Interview with the Author of Kitchen Helper ABC: Cooking with Kids from Apron to Zester - Jane Sharpe

Jane Sharpe, a native of Washington, D.C., embarked on an adventurous path when she married at nineteen and joined the military alongside her husband, with whom she served for six years. Now a homeschooling mother of five, Jane embraces a love for books, amassing a personal library of over 4,000 titles that range from illustrated ABCs to historical works on Abraham Lincoln, civil rights, and the beloved stories of Tomie DePaola. With a deep and sustaining faith, Jane credits her journey through life's challenges to her trust in Jesus. A self-proclaimed enthusiast of both old and new books, her love language is food-a fitting match to her husband's culinary talent.

Author Q&A

How much of your book, Kitchen Helper ABC, is realistic?

I think the entire thing is realistic, intentionally so. Families who read Kitchen Helper ABC are bringing their kids into the kitchen with them. They're giving their kid child-safe knives and teaching them to cut up vegetables for dinner. There's kids who love baking and decorating and kids who love measuring and chopping. Some of these kids are going to grow up to work in restaurants and cook for their families one day. I'd be proud that Kitchen Helper ABC had any part of encouraging that! Also, the illustrator and I made sure just about every race of humanity is represented. I wanted any kid reading it will see someone who looks like them.

Tell us about working with your illustrator, Tina Rokhmah.

Oh, it was great! I had a vision for I how I wanted Kitchen Helper ABC to look. I searched for artists who might be able to make it come to life, and it became obvious it was going to be Tina. I would send her really horrible little sketches of what I envisioned, or a photo of something in my kitchen. I'd give her direction about how the elements should be placed on the page and she put it all together magnificently. The colors and shading are just the best.

What are two of your favorite covers of all time?

The 1985 cover of Where the Red Fern Grows is one of my favorite book covers, for sure. I think the nostalgia is a big part of it. That was the first book I ever cried over. As the tears welled up, part of me was reading and this other part of me was thinking "Wait, can a book make you CRY?"

Another book cover I love is "No Fighting, No Biting" by Else Minarek, illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Visually, it's a formally laid out cover, with Victorian furniture and clothes, but it's juxtaposed against such a funny title that it sort of pulls you in. I had four kids under seven years old at one point, so a book about bickering kids is easy to love.

What authors have influenced your writing?

I've always loved Mercer Mayer and Kevin Henkes. Their books are absolutely, wonderfully, completely from the kid's point of view. They don't preach or talk down- they are right there at the kid's experience. I also love Marla Frazee's art. All of her work is full of little tiny details. It's so fun to read her books to my kids- we spend minutes looking at all the small scenes on one spread.

What is your favorite genre to read, and why?

I read a lot of historical fiction or non-fiction. I am squarely in reality. My husband reads exclusively science fiction, and I just don't have the patience for the weird names and situations.

What book are you currently reading?

Right now I'm reading a lot of books about writing. I tend to be in the middle of quite a few books at the same time. I'm reading John Truby's Anatomy of a Story, again, and Madeline L'Engle's Walking on Water.

Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?

A hundred percent I prefer physical books. I like to hold them and smell them and stack them up. I own about 5,000 books. I run out of shelf space. I have listened to a few audiobooks on road trips, but I can't get lost in them the way I do with a physical book. When I get sucked into a book, I can't hear people talking to me.

Connect with Jane online at

Website: https://janesharpe.com/crunchy-mamas-healthy-baby/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jane.sharpe.3150
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janesharpeauthor/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/JaneSharpeAuthor/

Kitchen Helper ABC: Cooking with Kids from Apron to Zester is part of the Crunchy Mama's Healthy Baby Series.

Kitchen Helper ABC and the other books in the series can be purchased on Amazon.
https://amzn.to/3AGS0PQ
https://amzn.to/3YGNOaE

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This release was published on openPR.