Ann Koffsky’s "Swim-A-Thon"

Many children want to professionally dance or fight fires. For West Hempstead resident Ann Koffsky, the childhood dream has always been to become an artist, which led to her work as a children’s book illustrator. In turn, this led to her becoming an author of the same books. “I realized I wanted to control the whole story,” said Koffsky. “So I started writing some stories.”

As illustrator and author of more than 20 books, Koffsky is certainly living her dream. Her first full-length children’s book, Noah’s Swim-A-Thon (URJ Press) tells the story of a young boy who loves everything about summer camp—except for swimming. Noah will not get into the pool until he learns about the camp swim-a-thon, which raises money so less fortunate children will be able to attend camp. Noah must then face his fears and put in a lot of hard work and effort so he can learn in time for the swim-a-thon.

The book is inspired by Koffsky’s own experiences working as a lifeguard at Ruach Day Camp for the past 10 years. “[This book is] dedicated to Ruach, and to all the kids willing to take the plunge,” Koffsky said.

Each summer, Ruach holds a swim-a-thon to benefit Chai Lifeline. Koffsky acknowledges the charity by hiding its name in her book’s illustrations. Koffsky also hides the names of her three children, ages 6, 10, and 12, somewhere in each of her books. In Noah’s Swim-A-Thon, their names are written on a sponsor sheet.

Koffsky has given presentations about her books at numerous camps and schools, including Ruach Day Camp and HAFTR. Recently, Koffsky read Noah’s Swim-A-Thon to Morah Rebecca Nenner’s kindergarten class at HANC. “Ann explained the book writing and making process, how it goes from an idea to a book,” said Nenner. “She did a great job, and made it interactive. The children got different parts and acted out the book.”