Green Bean Books

Q&A with Tuvia Dikman Oro, for But Perhaps, Just Maybe …

1. Is But Perhaps, Just Maybe … based on any particular episode from your life, or is it something that is complete invention?

The story is not based on a specific event, but is certainly about specific behaviors by humanity. 

2. Are any of the main characters based on anyone you know? They are animals, of course, but are they representations of people you have met?

Definitely. Two of the main characters are based on people I know personally. I am certainly a duck, or at least my reaction to something resembles that of the duck in the story: sort of uncomfortable or out of place. I would love to be more like the hedgehog, but I have a long way to go until then.

3. The book was originally published in Hebrew – what has changed for the new English edition?

I think that in the Hebrew version, there were more rhymes and musicality, whereas the English version has less of that. But, at the end of the day, the English translation is pretty accurate and my English is honestly not as good as my Hebrew. 

4. How long did the story take to write?

About twelve minutes to write and then another thousand hours to edit and fix. 

5. What advice can you offer to aspiring artists – writers, actors, illustrators – anyone seeking to work in creative fields?

I think that you need to study a lot of art in order to get inspired, you should try imitation as an exercise to improve your technique, and you should seek adventures with interesting people – so that you end up with crazy and wonderful stories. 

6. What would be your dream creative project? For another children’s book or something else in another format?

I would like to write and direct an opera – on stage and also an animation. 

7. Do you think you generally think the best of people, which is the message of the book? 

Of course not, but I hope to get closer to that one day.