the Tiny House of Happiness (THOH)
KidLit Retreat!
One of the most challenging aspects of being an artist or writer is finding the time, space and peace you need to conjure your creativity and produce your art. Even if you already have a designated writing or studio space in your home, it can be tough to devote 100% of your focus to your work when real-life responsibilities and distractions lie just on the other side of the door. Sometimes you need to get away from it all and recharge your creative batteries. Especially when working in isolation. And that’s where the creative pleasure palace, also known as the Tiny House of Happiness comes in. We built this lovely space in the back yard where creative peeps could come for a few days or come and rent Mira's brain to get a whole bunch of kidlit work done and move forward with your career all in crazy beautiful Portland, Oregon.
Currently, this space is only available to children's book creatives, friends, or family of former students The goal of the retreat is to help creatives leapfrog their careers while having lots of fun and relaxation.
Currently, this space is only available to children's book creatives, friends, or family of former students The goal of the retreat is to help creatives leapfrog their careers while having lots of fun and relaxation.
During my one-on-one Skype critique with Mira, I quickly realized why she is known as the Picture Book Whisperer. She will read your work and identify trouble areas and come up with magical solutions on the spot. Mira will leave you with a clear plan of what to do after the critique, instead of just telling you what needs work. Her imagination, creativity, and spirit are truly inspiring and I hope everyone is lucky enough to experience a critique with her during their writing journey. Maggie Lauren Brown (Now agented with her debut contract forthcoming TBA)
Working with Mira one-on-one was a magical experience. She has a wealth of knowledge about children's books and when she applied that knowledge to my work directly, so many light bulbs went off in my mind. I learned more from one hour with her than I ever thought possible. I learned to think about things - for both my writing and illustrations - that I didn't even know to think about before. Plus, her enthusiasm and creativity is contagious. I recommend spending as much time in her company as possible! - Laura Wertkin
Mira is truly the picture book whisperer! Her insightful critiques focus on big-picture points such as structure, plot, character, and voice, as well as small-picture points including language and word choice. Mira is especially adept at catching logic flaws in a manuscript and making suggestions that will strengthen the story. Additionally, Mira always focuses on making sure the heart of the story shines. Aside from working with Mira on many individual critiques, I also have been fortunate that Mira is my Art Director and Editor for my four picture books with Clear Fork Publishing! Her attention to detail, caring and constructive critiquing style, and genuine joy in working with authors and illustrators is unsurpassed. – Melissa Stoller (6 books now published or contracted including Scarlet’s Magic Paintbush and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories.)
the THOH Space
We warmly welcome travelers of all orientations from anywhere in the world!
The Tiny House of Happiness (THOH) is our brand new guest home. Warm in winter and cool in summer, it is designed to be super comfortable and amenable to both rest and relaxation, writing or illustrating (dry media art work only, sorry no paints or charcoal or anything that will stain but you may be able to use Mira's studio if time allows) or just sleeping, reading, and watching streaming videos on your iPad or laptop. Everyone who has visited absolutely loves it and raves about the mattress, the lightness, brightness and lovely vibe. Everything was newly installed and purchased last year, including the bed, sofa, appliances, and linens. This 360 square foot tiny home is perfect for simple living with loads of windows, natural light, and garden views.
The Tiny House of Happiness (THOH) is our brand new guest home. Warm in winter and cool in summer, it is designed to be super comfortable and amenable to both rest and relaxation, writing or illustrating (dry media art work only, sorry no paints or charcoal or anything that will stain but you may be able to use Mira's studio if time allows) or just sleeping, reading, and watching streaming videos on your iPad or laptop. Everyone who has visited absolutely loves it and raves about the mattress, the lightness, brightness and lovely vibe. Everything was newly installed and purchased last year, including the bed, sofa, appliances, and linens. This 360 square foot tiny home is perfect for simple living with loads of windows, natural light, and garden views.
THOH has a full kitchen equipped with a full-size fridge, full size stove, large microwave, dishwasher, tea kettle, coffee maker, cutting board, knives, plates, bowls, glasses, mugs and utensils. An 8ft counter offers plenty of prep space, and there is lots of cupboard space to store your dry goods. We have most of what you would need to cook, including oils and spices (and tea and coffee). Don’t hesitate to ask if you’re missing something. (There is a minor extra charge to use the onsite washer and dryer.) Enjoy meals at the table for four or walk to some great cafés and restaurants.
The new full-sized living room couch converts into a comfortable bed. It is important to know that THOH does not include a television. Should you feel like curling up and watching a movie, please bring tablets, phones or laptops and enjoy our free WIFI. There are also lots of magazines, books, and games to play (we are constantly adding more).
