Where Is Charlotte? Or Where Is __? follows a feisty young girl playing Hide-and-Seek and leading others on an adventure while learning to be assertive. What was the inspiration for your story?

This book was inspired by my crazy love for a fun little fireball.  More specifically, 3 yo Charlotte was visiting her grandmother (my partner) and had brought a toy that had the children’s classic, Frere Jacque melody, as background music.  Upon hearing the tune, I immediately thought, “I can write lyrics to that… But what?”  When it hit me:  Charlotte loved to play Hide-and-Seek.  And I knew I wanted our hero to be a spunky character.  Even at a young age, this little trickster had a confident and assertive voice.  And original, simple, and lively poetic lyrics and hiding places simply poured forth.  I’d say 90% of the story flowed in one sitting.  I believe the book’s magic results from the synergy of pairing a classic children’s song with a universal children’s game, with added spice of vibrant illustrations.  Also, writing the book allowed this author to consciously and unconsciously revisit and transform his own childhood angst and hidden self into a vital young character.  From initial conception to professionally illustrated, story-song book publication took about a dozen years.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

Six key ideas:

1. The book’s main themes involve a little girl, a little shy at first, discovering her own voice – whether saying “No She’s Not!” or demonstrating confident body posture and movement while playing Hide-and-Seek.
2. Where Is Charlotte? also illustrates our hero becoming more adventurous, going from inside hiding places to “climbing up the big trees” and “floating on a light breeze.”
3. By changing Charlotte’s image, age, and physical representation throughout the story, a wide variety of children (and adults) will see themselves in the book’s diversity.
4. Charlotte is an assertive, adventurous, and independent spirit – a “child of the wild” who roars like a tiger and gives wolf-like howls.  Yet, our plucky protagonist ultimately wants loving “bear hug” connection.   Independence and intimacy dance together.
5. Along the way, I understood the family and even classroom joy that could be released and shared by replacing “Charlotte” and singing an individual child’s name, allowing each child to be “the star of the story.”  (And little boys love to hear and imagine themselves as storybook stars as much as their female counterparts.)
6. Finally, I wanted to create a New KISS – Keep It Short & Smart – Book, that would pack a verbal and visual, playful yet meaningful punch that quickly captures and sustains the attention of children and adults in our distracting/distracted times.

What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?

I believe the most fun scene/theme involves verbalizing and visualizing Charlotte’s bold spirit, especially when our little hero finally emerges from hiding, announcing:

Where is Charlotte?

Here is Charlotte!

Here I am!

I’m shouting BOO!

And then, Charlotte, really projects her self–confidence and imagination, declaring:

Even though your bigger.

I’ll ROAR like a tiger.

Then I’ll give a wolf-like howl… OWWOOO!

Or maybe a bear-like GROWL…

And the visual depiction of hyper-vibrant wildlife imagery and vivid jungle or mountain settings add to the captivating, left- and right-brained experience!

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out and what can your fans expect in the next story?

I’m working on a new illustrated, tweens to adults’ story-song book series, Little Charley’s Big Secrets.  These lyrical, New KISS, books quickly capture emotional and mental health challenges, struggles, and triumphs of Little Charley at home, at school, with peers, etc.  Little Charley is depicted as two separate characters, a girl and a boy, in the same classroom.  And the books will be sung to the tune of classic children or folk songs, e.g., “London Bridge Is Falling Down,” “Oh Susanna,” etc.  While this story-song book targets readers ages 8-10+, its substance and style will also engage the heads and hearts of older teens and adults.

However, with the warm reception of Where Is Charlotte?, I suspect there will also be a new adventure for our plucky protagonist!

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