Valerie -Welcome to Bookworthy. Christmas is coming and if you've been around Bookworthy for a while, you know I love Christmas books. Today we're talking with Becky Van Vliet, an award-winning multi-genre author about her children's picture book, Angelina the Traveling Angel. The sweet book follows Angelina, a magical Christmas tree topper who likes to sing her special song to children at night when no one else is listening. But as she travels from home to home through the year, she starts to worry if her song really matters. I'm excited to share this book and this author with you today. Welcome to Book Worthy Becky.
Becky -Thank you, Valerie. I appreciate my time with you to be a guest on your podcast.
Valerie -I'm excited to talk about this book. I, again, I love Christmas books. It just warms my heart. It's just like Christmas season, but I know we're talking about a Christmas book, but I wanted to start with a Thanksgiving question. What is a Thanksgiving dish that must be on your Thanksgiving table?
Becky -Well, okay, I make a strawberry jello pretzel salad every year for Thanksgiving, and that might sound a little different, but it's my mother's recipe. And growing up, I just really enjoyed that dish so much. And after I married and we had our own home, our own family, that was just a dish that I always wanted to have on our table. And especially because she passed away just shortly after we married, but it was just a dish to enjoy and bring back those memories of when she used to fix that special jello salad.
Valerie -It's funny, it's how, you know, food can often be that trigger to a memory. We have a similar cranberry jello that has nuts in it. And it's, if you look at just the ingredients, it's a very strange dish, but it was something my grandmother made. And it's one of those, it's just not Thanksgiving without Nan's cranberry jello.
Becky -I get that. That's how I feel about this Jell-O salad.
Valerie -It is fun to have those memories. We had, last Thanksgiving, my cousins came in from Amarillo, and we hadn't seen them in a couple of years. And so it was huge. We were just sitting around like, wow, this is nice. We should do this more often. Just because family is just hard to get together, extended family is hard to get together at the older you get. But do you guys have any special Thanksgiving traditions in your family?
Becky -Well, I think the tradition that we enjoy is probably fairly common, but when we were raising our children, we always had them to name something they were thankful for. And so now, in my golden years, we have grandchildren. And so when we all get together at Thanksgiving, we have kept that tradition going. And so now the grandchildren tell us what they're thankful for. And of course the adults do too, but it's always interesting to hear the little ones will say sometimes it's Play-Doh or their pet and things like that. And that just always sets the mood for gratitude and being thankful.
Valerie -Yeah, what is it? I love how asking that question tells you a lot about the personality of the child too, kind of where's their focus. You know, I have three boys and each one responds differently. Sometimes it's more materialistic because they're a little bit more stuff oriented. And sometimes it's more family oriented or even, you know, they'll throw a surprise and I'm like, God's their first thing. Well, Becky, tell us a little bit about your inspiration for Angelina, the traveling angel.
Becky -Okay, well, it's actually the fourth book in my traveling series. And so for me to really tell you how I was inspired to write it, I have to go backwards a little bit and talk about the very first book. And so I have this little skirt in our family that has been traveling around for about 70 years, three generations. And my sisters and I all wore this little skirt when we were two years old. My mother started the tradition and she had our picture taken with a professional photographer. And so I guess I'm going to date myself, but this is back in the 1950s, Valerie. Okay, you were not even born. But anyway, my mother started this tradition and there were four daughters and we all got this little picture with this precious little red plaid skirt. And my mom saved the skirt. So when we, my sister, Ruth and I got married and we
started having our own children, all of us had daughters. And so we kept that tradition going even after our mother passed away. And so the second generation started wearing this little plaid skirt. And at age two, our daughters all got a professional picture and then those daughters grew up. And of course we did have some boys in the family too, but the skirt of course is for the little girls. And so then the third generation came along and the skirts started traveling because we were spread out in different states and different parts of the country. So the little skirt had to start traveling through the mail on airplanes and in delivery trucks to get to the next little girl in our family who was turning two. So after I retired, I just thought, you know, I'd like to write a little family story about this skirt just for the family, mind you. You know, it was just for the family. It was just a sweet memory and a great tradition. So I started writing it and I thought, you know, what would happen if I try to publish this? So, I took a leap of faith and I got an editor and got some help with it. And I sent in a proposal to a Christian publisher in Massachusetts and Elk Lake accepted my proposal. And I was just so excited. So that first little book just put me on a trajectory to continue to write stories about traveling things in our family. So anybody who knows me knows that I really enjoy memories and preserving memories. And so I wrote a couple more books about traveling objects that had been passed around through the generations and made those into fun stories. So the first one is about a little