Door’s Open! A Cover Reveal and Q&A with Mel Rosenberg on Emily Saw a Door

Sometimes I find myself in front of a group of children within my capacity as an author. Inevitably, sometimes because I bring it up and sometimes because they do, the dreaded question, “What advice can you give to young writers?,” arises. And the advice that I like to give… well, it probably isn’t necessarily what the adults in the room want to hear. Because as someone who came to writing a bit later in life, part of what I adore about the children’s book world is that anyone can be a writer pretty much anytime. You can be 20. Or 40. Or 74, for crying out loud. So I tell the kids that they needn’t stress it too much. If you want to write, do it. And if you want to put it off for a little while? That’s okay too.

Mel Rosenberg gets what I’m saying. Here’s a man with his first picture book coming out in 2026 (Emily Saw a Door, out February 24th with Random House Studio) but you probably know him best as the host of the Children’s Literature Channel on the New Books Network. Now he’s switched tracks and I wanted to know why. Turns out, his path to publication is entirely and utterly unique.

In terms of the book itself, the publisher describes it this way:

“Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
It’s me, Emily. May I come in?

And so begins Emily’s search for a door that will open. The first door is blue, and the voice behind the door tells Emily that she doesn’t sound very bluish. The second door says it only opens for tigers, crocodiles, and snakes. But she is a girl named Emily– and the animals are hungry–and so she moves on. The third is only for people who speak very quietly, and the door can hear Emily.

Finally, Emily comes to a place without a door. She gets out her chalk and draws one, then adds a doorknob, and goes right in. And when someone knocks on her door, she says, “The door is open!”

[Okay, I don’t usually say this, but even though this is a perfectly decent description, Mel’s book is a hella lot better than this makes it sound. Trust me on this.]

We chat! We kvetch! We reveal covers! Here he is:

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Betsy Bird: Mel! What a turn of events! Usually you interview me about my books. Now, in a switch of fortunes, I get to interview YOU about EMILY SAW A DOOR and I couldn’t be more pleased. This is your very first picture book and it is, and I mean this sincerely, beautiful. I always tell kids that the thing I love about children’s literature is that there’s no deadline. You can become an author whenever you choose. So tell us why you wrote this picture book now in your life?

Mel Rosenberg: Thanks so much, Betsy, for your kind words, and for all that you do to promote children’s literature. EMILY SAW A DOOR is my first traditionally-published book. And yes, it did take me most of my life to ‘break in.’ I will be 74 when the book comes out in North America in February!

 BB: And on a bit of a related note, where did THIS particular book come from? After all, doors hold a special fascination for more than just children. What’s EMILY’s origin story?

Mel: The story originated when I saw a sign on a carousel ‘banning’ children who were not tall enough. I thought how cruel and unfair that was. And then I thought about all the times I was rejected in my life. Including as a writer. How did the doors get involved? I initially wrote the story in a long narrow room that had about ten doors. That must have been it.

 BB: Ah! That reminds me of You Must Be This Tall by Steven Weinberg. Your book is far more metaphorical, though. So tell us a little bit about your path to publication. For so many people it seems like an unattainable dream. What was the process that brought this book to life?

Mel: Ten years ago I attended the annual SCBWI meeting in New York. It was a real eye-opener and ego cruncher. I realized that although I had been writing since my early twenties, my stories were not good enough. But I also learned that there was a roadmap for improving one’s craft and wonderful people who were willing to help and support the journey.

I knew that the odds of publication were very slim so I tried to focus on the writing itself. Workshops, critique groups, swapping manuscripts, reading, entering contests, studying with incredible mentors (Harold Underdown and Mike Malbrough in particular). Still, my stories kept on getting rejected. I thought of giving up with each pass. But giving up only reduces your odds from slim to zero. So I kept on writing. Submitting. And trying to interest anyone who would listen.

In 2021, I started a collaboration with the New Books Network and created the “Children’s Literature Channel.” I’ve since interviewed almost 200 kidlit professionals (including you, twice!). This taught me a lot about children’s publishing, and also increased my visibility within the community.

In 2022, Yotam Shwimmer, the editor-in-chief of Tal-May, agreed to look at several of my stories. Yotam and the publisher, Meira Firon, fell in love with Emily and offered to publish the book in Hebrew. It ended up winning several awards.

I sent the English version (with Orit Magia’s incredible illustrations) to several agents in the US. Liza Fleissig (Liza Royce Associates) loved Emily and promptly sold the rights to Annie Kelley (Random House Studio). Liza and her partner Ginger Harris are now my amazing agents. And Annie Kelley is wonderful.

So yes, it has been quite a journey. I feel incredibly fortunate to have come this far.

BB: My husband has a saying about how when you “break into the business” they call it that because whatever method you used, they’ll seal up the hole so no one else can get in that way. I very much like hearing how you did it. And what I love about EMILY SAW A DOOR, the book itself, is that it imparts wisdom without didacticism. There’s a message here but it’s subtle. Tell us a bit about the editing process. How much does this final product look like the original draft you handed to your editor?

Mel: The basic manuscript remained more-or-less intact, but what changed were two crucial beats in the story. The first was when Emily trudges along dejectedly until she decides to seize the initiative. The second is the story ending itself. In both cases, editors identified ‘what needed fixing,’ and left me to sweat it out. I’m deeply grateful, as the story ended up much improved.

 BB: I often tell authors that they must have made small offerings to the illustration gods to get a good artist for their books. In this case you got Orit Magia and I honestly believe that no one could have been a better fit. Were you aware of Orit’s work at all before this title? How do you feel about the final product?

Mel: That was all Yotam’s doing. He showed Orit Magia the manuscript and she promptly agreed to illustrate it. The rest, like her name, is pure magic. Orit’s Emily is an empathy magnet. The most beautiful illustration in the book was totally her idea, not mine. Ironically, that is the double spread I’m most proud of.

So, how do I feel about the final product? To quote Frank Loesser, ‘If I were a bell I’d be ringing…”

BB: I have to ask this because I’m massively curious: What is the most interesting door you personally ever walked through?

Mel: That would be the door which led me, as a young scientist, to pursue a career studying bad breath.

 BB: Oh. Well done. Best possible answer (and there’s a picture book in that, you know). Finally, what’s next for you? More books? Other projects? Let us know!

Mel: My next book will be published here in Hebrew by Tal-May. It’s the story of a girl who is not at all like Emily, and yet…

I also have several manuscripts on submission in North America and the UK.

I remain passionate about storytelling, and hope to continue to write for as long as I can.  

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I think it’s just about time to reveal Mel’s cover now, wouldn’t you agree?

Huge thanks to Mel for suggesting this interview + Q&A and for answering all my questions today. Emily Saw a Door, as I mentioned before, is out February 24th. Look for it then!

Filed under: Cover Reveal, Interviews