Kathie Lee Gifford can now add children’s author to her resumé: her new book, Party Animals — based on a song she wrote for a children’s album nine years ago – teaches kids the importance of accepting each other. She recently spoke with EW about what she’s reading, what it’s like to balance writing with being a television personality, and how she deals with her “problem child.”
On her new book Party Animals (out April 13):
It’s meant for quite young children…I’m thrilled with the illustrations. It’s adorable. I haven’t even met the illustrator [Peter Bay Alexandersen]. He’s a Danish gentleman, and the whole process was done via FedEx. We just sent him the lyrics and our concept for it, and back and forth the packets would come with his sketches first and his layouts. It was a fun process, mostly because my work was done nine years ago!
On writing for children:
I think just because you’re a celebrity doesn’t mean you know how to write a book, even a book for children. You have to be child like yourself in a way and you can share morals with them without being preachy. Even little kids don’t like to be preached at. It absolutely has to be enveloped in a sense of fun and wonder.
What else she’s working on:
I’ve been working on a novel for about 10 years. I hope to bring one of my musicals to Broadway next year. I’ve been writing that for 12 years. These things take a long time to get right. It’s called Saving Aimee, and it’s based on the life of Aimee Semple McPherson, an extraordinary woman who lived in the 1920s and ’30s. That’s my major focus the next year, besides doing the Today show, which is a full-time job. I have never, ever had such a challenge in my life as writing this, except for I guess marriage and child-rearing. I say I have three children — Cody, who’s 20, Cassidy, who’s going to be 17, and Aimee, my problem child, she’s 12.
When she finds time to write:
I write in my dressing room, the car, sitting in a restaurant waiting for a friend. I write a lot in the middle of the night, write in the morning. I was writing for Saving Aimee this morning; I had a thought and rushed downstairs. It keeps all your juices flowing, your creative nerves always crackling. It gives you a purpose for each day.
What she’s reading:
There’s so much I have to read for the show. I’m almost finished with The Walk by Richard Paul Evans. I read a book over spring break and fell in love with it, so did [co-host] Hoda [Kotb], it’s Mitch Albom’s book, Have a Little Faith. Loved it, loved it, loved it. I just started a new book called A Lineage of Grace, by a woman named Francine Rivers, that I’m enjoying very much. It’s a novel, fiction, but it’s biblical fiction. It takes five women from the Bible and writes a fictional account of what their lives would have been like, based on what we know from scripture. Really, really interesting. I just finished Carol Burnett’s book, This Time Together. I laughed through the whole thing. I took over for Carol when she did Broadway, Putting It Together. I have a real history with Carol and I just adore her.
Wow, Kathie Lee saying she doesn’t believe in being preachy? Is that correct?
Okay – i dont dislike KLG but i am getting a little sick of celebrities who want to be “writers” and take the short route by “writing” a childrens book. Most childrens books are very little text and a lot of illustrations. Then there are the celebrities who “write” novels that are actually written by ghost writers. I want to be a morning show host – i can put a couple sentences together and throw on something nice to wear and make conversation with strangers – how about it, Kathie? No – i dont want to write a book but i read about a dozen a month, books that took someone a lot of time to write- and they dont get to do it in the “dressing room” or the “car” (limo) or sitting in Michaels waiting for your “writer” friends. What is it about writing a book that makes everyone think they can do it?
Well, if Mitch Albom and Richard Paul Evans were your favorite writers, you’d probably think you could write a book too.
Kathie Lee Gifford and I are 1 year apart in age. I’m from New York as well. I always admired her, but this upsets me. Our lives have always connected in a way except for the money part. I’ve just written a wonderful book that would help children cope with tv, video’s and obesity, but I dont have the money she has to just get my book out there and this upsets me so. I wrote my book 12 years ago and I’ve been an assistant teacher as well. But KLG just bats an eye and its done. What about the rest of us.
i just loved this book, i teach Bible school and one of my helpers ( debbie) was reading this to the children and thier eyes were on her all the time, and when i saw that i wanted to buy one for my grandkids….. you who read MUST get this for you classroom or your children….
because how Kathy tells her story from all the aninmals that are in the theme of the book is awsome..