Around the Circle: A Conversation with Laura Alary

Illustrated Ministry: Welcome to the Illustrated Ministry Blog, Laura. We had a sneak peek at your newest book, Around the Circle, and we are delighted to chat with you! It is a stunning book that invites readers to experience the church year with wonder, belonging, and hope. 

The Story Behind the Book

Illustrated Ministry: What inspired you to write Around the Circle?

Laura: The idea for Around the Circle came from a book I made for my own children years ago. The rhythm of the liturgical [year] had become significant to me, and I wanted to weave it into our family life. I was also looking for a quiet way to occupy my then-infant son during worship. So, I sewed him a wordless fabric book based on the colours and symbols of the church year. 

Every Sunday we brought the book to church with us. My son would sit in my lap, and we would look at the pages together, quietly naming what we saw and searching for the same colours, objects, and symbols in the sanctuary. When his two sisters came along, they pored over the book too, and their big brother got to tell them the stories in his own words. 

We used the book for years, then tucked it away in a box in the basement. When I found it again, I wondered if a version of it might be useful for other families. So I wrote a very simple text, not to explain or describe the seasons in detail, but to sketch a big picture of this path that we walk together as we follow Jesus and align our own lives with his story. 

Like all calendars, the liturgical year helps us remember important days and times. But because its priorities and values are drawn from the story of Jesus, as we go around the circle we get pulled deeper and deeper into everything Jesus embodied and taught: compassion, welcome, forgiveness, hope, healing, transformation, death and resurrection. So I suppose, ultimately, the story of Jesus is the real inspiration for the book. 

Making Room for Every Emotion

Illustrated Ministry: Throughout the story, readers encounter joy, waiting, grief, celebration, and hope. Why is it important for children to experience the full range of these seasons of faith?

Laura: Getting to know a broad range of human experiences and emotions through the story of Jesus helps children understand that there is a place for all of them in the life of faith. This is a powerful corrective to the idea that following Jesus always means happiness, certainty, and prosperity. 

I have a vivid childhood memory of being told that if Jesus was really part of my life, I would smile more. This message left me confused and ashamed, because I was quite a serious child–definitely not bubbly and happy all the time! Getting to know the stories for myself and realizing that Jesus was sometimes frustrated, angry, disappointed, lonely, and sad, was very reassuring for me. 

The path of the church year passes through some rough terrain, especially during Lent and Holy Week. Children who get to know this path slowly learn that encountering hard things–and feeling all the emotions–is part of human life and that God is present through all of it. 

Of course, there is a lot of joy along the way too. The circle of the church year always arcs toward life and hope. As children go around and around, this pattern becomes part of them. They learn to trust that God is present, even in times of uncertainty, and to look for the possibility of new life emerging from death. 

In short, the rhythms of the church year–and the emotions woven through them–help form a faith (and by that I mean an attitude of trust and hope) that is robust enough to be a source of strength through real life. 

Telling Big Stories with Few Words

Illustrated Ministry: One of the remarkable things about picture books is how much they communicate with so few words. Was there a season of the church year that was especially challenging to write because every word needed to earn its place on the page?

Laura: Writing about the death of Jesus (especially for a young audience) is always challenging, both because it is so violent, and because not all Christians agree about its meaning. In Around the Circle, I have chosen to emphasize the sadness of the event, the grief of those who loved Jesus, and Jesus’ own sense of distance from God (here I am leaning on the Gospel of Mark). 

Having said that, I think the spot where the text had to do the most heavy lifting is at the very end where we find the words: “Spirit, water, wine, bread. Washed, beloved, named, fed.” I was trying to accomplish a few different things here. I wanted to close the circle and create a sense of completion by summarizing key moments in the story of Jesus and in the Church year. I also aimed to express the sacramental quality of Christian life–how we enter into it through baptism and are strengthened and sustained by the Eucharist. Finally, I wanted children to have a sense of the church as a safe place–a community of welcome and belonging. That was a lot to ask from so few words, so I had to choose carefully, especially because I wanted them to rhyme! 

The Season That Feels Like Home

Illustrated Ministry: Which season of the church year feels most like “home” to you, and why? Do you have a favorite page or illustration? What makes it special to you?

Laura: Advent has always been the season that feels most like home to me. I grew up in a place where the approach of winter brings cold and darkness, so my earliest memories of Advent are bound up with the coziness of candlelight, slow evenings, and a feeling that the whole world was settling down for a long nap. I still love that sense of burrowing and going inward during this season. It feels both restful and purposeful. 

I also find a lot of pleasure in anticipation–and Advent is all about looking forward! When I was little I loved all the traditions and planning and secrets that were part of getting ready for Christmas. As an only child with no extended family close by, I often found Christmas itself rather lonely. So I really savoured those days of preparation. 

Theologically, I have always resonated with the blend of wistfulness and hope that characterizes Advent–all those songs and stories about people in exile, calling on God to tear open the heavens and come down!  Even as a child I felt the truth of this, and it helped to hear it spoken and sung. Advent taught me to hold together lament and hope. Even as we dream and imagine and work toward a better world, there is space and time to cry over everything that is not the way it should be. 

As for my favourite illustration, I find the Advent wreaths magical, but most of all I love the second-to-last spread where Claire has recreated the circle of the church year using people and animals. If you look closely, you’ll see that she’s brought together biblical characters and contemporary figures of all ages and abilities, and arranged them in the sequence of the liturgical seasons. The people and animals have become the circle. This is such a brilliant visual representation of what I have tried to say in words: the circle of the church year is a shared path, and we make it by walking it together, season by season, following Jesus. 

Conversations Sparked by Wonder

Illustrated Ministry: What conversations do you hope this book sparks between children and the adults who read with them?

