A Tail Tale is a whimsical children’s book about a boy discovering that individuality and kindness matter far more than magical solutions. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I first drafted this story as a skit for a children’s literature class in college (many years ago!).  It started as a simple tale of a boy being fascinated with animals’ tails of all kinds so he wanted to try them on.  Then the draft sat in an attic among some old school papers and I rediscovered it a couple years ago.  (Moral:  be careful what you throw away!).  I shared the draft with a couple readers who knew more than I did about writing picture books for young children, and I also took classes on the craft of that genre.  I  realized that there needed to be a deeper motivation for Wally’s interest.  Knowing that children can often be unkind to each other and that bullying can start at a young age, I decided to weave that into the story.

What message do you hope children take away from Wally’s journey?  

Wally fears there’s something wrong with him when his new classmates are not welcoming initially, and he thinks he needs to change.  When he meets the Snake, who is very different from other creatures because he is “all tail”, Wally develops empathy for him and realizes that he can stand up for himself and for his new friend.  The message is that kindness is stronger than magic (in fact, it is magic!), and that developing empathy is the key to understanding others.

Can you share insights into your collaboration with illustrator Sarah Gledhill?  

It was  wonderful working with Sarah, although we never met or talked since she’s in the UK and I’m in the US.  Sarah’s drawings cleverly brought out the personalities and emotions of both Wally and the Snake.  We exchanged ideas at many points and I learned a lot from her insights and inspirations.

Were any parts of the story influenced by personal experiences or observations?  

My first grandson was about five when i started telling him the story (before publication), and he often asked me to recite it at bedtime.  He was starting kindergarten and although he didn’t know yet that the world out there is sometimes unfriendly,  I think he was reassured by Wally’s experience of learning that he had something in common with someone who seemed very different, that Wally had the power to make friends and to help other children become friends too.

Author Links:  GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website