Curtis Listens, Observes—Then Creates a Little Magic

Author aims to connect adults, children, book in “reading triangle”

From a person who was “a complete underachiever who barely got through school, who just fell into acting,” Jamie Lee Curtis has metamorphosed into an actress—with two Golden Globes and numerous other nominations and awards for her film and television work—as well as a highly successful author of seven children’s picture books.

She will address the first general session of the 2008 IRA Annual Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday, May 5, 2008. Her appearance is sponsored by HarperColllins.

In addition to the Globe-winning role as mom-turned-secret agent of True Lies, a 1994 spy action/comedy in which she played opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, Curtis has been a “scream queen” in various horror flicks including The Fog, Prom Night, and several Halloween films. Her talent for comedy was apparent in Freaky Friday, in which she starred with Lindsay Lohan, and the internationally popular A Fish Called Wanda.

Part of her acting skill could be attributed to her hobby: photography. Curtis says she is a constant “observer of people, places, and circumstances.” Her observational skills have helped her create believable film characters and, when she was in her early twenties, led her to try her hand at writing. She took notes constantly and typed them on a little Olivetti typewriter, where she composed about a half-dozen tales, one of them a novella. She is adamant that none will ever be published, but her creativity is evident in their titles and how she approached writing them.

“Agua” is about a Mexican boy whose family has a tradition of celebrating 11th birthdays by throwing the youngsters in a nearby river or lake—sort of a wet rite of passage. Another story called “Under the Davenport with Mrs. Stein” is about a docent at a zoo who brings a monkey home after an earthquake destroys the monkey house. “Re-enter Cameron Dunn” concerns a woman, dismayed at how she and all women are treated, who vows to radically change her future.

Curtis says she challenged herself by coming up with a title and then writing the story—which might seem like working backward—but it was successful for her. Her children’s books, she said, are the result of observing her own children (and other’s, too).

For instance, When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old’s Memoir of Her Youth (HarperCollins, 1993), came about while listening to her daughter hold forth about “when I was young,” listing her accomplishments and how far she had come since she was a mere 2½. “When I was little, I could hardly do anything. But now I can do lots of things, like braid my own hair and go to nursery school. I’m not a baby anymore. I’m me!”

When I Was Little, a New York Times bestseller, also was named to the Children’s Choices list by the International Reading Association/Children’s Book Council. Every year since 1974, about 10,000 children ages 5–13 in the United States pick their favorite books, and only the top 100 or so make the list.

To some readers, it might seem as if Curtis focuses on “themes” in her picture books, e.g., self-esteem; adoption and family life; growing and changing; imagination; and now, healthy competition and caring in her latest, Is There Really a Human Race? (HarperCollins, 2006). She says, “No, I’m not a theme writer: I don’t even think about it. I hear it, see it. My ideas are born from observation—a turn of phrase, a question I hear.”

Curtis says when her children were young, she read them plenty of books, and many could be characterized as “boring.” Annie is now 20, and Tommy, 11, both too old for read-aloud sessions with mom. But she learned from experience, and so works really hard to make sure adults and kids are engaged by her picture books. She aims to use the minimum number of words that, combined with just the right illustrations, help physically connect parent and child. The parent, child, and book form a “triangle” that is palpable and real.

She thinks some of the success she’s had as an author comes from writing “hybrids, with something for everybody.” Children like the short titles and play-by-play action that move the poems/stories along while adults like the color commentary, often embodied in subtitles and the witty watercolors of Laura Cornell. Her whimsical illustrations in Human Race include running cavemen juxtaposed with Pilgrims; nuns; and persons of just about every age group, ethnicity, and occupation. The Race hall of fame honors the “Biggest Teacher’s Pet,” the “Most Judgmental,” and the girl who happens to have the “Biggest Hair Without Product.”

Asked what her topic will be at the Atlanta convention, Curtis said she’ll talk about “How did I get here?” and “Now, what am I doing?” Two new projects in the offing are a new book tentatively entitled Big Words for Little People: S.A.T. Prep for the Junior Set, and South of the Border, a Disney film about a pampered Chihuahua from Beverly Hills who gets lost in Mexico and makes friends to help her get back home.

In Big Words, Curtis says she will deal with how adults often “dumb down” their vocabulary when talking with kids. She said children understand a great deal more than they are given credit for, including words such as “consequences, inappropriate, and respect and understanding.” Get ready for an earful!

Curtis listens, observes—then creates a little magic. (October 2007). Reading Today, 25(2), 41.