STELLA’S SPECIAL RECIPE
Today I’m excited to welcome author Melissa Stoller, one of my dear critique partners, to the blog. Her newest book, STELLA’S SPECIAL RECIPE, will be released soon and so we’ll be chatting about how this adorable story came to be.
Illustrated by Valerya Milovanova and to be published by Kar-Ben Publishing (an Imprint of Lerner Publishing) on August 4th, 2026, this is a heartwarming story of family love, tradition, culture, and food.
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A bit about STELLA’S SPECIAL RECIPE:
Stella is finally old enough to help cook her family’s favorite holiday meal. She follows a recipe handed down through the generations, where each member of her family added a special ingredient and a little bit of love to the dish. Now it’s Stella’s turn to add her unique touch. Food, humor, and heart are at the center of this intergenerational story about family rituals, cooking, and connection.
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Now on to our interview:
M. Melissa, I’m so happy we get to celebrate your soon to be released book. Can you tell us what inspired you to write this story? Does it come from personal experience?
MS. First, thank you so much, Mariana, for inviting me to be a guest on your blog. I love your books, and I am so happy to share STELLA’S SPECIAL RECIPE: A ROSH HASHANAH STORY with you and your readers. I’m so excited for STELLA to release from Kar-Ben Publishing on August 4, 2026, and I can’t wait for everyone to marvel at the beautiful artwork by illustrator Valerya Milovanova! Her brilliant and joyous illustrations create pure magic to the story! As with many of my manuscripts, I was inspired to write this story through my personal experiences. The book is about a little girl, Stella, who is finally old enough to cook her family’s favorite Rosh Hashanah holiday meal – stuffed cabbage. I, too, cooked stuffed cabbage rolls with my Nana and my mother, and now with my three children. I knew I wanted to write this story to honor that tradition of multi-generational cooking, sharing holidays, and showing love through recipes.
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M. I LOVE intergenerational stories too! They’re always very warm and full of love. I know you’ve already touched a bit on this, but why did you want to write a story in which food, family, and tradition are central?
MS. Food, family, and tradition are central to children everywhere and I wanted to write a story that was particular but also universal. The story is particular because it centers around cooking a special family recipe for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. And it is also universal in many ways. Many cultures cook stuffed cabbage rolls (adding their own unique flavors). And people around the world share holiday cooking and baking with their families as they get ready for the holidays they celebrate. I love writing about cultural traditions that feel familiar to some and also can shed light on joyous moments for others. People connect over food, family and tradition, and I’m so happy I was able to include those themes in this book.
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M. That’s such a perfect answer! I agree that those are elements that are universal and so every child can relate in their own way. Melissa, can you share how did you come up with ideas about having family members adding an ingredient to the recipe along with a unique special touch? That’s one of my favorite details in the story!
MS. I knew that I wanted to write an intergenerational story, where a young girl, Stella, is using a family recipe to cook her family’s holiday meal. Stella uses the family recipe card, where each member of her family, from her Bubbe Sophie, to her Nana, to her Mama, adds a unique ingredient along with a special touch like a hug. I loved the idea that each member of Stella’s family through the generations added to the recipe and to the family lore. In this way, Stella also got to know more about her ancestors and her heritage. And finally – Stella has to figure out her own special ingredient and little bit of love that she too can add to the recipe and to her family’s story.
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M. Yes! That’s exactly why I love that addition! It’s a cute way to get to know more about the ancestors, to pass on their memories, and to somehow keep them alive. I love that! Melissa, what was your favorite scene to write in the story and which one was the most challenging?
MS.I truly loved writing the entire book and every scene captured my imagination. Among my favorite scenes are where Stella is collecting ingredients from the family garden, where she is wearing the necklace from Bubbe Sophie close to her heart (and I love that Valerya drew the necklace itself as a heart!), and where she wears her Nana’s apron. Most challenging to write was the ending – I wanted the story to end in just the right place! Throughout the book, Valerya’s illustrations sparkle with love, joy, and lots of beautiful details for readers to discover.
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M. Yes! Valerya’s illustrations are warm, adorable, and worked perfectly with your text. She’s so talented! You are lucky she was part of your team! Finally, can you share what you would like readers to take away from this story?
MS. I hope readers take away the idea that holiday rituals such as cooking together can forge connections in families at the holiday time and all year long. Also, I love intergenerational stories – we all have so much to learn between generations, and the connections between generations are so special. And I hope that families will explore their own holiday rituals and tell the stories that are important in their families. We are all storytellers and we all have stories to tell! Thank you again for including me as a guest on your blog, Mariana. I really enjoyed these questions and I hope your readers will love STELLA’S SPECIAL RECIPE!
M. It was my pleasure, Melissa! I always enjoy learning more about the “behind the scenes” of books while I also get to support fellow authors and friends. I wish you all the best with Stella and I hope she gets tons of love from readers all around. Cheers!
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MELISSA’S BIO
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Melissa Stoller writes to bring heartfelt connection and joy to her readers. Melissa’s newest picture book, Stella’s Special Recipe: A Rosh Hashanah Story, illustrated by Valerya Milovanova, releases from Kar-Ben Publishing on August 4, 2026. Her recent picture books include: Hazel and Mabel: Two Hearts Apart, illustrated by Anita Bagdi (Gnome Road Publishing, 2025) and Mojo’s Return: A Story of Resilience and Hope, illustrated by Uzi Binyamin (co-authored with Lishay Miran Lavi and Mary Millman) (Niv Publishing, 2025). Melissa is also the author of the chapter book The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection – Return to Coney Island, and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; Sadie’s Shabbat Stories; Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom; and Building Bridges: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written). Melissa is a Rate Your Story Judge, a Blogger for the Children’s Book Academy, a member of SCBWI, a Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Trustee, and a former school and synagogue trustee. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer/editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and travel.
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CONNECT WITH MELISSA
https://www.MelissaStoller.com
https://www.MelissaStoller.com/blog
http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller
www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller
www.pinterest.com/melissa_Stoller
ADD TO GOODREADS here.
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Interested in pre-ordering Stella’s Special Recipe?
https://www.amazon.com/Stellas-Special-Recipe-Hashanah-Story/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stellas-special-recipe-melissa-stoller/
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Thanks for reading!
M
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Cover photo by Arina Krasnikova.
