Screen legend on being a children’s book author

>> she is a legend, a legend of theater and film. the first eli sfwl a dolittle on broadway, and then an academy award winner for " mary popins " a win her at the golden globes for "sound uf music" and now she and her daughter are best sellers for a series of children's book. they're now out with the fourth book in their series , "the very fairy princess." the character geraldine is based on emma 's daughter and julie 's granddaughter, and joining me now is julie andrew from new york and emma walton hamilton, both with us in new york city . thank you both. it's great to see you again. is this the 27th book in the series ? julie .

>> it is the 27th book in the series . actually, the 27th book we've written together and the fifth book in this particular series in the very fairy princess series .

>> i'm not getting you on my mike. i'm so sorry. hello.

>> it's good to see you again.

>> can somebody fix that for me? while we fix your audio, emma , if you could talk about working with your mother and how this has evolved to this very successf successful.

>> i think you can hear me now.

>> lovely to see you.

>> it's 15 years, andrea , that we've been writing together, if you can believe it, and people always ask how is it that a mother-daughter team, writing team, could work? they seem sort of disbelieving, but we've found it to be a very happy and --

>> organic, nice process. it's like playing in a wonderful sandbox together. we don't get involved with family issues. we just get involved with the books really.

>> and stay creative and it's a great deal of mutual respect, and i think that helps, and the best idea wins.

>> and this is also something very near and dear to our hearts because we talk about violence in video games . these are books. these are books for little girls and boys . no violence to develop the habit of reading themselves or being read to, and that is such an important part of family relationships .

>> yes. it's a huge responsibility to write for children because you better get it right, because it is for children, and hopefully it might influence them for the rest of their lives. i mean, who doesn't remember the book that made the difference when they were young? this particular series is something of a misnomer because it's not your typical princess book. it's really about celebrating individuality and authenticity and little gerry, the very fairy princess, thinks she's a fairy princess, but, many of the, it's really about her inner sparkle, more than her outer spark and what she shares with the world and how she helps her friends and so forth.

>> this is just a fifth in the series , and we've got more in the pipeline, and --

>> valentine's day.

>> this just happens to be a valentine's day one.

>> it's a valentine's days for us any time we get to see you, julie , and emma .

>> i was looking back at a today show celebration of the 45th anniversary of " sound of music ." this was two years ago. that was 47 years presumably. you were talking about what a family that group is. not just you, but all of those that played the children sfwloosh we keep in touch all the time, and we love each other very much, and it's kind of a very happy situation that we do all get on, and that we do still remember each other at christmas and birthdays and so on. i think of them so fondly because we worked very hard.

>> and when i think about the range of your career now that ewe a kennedy honor for the kennedy honor, and you received a degree from yale university . i happened to be --

>> you were there.

>> i was there for that and celebrating you.

>> that's the first time we ever met, i think.

>> i know. it was such a privilege to see you in that. i know you have done work for the united nations , for the state department internationally. what a career. do you have a favorite role, a favorite moment.

>> i wish i could say that i did. every single thing that i have done has been either a learning experience or the most fun or the most wonderful director or a great guy to work with, and it's really hard. some of them do stand out. viktor victoria with blake. sob with blake, my husband. obviously sound of music . all of them for different rains. it's really hard to say which one.

>> maybe mum.

>> maybe mum.

>> the author.

>> well, for me they're all special and magic, but i'll never forget seeing you on broadway as a young girl brought by my dad to see eliza dolittle with rex harris.

>> that kind of dates both of us, andrea , doesn't it?

>> that's okay. that was a good period to be in. what is your message to those, julie and emma , who don't teach their kids the joy and love of reading.

>> thank you for asking that question.

>> joy is the keyword, andrea . i actually wrote a book about nurturing kids to be readers and raising kids to be readers. called raising book worms. it's about preserving the joy. so often we think, well, kids learn to read at school. i don't have to be responseible for that. they learn to love reading at home, and, therefore, it's really important that we as parents preserve the joy of reading by supporting them and reading things that speak to their hearts, books that they love. not necessarily, you know, always fiction. it can be nonfiction as well, and --

>> reading is from the earliest age possible. stoo reading aloud together as a family, and making sure that every aspect of it is a supportive and joyful process.

>> i still treasure those moments with my mom getting our first library card and walking us to the library and browsing through the books, and --

>> that's just it.

>> the moments that --

>> they are. those are the tactile pleasures.

>> i hope they don't disappear. it's a wonderful world , and all those electronic mediums are helpful and needed, but i still think hold aing book in your hand is just so special.

>> well, julie andrews and emma , it is really exciting to see both of you again. thank you so very much. the book, of course --

>> do it in person next time.

>> the book is a very fairy princess, and a wonderful valentine's present indeed.

>> much love. thank you.

>> you too.