Speed Interview with Iris Argaman, Author of Bear and Fred: A World War II Story

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The Children’s Book Review

Iris Argaman is the author of a number of books for children, including Bear and Fred, which was awarded the Yad Vashem Prize in Israel and the Giovanni Arpino Prize for Children’s Literature in Italy. She lives in Israel, where she is a lecturer on children’s literature, holds writing workshops, and writes activity books that promote museum education.

The Children’s Book Review: Which five words best describe Bear and Fred: A World War II Story?

Iris Argaman: Home. Friendship. Journey. Thread. Loneliness.

Can you share a highlight from the book? Or maybe your thoughts on, or an excerpt of, your favorite sentence, paragraph, or page?

“We took walks for hours and hours in the forest and in the fields.

Fred picked leaves and flowers, and sometimes we’d climb a tree and sit on a branch, way up high.” 

This sentence is from the end of the book: I felt that I couldn’t finish the book without a tree. I love trees! So I decided to put Fred and Bear on a tree branch and tell through the metaphor that there is a good future somewhere. 

What has been the best reaction from a reader, so far?

The best reaction to the book was from an elementary school class who had made bears with their teacher. The bears looked like Bear and they were packed inside a big box along with a letter. It was so lovely and touching and made me cry. 

What’s on your nightstand? Any books?

On my nightstand there are many books. I am currently reading Clarice Lispector. I love reading short stories, children’s books, and graphic novels. In addition to books, I have a tablet only for jazz music. 

For your writing energy: sugar or salt, tea or coffee? 

I love coffee, but I drink it only in the morning. While I’m writing, I drink herbal tea without sugar and try not to eat, but it’s hard… so I hide chocolate for emergencies. 

Writing tools: computer, pen and paper, or all of the above?

I love pencils! I have a huge collection of pencils. I write my ideas and thoughts in a notebook only with pencils, but when I’m starting to work seriously, I work on the computer. 

Can you tell us one more thing we may not know about Bear and Fred: A World War II Story, your writing and illustrating style, or yourself?

The idea to write the story came from an article I read in the newspaper about Bear and I felt compelled to write about it. The reaction from publishing houses wasn’t good. I was told people wouldn’t love the story and that I was wasting my time. I persisted and the book was finally published. Since then, I have received letters from readers all over the world. 

I chose to write this book based on a real story because I wanted to tell a story with hope, love, and friendship, a book that shows the bright side.