Interview with Tom Tracy

Joey Mondello

Pride and Less Prejudice Intern Joey Mondello interviews Tom Tracy, an award-winning children’s author whose books honor the importance of diverse families.

Could you share a bit about what motivated you to start writing children’s books, and also on the specific experiences that led to the creation of the heartwarming Scoochie’s Adoption Story?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been enchanted by children’s books and wanted to be a kids’ story-teller. However, whenever I put pen to paper, it just never felt right. That is, until I had my own children. As a gay dad, I realized that there weren’t enough books that showcased diverse families, especially LGBTQ+ families. So, this time when I put pen to paper and used my own family’s experience as inspiration, the stories began to flow easily. Diverse family representation is a core component of all my books.

Scoochie’s Adoption Story was such a fun book to write.  As you know, this book is based on my husband’s and my experience in adopting our oldest daughter, who is the muse for the character “Scoochie.” The idea to capture that experience in story form was completely organic. One day, I was with my daughter at the playground. Just like in the story, a girl approached my daughter and asked her where her mother was. My daughter, who was 5 years old at the time, proudly announced that she was adopted. Then, she proceeded to share her adoption story – something she was super familiar with because we’ve been very open and honest with her about it. So, in essence, my daughter was the first narrator of Scoochie’s Adoption Story; I just translated it to a storybook.

With regard to inclusion and representation, how does the current landscape of children’s literature compare to what you were reading growing up?

What a great question. I grew up in the 70s and 80s, so my go-to authors were people like Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume. Their books, especially their “coming of age” books, captured the essence of being a young kid going through puberty. In that, I felt like my experience as a pubescent youth was validated; I felt seen and understood. However, the books at my disposal at the time were decidedly white and decidedly hetero-normative. 

There has been tremendous movement, especially by indie authors, to advance greater representation of diverse characters and themes in kids’ books. This is so necessary – every child needs to have that same feeling of being seen, affirmed and validated. Books today are bringing diversity to the foreground and changing the landscape. Unfortunately, many of those books are being challenged and banned, robbing kids of the opportunity to see, appreciate, and understand the full spectrum of diverse people and families.

In addition to being an author, you’re also a clinical social worker — what do you see as the importance of reading and literature for kids to develop healthy coping skills? 

Books serve an important role for kids. A child can connect with a book with psychological safety. They can help kids find the words to describe things that they have been unable to articulate themselves. Referencing something a book character may be experiencing is also an easy way for a child to engage adults about a topic without feeling vulnerable. Similarly, parents and adults can engage their children about topics presented in books that can help a child learn in a non-threatening way. Questions like, “What are some other ways that the character could have handled that situation?” can help a child explore new ideas with less pressure than if answering for themselves directly.

Relatedly, what should parents and caregivers consider when selecting books for their children to read? 

Books, and media broadly, are both windows into worlds unfamiliar and mirrors for our personal experiences. I’m in no position to tell parents what they should be considering for their children to read. That is an individual decision. I can only share what we look for in children’s books – stories that ignite the imagination, expand the awareness of difference, evoke inquisitive conversations, and help our kids develop their own opinions and own voice. We want our children to see representations of themselves in their books, but to also stretch beyond what they know to develop a deeper appreciation for the world around them.    

The protagonist of your new book Jazmyne’s Big Emotions is a child in foster care. Can you speak on the importance of kids seeing different types of families represented in the books they’re reading?

There’s been much research on the representation gaps in kids’ books. One gap includes kids in foster care - there are just very few books that address this situation, which can contribute to a child feeling isolated/alone in their experience. In between our first and second adoption, we opened our home to several children in foster care. We saw young children who didn’t have the vocabulary to describe how they were feeling and we saw older children who were closed to expressing themselves. I wanted to write this book as a way to 1) say to all those children, “You are seen; you are important enough to have your experience represented in this book,” and 2) help open the door for conversations between them and the adults who care for them.  But this book isn’t just for kids experiencing foster care. For those kids, the book can be the springboard to learn more about foster care while also providing them language to have feelings conversations.  

-How have other LGBTQ+, adoptive, and/or mixed race families responded to your books so far?

My greatest joy is in doing live events and book signings. This is where I get to meet the kids and adults reading my books. All types of families – LGBTQ+, heterosexual, adoptive, foster, mixed race, single race, multi-generational, etc. – have expressed appreciation for the content in my books. Every family seems to find something that resonates with their individual experiences. Regarding my book “Some Families, All Families”, I had one child say, “Look, look. They look like me. And the families are so happy.”  A foster family shared with me that their child was so appreciative of the scene in Scoochie’s Adoption Story where the dads appear in front of the judge during the adoption finalization. While their family wasn’t experiencing an adoption, that scene with the judge validated their foster son’s experience in going to court. I attend a local book festival every year and there’s a trans-youth who comes to my table every year – I’ve become one of this youth’s safe places. You never know what is going to resonate with someone, but when someone shares how your book aligns with their experience, it is such a gift.

What’s your proudest accomplishment as a writer so far?

You mentioned my last book, Jazmyne’s Big Emotions. I ran a Kickstarter campaign to help fund that book. As part of the campaign, I offered campaign supporters the opportunity to make a donation of the book to kids in foster care. Through that campaign alone, more than $1,250 in new books were donated to a foster care agency who delivered the books directly to kids experiencing foster care. Knowing your words/your books are having an impact and helping others … that is truly a proud accomplishment!