THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE NODDERS BOOK
WHAT’S THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE NODDERS?
This is something that I’ve wanted to do since my children were out of high school. This napping solution has gone through three generations in my family. My mother had this brilliant concept when I was little. I have three siblings, and we were close in age, so she started this story with us. It was so cool that we all wanted to nap!
WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH NAP TIME SUCCESS?
I had three children who were 20 months apart. We lived in a duplex with three bedrooms. I started with all of them sleeping in one bedroom, and then I had a playroom. It got really hard — inevitably, somebody didn’t want to nap. I was so tired of the battle. You just want time for yourself to take a shower! THEN, I remembered what my mother had done, and I thought, Maybe I’ll try it. They were so excited about it that they slept. Fast forward, my daughter has ason, and they lived with me for a year, so we began the process again.
WHAT DID THE WRITING PROCESS LOOK LIKE?
I’ve always wanted to write this book, but I’ve been busy with a lot of different jobs. I was a classroom teacher, taught technology, worked for Apple Computer, started a cookie business … I really haven’t had time to sit down and write. My good friend called me one day and said, “Have you written that book yet?” I said, “No, but I promise I will.”
So, I sat down in March of 2022 and wrote the book during COVID. I wanted the characters to be unique, so I hire a wonderful artist to create the characters and design the book. Over the years. I went to Beaver’s Pond Press, and they have a menu of things that they do. They were so wonderful, and they have a pool of artists. I selected my artist, who could not have been more perfect for this book. I really love collaboration.
The story is really beautiful. I was a first-grade teacher, so I know what early learners need to have in a book. You want to be able to have them look at the colors, animals and shapes. Our little Nodders wear pajamas unless they’re flying off to deliver their treats, and their pajamas have shapes on them. Parents can ask, “Can you find a circle? Can you show me the color green? Do you see the worm? Where’s the mushroom?” It’s not just a one-time book; it’s a book that you can use to encourage early learning. I’m very proud of that. The book received 8 Children's Book Awards the year that we published!