My Writing and Reading Life: Alexandra S.D. Hinrichs, Author of Thérèse Makes a Tapestry

Alexandra S.D. Hinrichs | The Children’s Book Review | March 18, 2016

Latest published book …

Thérèse Makes a Tapestry, a picture book and my authorial debut.

You wrote it because …

… it combines multiple loves of mine: history, French culture and language, Paris, weaving and the arts, and a strong female protagonist. When I was a kid I loved reading about characters in other times, places, and situations less familiar to me. I still do!

Best moment …

… had to be when I saw Renée Graef’s initial sketches of Thérèse and recognized her instantly. It was such a cool sensation!

Your special place to write …

My dining room table. Sometimes in the morning, sometimes at night, sometimes mid-day when my two young boys are napping.

Necessary writing/creativity tool …

A cup tea with honey, and a small amount of dark chocolate.

Favorite bookshop …

I love exploring bookshops in any place I travel to, but my current favorite is The Briar Patch in Bangor, Maine. It is a children’s bookstore, with a fabulous and quirky staff (I know, because I used to count myself among them!), and it is one of my happy places.

Currently reading …

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.

All-time favorite children’s book you didn’t write …

This question is almost painful. How to possibly choose?! But two picture books I have loved for as long as I can remember are: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood, and Amos & Boris by William Steig, and In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak. A more recent book I’ve been enchanted by is Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.

An author you idol …

Again, there just so many. At the moment, my attention and admiration are devoted to Jacqueline Woodson.

Favorite illustrator …

Another difficult question. It probably goes without saying that Renée Graef, who brought Thérèse to life in her beautiful and detailed illustrations, is among my favorites. Examples of other illustrators I love are: Kevin Henkes, Yuyi Morales, and Komako Sakai. I could just go on and on, though!

A literary character to vacation with …

Anne from the Anne of Green Gables series. Probably Anne from Anne of Ingleside because that’s about the stage of life I’m at right now.

Alexandra Henrichs
Photo credit: Bruce Dean

Connect with Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs …

Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs loves exploring new places, including France, where she once studied. She lives in Bangor, Maine.

www.alexandrahinrichs.com |Facebook | Twitter

Thérèse Makes a Tapestry

Written by Alexandra S.D. Hinrichs

Illustrated by Renée Graef

Publisher’s Synopsis: Step back in time to seventeenth-century Paris with Thérèse, a talented young girl who lives and works at the Gobelins Manufactory, where Europe’s greatest artisans make tapestries and luxury objects for King Louis XIV. Even though girls are not trained on the great looms there, Thérèse practices on a small one at home and dreams of becoming a royal weaver someday.

This charming story follows Thérèse as she carries out an ambitious plan with the help of family, friends, and the artisans of the Gobelins. The intricate craft of tapestry weaving is illuminated, and surprises await Thérèse, her parents and brothers, and even the king himself. Children’s book author Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs here breathes vivid life into a delightful tale full of fun twists and an appealing cast of characters.

Original paintings by award-winning artist Renée Graef playfully illustrate the book, as well as the many steps involved in the creation of the famous Gobelins tapestries, from dyeing wool and making silver thread, to painting and copying the elaborate designs, to the delicate art of weaving.

Thérèse’s fictional adventures are inspired by real people, the actual Gobelins Manufactory, and a beautiful tapestry that hangs today in the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Ages 6-9 | Publisher: J. Paul Getty Museum | 2016 | ISBN-13: 978-1606064733

Available Here: 

Discover more books like Thérèse Makes a Tapestry, written by Alexandra S.D. Hinrichs and illustrated by Renée Graef, by checking out our reviews and articles tagged with Art, Artists, France, Historical Fiction, Paris, and Seventeenth Century Books; plus, be sure to follow along with our Writing and Reading Life series.