I’m delighted to feature Doreen Klein Robinson on the blog today. Doreen and I are both members of a 2026 book promotion group – The Jewish Joytellers – and I’m happy to help create extra buzz around her beautiful picture books! Her newest release, A PLACE TO PRAY: A TALE OF FRIENDSHIP AND COMMUNITY INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY, illustrated by Yuke Li (published by WorthyKids, February 3, 2026) is an inspiring story about friendship and unity, with excellent enriching back matter. Doreen shares about her inspiration, as well as about stories, creativity, and connection. Welcome, Doreen!
1. STORIES – Discuss the inspiration for your ideas and stories, and share the process about your latest projects.
Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Melissa and for all you do to share book joy! The inspiration for A PLACE TO PRAY came about from the true and tragic story of the December 5, 2020 electrical fire that destroyed Middle Collegiate Church in New York City. I was devasted to read about this and had so many questions. What did the church look like? What was the congregation like? Who was their clergy? Where would they pray? When I found out that a rabbi at a neighboring synagogue – who was a friend and had been mentored by the reverend – reached out to see what his congregation could do, I was deeply moved. East End Temple opened its heart and its doors and shared their sacred space with Middle Church. That was the premise of my story, which blends the true story with fictional characters and is told through the lens of two children wondering “where will they pray”. This book shares the universal message – Love thy Neighbor – and speaks to so many Jewish themes including mitzvot, (good deeds) tzedakah, (charitable acts) and tikkun olam (repairing the world).
For my first book, GOLEM LOVES LATKES: A Tasty Hanukkah Tale, I was originally inspired by the book Dragons Love Tacos! I wanted to create something like that but with latkes, and I wanted to give readers of all faiths a taste (pun intended) of what Hanukkah is about. And while you might think it’s a story about latkes and whether or not you should eat them with sour cream or applesauce, it’s really a story about learning to get along and creating “Shalom Bayit” – peace in the house (and community).
2. CREATIVITY — How do you showcase your creative side through writing/illustrating and other pursuits?
I can’t draw a stick figure, but I happily explore creativity by designing social media posts on CANVA. I have volunteered with picture book promo groups to design “book release” CANVA slides that can be used on social media and websites. It’s my way of paying it forward in this industry and tapping into my creative side.
3. CONNECTION — How do you connect to your young readers through your writing/illustrating, and how do you stay connected to the KidLit community?
Connection is so important! With my Golem story, I did a few bookstore events and story times for children at local synagogues. With A Place to Pray, I’ve had a softer book launch and am still working on events. The illustrator lives in New York so we are working on getting a book event in the city this summer. With both books there are downloadable activity packets available for free on my website. I designed the one for the Golem Loves Latkes book and the publisher’s marketing department at Worthy Kids created the one for A Place to Pray.
As far as the KidLit community, I belong to SCBWI (Society of Children’s Books Writers & Illustrators) and I still take workshops through Inked Voices and The Writing Barn and many other wonderful KidLit organizations. As a Jewish author, I’m thrilled to be a guest reviewer for The Jewish Book Garden (formerly The Sydney Taylor Shmooze), and I’m a huge fan of PJ Library and attended their inaugural Summer Camp for Emerging Authors. I’ve also attended Jewish Book Council’s annual virtual conference. I’m involved in three KidLit promo groups – so I’m active on social media, sharing book-related posts, book birthdays and spreading book joy and Jewish book joy into the world.
DOREEN’S BIO:
Doreen Klein Robinson has more than twenty-five years of storytelling experience as a career journalist and editor for community newspapers. Doreen was awarded a scholarship by PJ Library to participate in their 2022 Emerging Authors Summer Camp program at Highlights Foundation (now Boyds Mills). She was the recipient of the 2023 Florida Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrator’s Mirror and Windows scholarship. When writing, Doreen looks for the heart of the story, hoping to inform and inspire her readers. She loves telling stories through a Jewish lens that spread universal messages of kindness and connection.
CONNECT WITH DOREEN:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doreenkleinrobinson/
Website: https://writerdoreenrobinson.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doreen-robinson-writer/