The Brown Bookshelf is honored to be the first stop on Nikki’s virtual book tour for A Cup of Quiet. Check out our interview with the prolific, multi-award-winning author below!

TFB: Hi Nikki! We’re so honored you decided to launch your virtual tour with The Brown Bookshelf! When I first received a copy of your book, I was immediately struck by the title. “A cup of quiet” is an unfamiliar turn of phrase for me. What’s the backstory on it? Did you grow up hearing it? How did it inspire this story?

NG: “A cup of quiet” is a phrase I conjured up. Think about how often someone offers you a cup of tea, or a cup of coffee, to encourage you to stop, take a minute, breathe.  But, what if, instead, someone offered you a cup of quiet?  That’s what nature offers us, every day.  I exhale every time I step out into my garden, even for a few minutes.  I take a sip of quiet, and it helps me to relax, and to center myself. I suppose the idea for the book, and the title, came from moments like that.

TFB: Why is it important for kids to experience moments of quiet on a regular basis? How can adults create environments or routines that encourage this?

NG: We all need to experience daily moments of quiet. The crazier the world gets, the more we need it. That’s as true for children as it is for adults.  I’m no expert, but I think as adults, the most important thing we can do is model this practice for the children in our lives. That means routinely making space in our day to step outside, to go for a walk, to visit a park, to visit a nearby botanical garden, to go for a hike, sit near a lake or the ocean, listening to waves lapping the shore, or spending time in the garden tuning in to the soothing sounds of birdsong, and wind ruffling the leaves of trees, and the buzz of bees. This practice helps us to be more patient, better listeners, calmer, and—ultimately—clearer thinking and more productive when we step back into the flow of life.

TFB: So many benefits to touching grass, as they say. A Cup of Quiet isn’t your first picture book to convey the joys kids experience by interacting with nature.  Why is it important for you to write stories like these, that encourage kids to develop a habit of exploring the natural world?

NG: Spending time in nature is a great and simple way to restore ourselves, to re-group, to heal, to center ourselves—and it’s free.  It’s a mode of self-care we can all afford and can all take advantage of. By engaging in nature we can develop survival skills, strengthen our bodies, lower our blood pressure, manage our weight, and increase good mental health.  And nature has so much to teach us, about living in community (watch the ants), about working together (study the bees), about creating something beautiful and useful from scraps (have you looked at a bird’s nest, lately?)  So, helping our children develop the practice of spending time in nature is to give them a vital, living source of knowledge—a treasure that can last their lifetime.

TFB: Let’s talk about the beautiful, whimsical art in the book. What do you think Cathy Ann Johnson’s fanciful illustrations add to the storytelling and reader experience?

NG: Cathy Ann’s work invites readers into the story to experience a moment of quiet, reminding them to be still and notice the whistle of wind, or the whir of a hummingbird’s wings.  She makes the experience of exploring nature look like fun, which of course it is!  Her work also celebrates loving, joyful relationships with a grandparent.

TFB: One of the things I find most interesting about A Cup of Quiet is how the bond between grandmother and granddaughter is revealed through a shared affinity for imaginative language and play. How do kids benefit when the adults in their lives encourage and join in their creative expressions?

NG: When we encourage and join children in their creative lives and pursuits, we teach them the value of those pursuits.  We show them respect for creativity, for the arts, for the world of the imagination, and, in effect, teach them that this is good. By so doing, we plant in them a lifelong love of the arts, and of the creative world. That world will continue to be a source of joy for them, especially through those challenging times when having an avenue through which to tap into joy is most needed.

TFB: That’s some timely wisdom, Nikki. Extremely timely. Can you give us the scoop on some of your upcoming projects?

NG: My pleasure! I can share two of them that I’m excited about.  First, my Dyamonde Daniel chapter book series is growing.  Loser, Book #5 will release on June 3rd.  And second, in 2026, I’m looking forward to Stronger Than, co-written with Choctaw author Stacy Wells, and illustrated by E. B. Lewis.  In this book a Black Choctaw boy discovers the stories of his ancestors, one a survivor of the Trail of Tears, and the other a survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Their stories teach him that he comes from stronger stock than he knew, and this knowledge helps him to overcome one of his fears.

A Cup of Quiet officially releases on April 15, 2025, but you can pre-order your copy today. You can also follow Nikki Grimes on Bluesky, Instagram, and the rest of her virtual tour for a chance to enter and win multiple book giveaways:

The post A Cup of Quiet by Nikki Grimes appeared first on The Brown Bookshelf.

Original source: https://thebrownbookshelf.com/2025/04/07/a-cup-of-quiet-by-nikki-grimes/

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