Laura: I always try to leave lots of room for wonder in my books, so that children and the grownups who read with them will have space to ask and explore genuine questions. But, I also have some specific hopes for Around the Circle. 

I hope this book can spark some conversations about belonging and welcome, especially in the Church. I can imagine grownups and children looking carefully at the illustrations, paying attention to who is there, then asking whether or not they see that reflected in their own communities. 

I also hope that the book will prompt families to practise their own storytelling. This could start as retelling and elaborating on the biblical stories that are part of the seasons. Still, I would love to see it develop into telling the stories of their own special days and times (like baptisms or birthdays), and adding these memories to their circles. 

Thinking back to an earlier question, perhaps the many emotions depicted in the book could prompt both grownups and children to speak truthfully about their own feelings, either in response to the stories, or more generally. 

Finally, I really hope children notice all the animals Claire has included! Maybe their presence will spark conversation about our kinship to other living things. It would be wonderful if Around the Circle could encourage families to think and talk about how following Jesus includes deep care for the natural world. 

“Getting to know a broad range of human experiences and emotions through the story of Jesus helps children understand that there is a place for all of them in the life of faith.”

The Power of Picture Books

Illustrated Ministry: Across your picture books, you’ve introduced children to Bible stories, the seasons of the church year, and other big ideas about life and faith. What is it about the picture book format that makes it such a meaningful way to explore these themes with young readers?

Laura: The first thing that comes to mind is that picture books are communal. They are almost always read aloud by an adult to children, often in a way that involves physical closeness (a child on your lap or a group of children sitting in a circle) and the intimacy of touch and voice. When we read picture books aloud, we explore the story together. It’s a shared experience that invites response, which makes it ideal for exploring big ideas and questions. 

Picture books are also distinctive in that they are inherently collaborative. The author and illustrator tell the same story in two different ways. When we read picture books, we become part of a conversation that has already begun. Paying attention to how words and pictures work together (and sometimes bring out distinctive aspects of a story) is a powerful lesson in meaning-making and how different perspectives can enrich one another. 

The other great thing about picture books is that they appeal to such a broad audience. Long before they can read, young children can listen, notice, and wonder. A very young child might pick out a visual detail that sparks a question. If a grownup is open to exploring and wondering with the child, this can lead to some very lively (and often insightful) conversations. Older kids will notice different things and have their own questions. 

Teens and older adults often like the nostalgia of being read to and end up drawn into the story. So picture books tend to work well in multi-age settings–including worship! I can’t think of another format that has such broad appeal and potential to stir really deep conversations. 

Making Traditions Together

Illustrated Ministry: Alongside the book is a wonderful activity guide. How do you hope families and churches use these activities together?

Laura: Thank you for mentioning the guide! I had fun writing it because I got to remember all the things my own family has done over the years to celebrate the seasons, and consider which ones had the most lasting impact. 

I hope families and churches approach these suggestions with flexibility and playfulness, not as a template for what everyone should do, but as a collection of ideas that can be adapted or changed in whatever way best suits their household or community. 

Something I hope people keep in mind is the benefit of simplicity and repetition. Celebrating the liturgical year should not be expensive, complicated, or stressful. Sometimes we (parents, clergy, faith formation leaders) feel pressured to come up with ideas that are fresh and novel. But in my experience, it is sameness—not novelty—that makes traditions powerful. 

Young children tend to love the predictability of doing things the same way over and over. There is pleasure and security in anticipating what’s coming next. This is how cherished traditions form. For example, when my son was still a toddler, we started baking hot cross buns on Good Friday. We did this year after year, always using the same recipe. Not only did my son never get bored with this practice, but he became its guardian. One year he had a serious accident in January and spent a few months in a wheelchair. When Holy Week came, he was so determined to make the buns he managed to use a walker for the first time so he could navigate our galley kitchen!

The simplest acts–planting bulbs, making a paper chain, reading a story–can become beloved traditions if we do them with care and intention. What matters is not novelty, but meaning, and a sense of connection to something bigger. Some practices, like lighting Advent candles or baking pretzels, connect us to the long history of the Church. But a practice you create yourself can also be deeply meaningful if it becomes part of your shared memory. 

What’s Next?

Illustrated Ministry: What’s next for you? Are there other stories you’re excited to tell?

Laura: My next book is called Wireless. It will be published by Nimbus in the spring of 2027 and is illustrated by Thérèse Cilia. Wireless is set in Newfoundland in 1901 and is about two kids who witness Guglielmo Marconi receiving the first transatlantic radio transmission. It’s a story about friendship and home, and that delicate balance between being content where you are and craving something more. My dad is an amateur radio operator, so I grew up around ham radio and really enjoyed digging into the history of telegraphy and radio for this story. 

Next fall, I have another book coming out with Beaming Books. God With Us: The Story of Jesus is a picture book about the life of Jesus—but with a cosmic twist! The illustrations by Thalia Papadakis are absolutely radiant. 

There are a few other picture books in process on themes like responding to change and disappointment, the healing power of music, and our physical connection to the stars. I can’t share more details yet! I love writing picture book biographies—my most recent is The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne, which was published by Eerdmans earlier this year)—so I am always on the lookout for interesting life stories to tell. 

The best way to keep up to date on my new books is through my website or by signing up for my monthly newsletter. 

Laura Alary

Author

Laura Alary is an award-winning children’s author whose background in Classics, theology, biblical studies, folklore, mythology, and science inspires books that encourage wonder and big questions. Recent titles include The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne, The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t, and Who Needs the Dark? Her All the Faces of Me was a 2024 Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book. She is also the author of Around the Circle and the Circle of Wonder series about the liturgical year.