Loryn Brantz: Write the Book You Want To See in the World
In this interview, author Loryn Brantz discusses the personal inspiration behind her new picture book, I Am a Spicy Nugget.
Loryn Brantz is an Emmy Award–winning author, artist, poet, and director. She is the creator of numerous beloved children’s books, including the bestselling series Feminist Baby and It Had to Be You (A Love Poem Your Baby Can See). Her work can be seen on "Sesame Street", "Elmo’s World", "Ms. Rachel", and more. Her latest book, Poems of Parenting, is a New York Times bestseller. Loryn is a bit of a spicy nugget herself and lives in New York City with her husband, architect Jake J. Brotter, and their little nuggets, Dalia and Ronen. Follow her on Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
In this interview, Loryn discusses the personal inspiration behind her new picture book, I Am a Spicy Nugget, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: Loryn Brantz
Literary agent: Ed Maxwell, Transatlantic Agency
Book title: I Am a Spicy Nugget
Publisher: Penguin Random House Expected release date: September 8, 2026 Genre/category: Children’s Picture Book
Previous titles: Poems of Parenting; Feminist Baby series; It Had to Be You; Now That You’re Here;For Your Smile; Blanket
Elevator pitch: I am a Spicy Nugget is a laugh-out-loud picture book that chronicles what happens when one little girl’s outrage turns her into a full -blown “SPICY NUGGET!” Read along as hilarity ensues while riding the waves of explosive feelings, followed by the journey back to being a kid and realizing that everyone can feel like a spicy nugget sometimes, and that's OK.
What prompted you to write this book?
Spicy Nugget was inspired by my daughter, who can reach atomic levels of spicy, and by that I mean she’s extremely sensitive, empathetic, wonderful, magical, and at times quite explosive. We tried everything and found that the only strategy that seemed to help with her tantrums was humor and imaginative play. So, one time, she was about to have a major meltdown, and I said cheekily, “Are you a Spicy Nugget?? I’m going to dip you in some cold buttermilk to cool you off!” I have no idea what that means, but we both thought it was funny, so I went with it, and I picked her up and pretended to dunk her onto the couch, which was a “glass of buttermilk.” We were able to take a breather and calm down from the big feeling, and that’s where the idea of a Spicy Nugget originated.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
This idea definitely evolved over time. The very first iteration I wrote in 2024 was a poem entitled “Spicy Little Nugget” for my collection, Poems of Parenting. From there, I was hoping to create a poetry collection for children entitled Poems of No, but it didn’t get picked up. One of the editors who saw it thought it would be stronger if I focused on only one of the poems. So, I rewrote it just for Spicy Nugget. I had wanted to call it Poem of a Spicy Nugget, but publishers are very hesitant to move forward with poetry books for children, so I ended up keeping the lyrical and rhyming text but changing the title to I am a Spicy Nugget. From there, it sold at auction to Viking. It’s always a process and struggle between wanting to be collaborative and deciding where you won’t budge to get something published, and I’m very grateful when it ends in an offer of any kind.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Yes, for sure. I didn’t realize poetry for children was such a tough market. This is something I plan to come back to when I can, and hopefully help reignite this category for kids and make it feel less risky for publishers.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I was very happily surprised when my kids laughed really hard when reading the finished book. They’re my toughest critics for sure, so I never know how they will react, but they both LOVED I am Spicy Nugget! Definitely felt like a “my work here is done” moment.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I wrote this book to reflect the realities of parenting, to make parents and kids laugh, feel seen, and know that everyone can be a spicy nugget sometimes. My hope is that this book helps families as much as it has helped mine.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Write the book you want to see in the world and work toward it relentlessly no matter how much rejection you get.
