by Ronni Diamondstein

Writing JACKIE AND THE BOOKS SHE LOVED was a journey and a labor of love. I was eight years old when John F. Kennedy was inaugurated. Jackie did so much to change the role of the First Lady. I remember Jackie for the White House restoration and especially how she led the country in mourning her husband when he was assassinated in 1963.

I was always fascinated by her style and grace and admired her for becoming a book editor. After she passed away, I had an idea for a novel about her and started researching her and interviewing people who knew her.  I interviewed Ted Sorenson, President Kennedy’s speech writer and counsel and had a correspondence with her cousin, John Davis.

When I spoke to Margot Datz, the illustrator of Carly Simon’s children’s books that Jackie edited, she suggested that I write a children’s book. I then wrote a long chapter book that got no traction. There were several adult books written about Jackie as an editor that I read. Having researched her for decades, I knew that she loved to read as a child and saw how books influenced her life. It was something that I had in common with her.

Then about five years ago, I thought about how reading and writing were a thread through her life. I knew that picture books bios were a great genre and began to work on this book.  Emma Walton Hamilton once said, “I think you have to have a personal connection, and that’s what I am always looking to try to create: a personal way into a story.”  I knew this was the story about Jackie that I wanted to tell.

I was thrilled when I signed a contract with Sky Pony Press in August 2022. JACKIE AND THE BOOKS SHE LOVED is my first book and I feel very fortunate to have worked with my editor Nicole Frail. It was a collaborative relationship. We were very much in sync regarding the revisions that needed to be made.  The original  manuscript was much longer and in collaboration with Nicole, the extra material was incorporated into my author’s note, back matter and a timeline.

In order to include the poem “Sea Joy” that Jackie had written when she was 10 years old, I needed permission to reprint it. I contacted her daughter, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy in Australia and two days later I heard from the Executive Director of the Kennedy Foundation that Ambassador Kennedy was happy to give me permission. I was thrilled and thought that I hope this makes Caroline Kennedy happy to know that a new generation will learn about her mother and read her poetry.

I also had included a lot of books Jackie read as a child and authors Jackie worked with and titles in the narrative. When we started to edit it, most were moved to the author’s note. And Bats Langley included them in the illustrations which was wonderful! Interestingly, at a sales presentation the team asked about references to the books that either Jackie read or edited. We already had some titles she read in the author’s note, so we decided to include a list of books. Narrowing it down to 18 titles was a taunting task; she edited nearly 100 books!

I was very lucky to be involved in the illustration process from a say in the choice of the illustrator to collaborating with him on the art. I gave illustration notes to my editor, but since I have quite an extensive collection of books about Jackie and the Kennedys with great photographs, I was very much involved with the illustrations. I shared many photographs with Bats. For example, the horse statue on the cover is just like the statue she had on her piano in her New York apartment.

One day Bats asked what Jackie’s favorite birthday cake was. Of course, I had a book called “Cooking with Madam” in my collection so I could send him pictures of Jackie’s birthday cake that you’ll find in our book!

I even had a say in the endpaper design! I love quotes and had many of Jackie’s quotes that I wanted included that couldn’t fit in the narrative so I suggested we use them on the endpapers. I knew her personal stationery was powder blue, so that was the color we chose for the endpapers.

I was also very fortunate to have a virtual book launch with the Chappaqua Library Children’s Room, my local library, and I was honored to be invited by the First Ladies Library to do a virtual “Legacy Lecture” about the book.

Jackie said, “If you produce one book, you will have done something wonderful in your life.” I hope I have done this. It truly has been an adventure!

You have done it, Ronni! 

Thank you for sharing the story of your book’s creation.

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Ronni Diamondstein has spent her life surrounded by books and immersed in the world of children’s literature. An avid reader since childhood, libraries, books, and writing have been her life’s work. As a school library media specialist and teacher in the United States and abroad, Ronni has nurtured her students’ creativity by sharing her love of reading with them. She is  also a freelance journalist and have published many articles and my dog Maggie Mae Pup Reporter had a column in a local magazine. She has always been fascinated by Jackie Kennedy’s love of books and her career as an editor and was inspired to tell her story. Ronni lives in Chappaqua, New York, with her toy poodle Maggie Mae. Visit her at RonniDiamondstein.com and follow her on Instagram @maggiemaepupreporter and BlueSky @ronnidiamondstein.bsky.social. Personalized, signed copies are available from Scattered Books, Chappaqua, NY.