Mira’s a beautiful, kind, vibrant muse and you will be so pleased with your effort and investment in her critiques and the Children’s Book Academy classes. Working directly with Mira is a master class in itself, handled with efficiency & great love! She goes straight to the wonky bits, asks salient questions, gets you to see your work with new eyes, and then together you revise and revitalize. She’s so generous with her time, encouragement and wisdom. I promise you’ll sing her praises as I do!!! I’m a golden ticket winner, submitting my freshly Mira-critiqued work for a MG novel in just a few days. Mira’s critique work has been essential and a game-changer for me!!! - Holly Vagley
The new full-sized living room couch converts into a comfortable bed. It is important to know that THOH does not include a television. Should you feel like curling up and watching a movie, please bring tablets, phones or laptops and enjoy our free WIFI. There are also lots of magazines, books, and games to play (we are constantly adding more).
Mira’s a beautiful, kind, vibrant muse and you will be so pleased with your effort and investment in her critiques and the Children’s Book Academy classes. Working directly with Mira is a master class in itself, handled with efficiency & great love! She goes straight to the wonky bits, asks salient questions, gets you to see your work with new eyes, and then together you revise and revitalize. She’s so generous with her time, encouragement and wisdom. I promise you’ll sing her praises as I do!!! I’m a golden ticket winner, submitting my freshly Mira-critiqued work for a MG novel in just a few days. Mira’s critique work has been essential and a game-changer for me!!! - Holly Vagley
The bathroom is separated by sliding pocket doors. It has an eco-friendly dual-flow toilet and sink. Wash up in the large modern shower with shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel provided. There’s storage on shelves and hooks.
In the light-filled bedroom (with full curtains), a queen size memory foam bed has two nightstands with cell phone and tablet charger. The room offers a small desk, a luggage rack and hanging rack for clothes. A full glass door in the bedroom allows for either garden views or complete privacy. (Landscaping coming soon)
There is NO SMOKING ANYWHERE ON THE PROPERTY. However, you can walk out onto the street and smoke anything anytime you like, but no judgement, I'd like to recommend keeping a clear brain for the critiques.
Coded keyless entry. Check in anytime after 2:00PM, and check out by 11:00AM.
Neighborhood parking is free and easy to access. Street parking is always available.
"Dr. Mira Reisberg is truly magical! In addition to being an editor and art director, she is also an artist and author herself. She has immersed herself in children's literature and art and knows this world inside and out. Mira is continuously studying, learning, connecting, and mentoring within the KidLit community. She has supported numerous authors and illustrators on their path to publication. Mira is incredibly perceptive and intuitive, and her input is valuable. She is a teacher, she is a cheerleader, and she is a fairy godmother! Have you been dreaming about creating books for kids? Mira will help make your dreams come true." --Jolene Gutiérrez, M.L.S., award-winning teacher-librarian (for 25 years!) and author of Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader (2020) and Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks (2020).
In the light-filled bedroom (with full curtains), a queen size memory foam bed has two nightstands with cell phone and tablet charger. The room offers a small desk, a luggage rack and hanging rack for clothes. A full glass door in the bedroom allows for either garden views or complete privacy. (Landscaping coming soon)
There is NO SMOKING ANYWHERE ON THE PROPERTY. However, you can walk out onto the street and smoke anything anytime you like, but no judgement, I'd like to recommend keeping a clear brain for the critiques.
Coded keyless entry. Check in anytime after 2:00PM, and check out by 11:00AM.
Neighborhood parking is free and easy to access. Street parking is always available.
"Dr. Mira Reisberg is truly magical! In addition to being an editor and art director, she is also an artist and author herself. She has immersed herself in children's literature and art and knows this world inside and out. Mira is continuously studying, learning, connecting, and mentoring within the KidLit community. She has supported numerous authors and illustrators on their path to publication. Mira is incredibly perceptive and intuitive, and her input is valuable. She is a teacher, she is a cheerleader, and she is a fairy godmother! Have you been dreaming about creating books for kids? Mira will help make your dreams come true." --Jolene Gutiérrez, M.L.S., award-winning teacher-librarian (for 25 years!) and author of Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader (2020) and Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks (2020).
I have had two one-on-one critiques with Mira and she is indeed magical. She immediately gets to the heart of what can make your story and/or illustrations . . . ready for publication. What is very different from many critiques is that she gives very specific suggestions, and with illustrations shows the changes she's made on Photoshop. I have a chapter book that needed more action and mystery and she came up with a great solution which I used. Her second critique was for the illustrations for a picture book but she also made suggestions to the text, both extremely helpful. Offering two critiques is alone worth the price of the entire package to stay at her retreat house. Mira. . . . comes with extensive knowledge in the field of children's literature. If you can, don't miss the opportunity to have her critique your work. - Ann Carter
Location, Location, Location!
You'll feel like you're in a quiet country cottage, but you'll truly be in the heart of the city. Sitting back on a large urban lot in a quiet neighborhood in the trending NE Portland neighborhood of Roseway, THOH is a charming yet modern vacation home centrally located between the 5 way of NE Alberta, Beaumont, Hollywood, ParkRose and the SE Portland neighborhoods, 10 minutes from the airport (about $15 by cab) and 15-20 mins to downtown and North West and South West neighborhoods. It is detached from the main house but close enough so that we can accommodate any needs during your stay. And it's only a 15 minute drive to the art-filled downtown Pearl district or to the buzzing Alberta neighborhood or to newly developed SE Division. You’re also 2 miles from the nearest Max (light rail) station, blocks from bus stops and less than 4 miles (about $15 cab ride) from PDX Airport. We also have 2 neighborhood movie theaters. The first is a nice walk to the Roseway Cinema but to go to the spectacular Hollywood Theater, you'd want to catch a Lyft, Uber, bus or drive.
