As a children’s author, I’ve penned a number of books, 15 of which have been published! Some of my stories kind of wrote themselves, like my “de Good Life Farm” series books. I wrote these books to teach children about the animals’ lives here on a small farm. Not only do the photographs in these books show life on a farm that children might not otherwise see, the books contain a glossary for unfamiliar words so they can be used as a teaching tool.
But some of my books have other specific purposes. Are the words in our children’s books important? With a resounding “YES!”, I answer! So, what’s in a book? Why are the words of even an early reader important? Check out this article on the subject. Today, I’d like to talk about a few of my books today and let you in the back door as to the “why” these books were written and what their purpose could be.
Did You Ever See Such a Silly Thing? (words of laughter)
Did You Ever See Such a Silly Thing? is a rhyming book written about animals doing silly things. The “how” it came to be written is a little unconventional. It didn’t come about with lots of thought like most of my other books. I was driving home from town one day and an animal crossed the road in front of me. To be honest, I can’t remember now what kind of animal it was, but probably was a skunk or raccoon. Anyway, a rhyme popped into my head. I quickly dictated it into my notes on my phone. By the time I got home, I had added several rhymes to it.
I submitted it to my publisher and she paired me with Chrissy Chabot, a very talented artist who made it come alive with her bold and colorful illustrations! It’s funny, but this simple, funny book has become one of my best sellers to families with younger children. And, it really brings out the giggles when I have the opportunity to read it to young students in the classroom. What’s better than to hear children laughing? Words that bring out a child’s laughter is important! Read this article for more insight on the benefits of laughter for children.
Carmella the Camel Finds A Home (words of uniqueness)
Carmella the Camel Gets a Home is a book I wrote in the early 2000s, when my boys were little. It is the story of a stuffed camel who has a lopsided eye. She lives in a toy store in Iraq and gets passed over again and again when toys are bought. One day, a U.S. serviceman comes into the store and buys her. He stuffs her in his backpack as he is heading home to his family and his little girl.
Carmella isn’t like the other stuffed camels in the store. Is she different? Flawed? or special? It’s important that children realize that the things that make them different also make them special, giving them the opportunity to allow their specialness to shine!
The Best Noisy Gift (words of adaptation and care-giving)
The Best Noisy Gift was written for my granddaughter. My son and his wife were expecting a baby and my granddaughter wanted a baby sister so badly! She could think of nothing else! However, on the day of the “reveal”, horror of all horrors…the smoke was BLUE! Bless her heart, she was completely devastated. She hopped in the car between different family members and said that she was going to run away!
The little girl in the book loves gifts…noisy gifts of all kinds! Her parents tell her they are bringing home a gift for her. But, she doesn’t quite understand…until that little gift arrives and out-noises her noisiest toys! She tries all kinds of ways to mitigate the noise, even going as far as to look for an OFF switch, all to no avail! Then, her mama then shows her how to gently hold, talk and sing gently to him and she finds that she has a special role as his big sister. To this day, she tells me he is her best noisy gift!
Korey Woods, the talented illustrator of this book did a fantastically wonderful job of using photographs of my granddaughter and newborn grandson to draw these adorable characters! My granddaughter even recognized herself and her baby brother! She loved it! I have met so many parents in the same situation. They have shared with me how much their older child loved this book!
Hey Mama! Why Do You Love Me? (words of unconditional love)
I think sometimes we as adults forget how confusing and discouraging being a child can be. Sometimes we don’t realize that our sweet children may misinterpreted how we respond to a situation. Hey Mama! Why Do You Love Me? reminds children and parents alike that it’s not what our children do: helping out with chores, doing their homework, etc., that makes us love them! And, the things they do that aren’t the best: not listening, not helping or being kind, do NOT affect our love for them.
We love our children because of WHO they are. They are special because of WHO they are! Our children are gifts to us! They are our precious children and that we love them regardless of WHAT they do! The reassurance of our unconditional love is important!
Dream Big, Little One -not yet released (words of dreams for the future)
I wrote Dream Big, Little One because dreams are important, especially to little ones who have their whole lives ahead. As I look back on my own children’s dreams, they represented hope for the future. I remember my oldest son telling me when he was about ten years old that he thought there were so many cool cars out there, he thought he’d have to own a used car lot because he couldn’t own them all. What’s interesting is that he works with cars and has had several years working at a dealership!
We know that not all dreams come true but it is vitally important to dream! And, dreams aren’t just for young ones. I have always loved writing but seeing my books get published didn’t happen until I was a nana! That’s a long time to dream! Encouraging dreams in our children is important!
Summary
I hope you have enjoyed reading about the purposes behind some of my children’s books. The words and ideas conveyed in our children’s books are so important.
If you would like to check out these and my other books, please click here. You can purchase them through the Amazon links on my website. If you would like them autographed or signed to someone special, please email me here and I will fill the orders from my inventory.