skirt. The second one is about a harmonica that has traveled around. The third one is about a traveling rocker. And the fourth one is about a traveling watch. Well, I thought, you know, we've got this Christmas angel tree topper that has also traveled around and it started out in our family way back in the 1950s. And so I thought, you know, I really should write about this tree topper and it can be a Christmas book for my traveling series. So that's how that got started. That's a little of the backstory and So it was published in October, actually about a year ago, and I've just been really pleased, Valerie, with how this book has turned out as far as it really has the message of the gospel in it. Now my other books are fun and they're wholesome, that's for sure. And they were published by a Christian press, and I'm all about getting those wholesome just good quality books out there
for young readers today. But out of this series, Angelina, the traveling angel, is the only one that really gets into the belief of Christianity. So every little child that reads this story, or if the parent is reading it as a read aloud, they are hearing the gospel. Because at the end of the book, the lyrics for the song, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, are included. And so, of course, the lyrics for that is about the newborn king, and God and sinners reconciled. And so, the gospel is right there in that song. And then, I also would like to share with your listeners that I have a QR code in the back of the book. So, as moms and dads are reading this to their children, or If children are reading it independently and they know how to do this, they can pull out that QR code and actually listen to some children sing that Christmas hymn.
Valerie -That is so sweet. I love when children sing, because even if they don't sing well, you know they're singing with all their heart. So I love that you've added that little extra bit of joy to your book. And that's what's really fun about watching Angelina's story is we all have those special Christmas ornaments that we put up and kind of, you know, we never know what the memories that are going to pop to our heads when we're decorating for Christmas. But I love that Angelina kind of goes on this journey, not only to different trees and different seasons and helping kids, but she kind of goes through that, where's my worth, where's my value
journey that we all go through. And I love that you have woven in a little bit of just the gospel and value in this through something even kids can see on their own tree. It would be like, wow, I wonder what this angel is thinking and saying. What would our angel be singing and that kind of thing. So I love what you've done with this character and that it's so near and dear to your heart. Cause I think memories, it's kind of like a, in our culture, the separation of family, this disintegration of family that has been happening, but you know, the memories and the keepsakes that you've been passing around in your family really shows just how connected family is, God's desire for a family to be connected, even if they are across the country. So I love that you've done that in this whole series. Other than Angelina, who has Angelina right now?
Becky -Actually we do and she was on our Christmas tree last year and we're just about ready to get her out again. I've never called her by name until I wrote this book. So now when I get her out, I really think of her as Angelina. And she is plastic. She's not that big and one of her wings is actually cracked and I have some scotch tape on it. And she's just very old. And so we handle her very carefully when she comes out of her box every year. But that's part of the story that, you know, as she's traveling to these different homes through the years, that she is aware that other angel tree tops or tree toppers are getting fancy, you know, they're having all kinds of silk gowns and fancy hair and batteries and they don't need a cord anymore and she has to have a cord and things like that. So That's just part of her traveling experience that she is getting old. And like you said, Valerie, she questions her worth. You know, what if I fall off the tree and my voice is not as loud anymore? And so children can, I think, appreciate and understand how this little tree topper is aging. But at the end, without giving away spoilers,
children learn that it's not what she looks like, it doesn't matter that she's cracked and has a dangling cord and not fancy like the other angels, but it's her song. It's the message of the song that counts.
Valerie -I love that and it's such a great reminder at Christmas time and for kids to just see oh just the message of the gospel the message of Christmas just no matter where we come from no matter what home we're in what our family looks like that we could still have that impact that Angelina was having on her kids just to communicate that sweetness and reminder of God's love for each and every one of us. Now Becky what is your hope to be the main takeaway from this book?
Becky -You know, I'm just a big believer in family stories and family memories. In fact, I've devoted my website to that, Valerie, and I just think family stories should be shared and preserved and passed down through the generations. And so I think I really want children to see, not only in the Angelina book, but even in my other books in this traveling series, that it's important to save special things in our family and if children already have things in their
families that their moms and dads talk about that are special, maybe something that belonged to their grandmothers or a special aunt or uncle, that they will appreciate that it's being saved, it's still being talked about, it's still in their homes and that they can save their special toys and think about special stories and their families and that they should not be forgotten.