There are way too many great nearby places to eat, so we've put together a nice list for guests of places to eat and things to do.
Click here to see just some of the many local restaurants. Or you can walk or take an inexpensive Lyft or Uber ride to nearby Safeway to cook all your own food in your well-equipped full kitchen.
Because of its proximity to all the shops and restaurants on Fremont, NE Sandy and the Hollywood area, the Roseway neighborhood is a hidden gem. It also has good transit with lots of buses going by on the main roads, and you aren’t too far from the MAX lightrail. The neighborhood has lots of character and charm, with more than half of the houses built in the early 1900s. Many of the homes, have a storybook charm and the whole neighborhood has a real pride of ownership. There are two large parks in the neighborhood: Glenhaven park offers sports fields, playgrounds, picnic areas, and a skate park, and Wellington Park has a brand new playground and soccer field plus lighted paths for walkers, joggers, and bikers. Rose City Golf Course is on the edge of the neighborhood, just to the south of Roseway. And there's also a fun little recently remodeled park/playground 3 blocks away at the end of the street. See below for just a few of my favorite things, or just come and walk around the magical neighborhoods. Click on an image to enlarge and scroll through if you like.
There are way too many great nearby places to eat, so we've put together a nice list for guests of places to eat and things to do.
Click here to see just some of the many local restaurants. Or you can walk or take an inexpensive Lyft or Uber ride to nearby Safeway to cook all your own food in your well-equipped full kitchen.
Because of its proximity to all the shops and restaurants on Fremont, NE Sandy and the Hollywood area, the Roseway neighborhood is a hidden gem. It also has good transit with lots of buses going by on the main roads, and you aren’t too far from the MAX lightrail. The neighborhood has lots of character and charm, with more than half of the houses built in the early 1900s. Many of the homes, have a storybook charm and the whole neighborhood has a real pride of ownership. There are two large parks in the neighborhood: Glenhaven park offers sports fields, playgrounds, picnic areas, and a skate park, and Wellington Park has a brand new playground and soccer field plus lighted paths for walkers, joggers, and bikers. Rose City Golf Course is on the edge of the neighborhood, just to the south of Roseway. And there's also a fun little recently remodeled park/playground 3 blocks away at the end of the street. See below for just a few of my favorite things, or just come and walk around the magical neighborhoods. Click on an image to enlarge and scroll through if you like.
“I have worked with Mira on two critiques. I cannot quantify the ways this experience has benefited my writing. Mira’s vision and talent for words, her creativity and suggestions all helped to enhance my work and take it to another level. If you are stuck with revision and editing, I cannot recommend Mira highly enough. I feel Mira was a lifesaver for a manuscript I had been working on for three years. For the Non-Fiction story that we worked on, I feel it is now ready to submit and for the fiction manuscript that we worked on, I’m happy to say it has found a home. I signed a contract and it will be in children’s hands in the not too distant future. Thank you Mira Reisberg, for making my picture book dreams come true.” - Shirin Shamsi (Laila and the Sands of Time published, and 2nd book contracted.)
If You Love Murals and Bookstores...
Portland is a city full of artists, writers, and kidlit folk. Some of these images are from the fun team, Local Adventurer, here! They even have a great Google maps feature here! Other images are mine or from the Internet. Thank you to all the wonderful artists who made these and other murals adding to the whimsy, beauty, and delight that is Portland. There are tons of bookstores here as well - here's a partial list or click here for some some great children's book stores.
We'd love for you to join us to work, rest, and play with us in Portland's Tiny House of Happiness! Here's our City of Portland, OR Permit A # 19-246474-000-HO for legal purposes. Just delete the dates below, click Check Availability, then choose your dates from the next screen. Then register with one of these links Magical Tiny House of Happiness Critique Retreat for One or Magical Tiny House of Happiness Critique Retreat for Two! Wahoo!!
Mira's critiques are invaluable and have helped me take my work to the next level. One manuscript we worked on together will be my debut picture book releasing in the Spring of 2021 and the other helped me sign with my dream agent, Nicole Geiger. I highly suggest jumping on any opportunity to have Mira's eyes on your work. - Charlotte Offsay - How to Return a Little Monster (Beaming Books 2021) and The Big Beach Cleanup (Albert Whitman 2021)
And if you can't make it to Portland, click here to register for a 1hr LIVE Skype or private webinar critique session with Mira (these are only available for a brief time).
And if you can't make it to Portland, click here to register for a 1hr LIVE Skype or private webinar critique session with Mira (these are only available for a brief time).