and later a jazz musician and a singer. I enjoyed each of these careers, but these days I am fully committed to my children's writing.
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After years of submitting stories to agents in North America, I'm delighted to share the news that I am now represented by the wonderful Liza Royce Agency in New York.
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I keep busy:
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Writing and revising new stories (under the mentorship of Harold Underdown)
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Promoting our websites for writers: www.ourboox.com and dummyboox.com
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Helping picture book authors at the beginning of their careers
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Giving talks, lectures and webinars about the creative process and the importance of creating dummy books
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Interviewing prominent authors, editors, publishers, agents and illustrators in my weekly video/podcast for the Children's Literature Channel of the New Books Network (NBN)