Valerie -Yeah, that's one of those, you know, history kind of gets this bad rap in younger generations, like, oh, I don't need to know that information. But there is such sweetness and identity, you know, in our young kids that comes from history stories within our own family. I know before my grandparents passed, we kind of really sat down, like, we really need to hear these stories and get these down on paper because living through the Great Depression, there were so many stories and, you know, my grandparents lived in the Dust Bowl and so they kind of experienced the Great Depression in a different way than someone who lived up north. And so there was just some really sweet stories, even about a doll that my grandmother made for a friend. And there's just some really sweet stories that shouldn't be lost. And I think even with seeing the last few men and women that were in World War II kind of coming to the end of their life and how we're kind of re-upping our interest in hearing those stories from them
because there is so much that every person has to offer just to communicate what's happened in our world, where we came from, those identifying factors in our lives that I whether we may not recognize we need them when we're kids, but when we are adults, we can look back. It's like, wow, that really resonated with me and made me feel at home. So I love that about what you've done with all of your traveling series. So now when did your writing journey begin, Becky?
Becky -Well, that's a great question. And once again, I'm going to date myself because I retired. I'm a grandmother. And I would have to say I enjoyed writing, but I can't say it was ever something that I spent a lot of time on. And I can't say it was not my favorite subject in school. But after I retired. Like I said earlier, I started writing this little story about this traveling skirt on our family. And, you know, that, when I got that proposal accepted to be published, that just opened up a huge door for me to walk through so that I could, you know, continue on with writing these other children's books. And then Along with these children's books, because I'm so passionate about family stories and preserving our family history, I also wrote a novel which is inspired by my father's firsthand accounts in World War II. And Valerie, you just mentioned that, you know, with these stories and preserving these stories and once our grandparents and even parents and aunts and uncles. Once they pass away, if we haven't done anything with their stories or preserved them in some way, they're lost. And I think in my family, I did a pretty good job with this, but even so, I still think about questions that I wish I would have asked. Why didn't I think about asking about this? Or why didn't I ask that? I still have that. But anyway, I did write a novel that was published a couple of years ago about my father's first-hand accounts in World War II. And so the doors just kept opening for me to continue on with writing. And I actually also wrote a devotion book, and this was inspired by my mother. And I found a notebook in her purse after she passed away where she had written down a lot of quotes and notes from sermons and it was just a treasure. And I felt like, you know, she can speak to my heart even after her death. And I hung on to that red notebook for
a long time. And just about a year ago, I started writing a devotion book and it was published, all inspired by my mother's red notebook that I found in her purse. So those are just some things that have been real important to me to preserve those memories, preserve those stories. And like I said, the doors just opened up for me to get these published and to share them with other people. I will mention just one more thing in conjunction with my father's book that I have been able to take his story and speak to high school students and to middle school students about patriotism and sacrifice and teamwork. And I think those are just really good values for our young people to hear today. So that was really kind of a surprise, Valerie, quite honestly, that was just another door that opened up that I felt God nudging me to, you know, go beyond just, hey, Becky, you've published this book. Now what are you going to do with it? And so for the last couple of years, I've had a lot of visits in schools, some on Zoom and other parts of the country. A lot of them are local in Colorado where I reside and I actually go in person and I give these presentations about the characteristics of the greatest generation which are all tied in to the book that I wrote.
Valerie -That's amazing. Cause yeah, it's one of those, what is it? One of those quotes, if we don't learn from our past, we're doomed to repeat it. And I love that, um, you know, from that greatest generation that especially, yeah, teens and even young teens can learn from that generation. Just like you said, just, you know, patriotism, patriotism and sacrifice and what it
means to serve. And I think In our digital age, a lot of the times that those personal stories, those, like your, your mother's red notebook, you know, we kind of forget how precious someone's handwriting is and how precious those little notes are that, you know, we got in our lunch one day or that we get in the mail and we've kind of forgotten just how precious that is. And I love writing down recipes, you know on little recipe cards just so that, hey, I could pass this to my kids or their wives one day. And it's just a legacy that I hope to give to my kids. And I think in our digital age, that's been forgotten a lot, is just the importance of legacy. And so, what has been one of your, one of the most impactful books in your life, Becky, other than the Bible?
Becky -Okay, well, okay, yes, I was going to say the Bible, but, you know, there's a lot of books
that have been impactful. I would say one of the ones at the top of the list for me would be Francine Rivers' book, Redeeming Love. That one is just, I don't get tired of reading it again and I recommended it to a lot of people and I love all of her books. I really do. But that particular one just really spoke to my heart for redemption and God's grace and love and mercy and forgiveness and you know just the message of how she wrote that book and really based upon the Bible itself and just It was a powerful book for me, very impacting.
Valerie -That's a very impactful book and you're not the only one that thinks so. It's why the Francie Rivers is sold so many of those because it does speak to just our heart need to be loved and to be redeemed and accepted despite who we are or where we've been or our past and that kind of thing. And so that is a very impactful book for sure. Now you've written think was it a few children's books? What is your favorite children's books other than your own?
Becky -Oh, okay. That's a great question. One of my favorite children's books authors is Patricia Palocco. And Valerie, if you have not read any of her children's books, you just have to check them out. She has written a boatload and most of them are about her personal life, her childhood stories. And she's also an illustrator. So she's written and illustrated all of her
children's books. But The favorite one, my favorite one is, thank you Mr. Falker. And it's a true story about how she struggled when she was in school because she could not learn to read, she could not spell, and later she tells, you know, on her website and some of her things that she's written about her personal life that she is dyslexic but yet she became this very well-known children's author and she became a writer and an illustrator in spite of the learning difficulties that she had. And so she wrote about this one teacher who just really did not give up on her, encouraged her. She felt like other kids made fun of her and she just felt like she was a failure because she could not learn to read. But anyway, it's just a wonderful book I was an educator before I retired and this was one book that I really recommended to other teachers to read to their students just for that encouragement.
Valerie -I know I love Patricia Polacco. I think, what is it, Thundercake is one of her books. And
we, what is it, my sister and I, we read that book over and over again, because thunderstorms were very scary for us. We live in Texas and so there was always this threat of a tornado or something. And, but something about Thundercake and counting between lightning and thunder. Just that whole book is just so sweet and so loving and reminding me so much about my own grandmother too. And so I really enjoy her and following her on Facebook is a lot of fun to see all of her illustrations. And like you said, kind of the history behind her stories also is a lot of fun to follow. Now, what can we expect next from you, Becky?
Becky -Okay, well, you're not going to be surprised. I am writing another book about a family story. So anyway, I've got these children's books and the fifth one will actually be published in the next few weeks. But anyway, the one that I'm currently working on now is a true story about my paternal grandmother who immigrated to the to the United States from Poland in the early 1920s. And I was always fascinated with her story. And so I've been working on that for several months. Valerie, and I'm not sure exactly when it will be published. I don't even have the title yet on it, but that's what I'm currently working on. And I'm very excited about it because I feel like this is a way to keep her story preserved. And then Hopefully members of my own family will enjoy reading it and get to know her better. But even other people will just appreciate what these immigrants went through to get to America, all the hardships that they went through, all the things they gave up, their sacrifices, to get to America, to enjoy the country that we enjoy today. So that one's coming up next.
Valerie -That sounds so fun. Now, is that a novel or?
Becky -Yeah, it's going to be an adult historical novel, yes.
Valerie -Okay, that sounds really interesting. I love those types of stories that kind of walk us through just, you know, our trials look different no matter where we are and what age we are, but all of our trials kind of all do the same thing. They all shape us and guide us to find out who we are, who we belong to. And just the importance of who God is also. And so I love that you're doing that, not just for children, but for adults as well. Now, where can people find out more about you and your books, Becky?
Becky -Well, my books are sold on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And as far as just being able to read some of my family's stories, if your listeners like that, I would love to tell them to go to my website, which is www. That's my first and last name. It's Becky V-A-N V-L-E-E-T dot com. And I would love for you to just take a look at my family stories and if you think that you would enjoy one of these stories every month coming to your email, I'd love for you to sign up. I never give information away to third parties and I always tell people, if you don't like this, you can always unsubscribe. But these blogs just come out only about once a month. I write some of them. I also have guests contributors as well. So I would love for your listeners to check out my website and sign up for my blogs.
Valerie -So fun. Well, thank you so much for joining us today, Becky. I'm excited for what you're doing.
Becky -Thank you, Valerie. I really appreciate the time we got to spend together.
Valerie -And thank you for joining Becky and me on this episode of the Bookworthy Podcast. Check out the show notes for any books or links that we discussed, and let us know in the comments what's your favorite Thanksgiving dish. Be sure to like and subscribe so we can discover more great books together.
Happy reading!
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