Cozy Critters on the Ark follows a little mouse living in peaceful solitude who goes on an exciting adventure on Noah’s Ark and learns the meaning of friendship and happiness. What was the inspiration for your story?

My husband and I created the Cozy Critter world because of our love for small pets that make a lasting impact in one’s lives. Our guinea pig, Cooper, means a lot to us and we wanted to create a world where small creatures can make huge impacts in things and people around them. Kids can sometimes feel like they’re small and they don’t matter but our story hopefully teaches them that they do matter and their acts of kindness can change others and themselves.

The art in this book is fantastic, really bringing the story to life. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Michael Collazo?

Working with my husband was an absolute privilege and honor. We learned a lot about our marriage and working together as a team. Michael is a unique artist because he doesn’t use any image references when he illustrates and everything you see in our book comes from his heart. In this book, he would draw the images first and then we would both add words to it, which is normally the opposite of the story writing process. This made it so that the illlustrations became the primary focus and our story weaved in and out of them. Michael has never taken an art class in his life. He is truly a unique artist and I pale in comparison to him and have a more realistic art style.

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

Love is a choice and every day is full of choices to make. We can strive to make this world a better place by loving people just as they are, which is a biblical principle my husband and I try to live out daily and requires an internal decision of us even when it might be hard. Rufi has his flaws by taking on tasks harder than he expects, not asking for help, and letting his introverted nature create a barrier between him and people who might enjoy him. The Cozy Critters accept him just as he is and we did not want to change him- he is still a guarded little workaholic mouse. But he does learn a thing or two about the value of loving others and letting one be loved in return. Friends can easily become family, especially if you did not have a traditional family upbringing and this book also has friendship, belonging, kindness, and displacement themes.

When will book two be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?

Our next book in the Cozy Critter Storytime Series will focus around Henrietta, the bossy go-getter bunny. She will want to take over the Christmas planning and readers will see what happens when her long list of action items gets fulfilled. Although she is a bit of a control freak, she is just as fragile as Rufi and has endearing qualities we will be developing. The book, Henrietta Ruins Christmas, will be released in the Fall of 2025.

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YOU are about to embark on an adventure with the world’s greatest friends, the Cozy Critters! Join us for the first heartwarming story in the Cozy Critters Storytime Series, which takes place alongside the biblical record of Noah’s Ark. The events that transpire will leave you saying…

“Why am I cheering and clapping for a mouse?!”

Rufi the workaholic mouse has friends but lives a solitary life. When he isn’t working hard, he enjoys reading a good book with a nice cup of coffee. His world is quickly turned upside down when he finds himself thrust into an adventure alongside new companions. When Rufi is displaced from his solitary treehouse, he may just discover that sharing the world with unexpected friends is what brings him true happiness!

Join Rufi as he is caught up in the action aboard Noah’s Ark and learns that any place can be a home if it is filled with love. This whimsical tale demonstrates a simple truth which is held dear by its authors, “Love never fails.” This book was created to support connection between children and the adults who are teaching them about life. While it contains fictional elements and absurdities, it aims to provide children with examples of belonging and kindness and demonstrate how friendship can rescue you from life’s biggest storms.

We understand that children navigate many of the same kinds of problems as adults, including finding ourselves in new living situations, situational family dynamics, and unexpected displacement. This book encourages children to broaden their ideas about belonging and helps them to see that they are surrounded by others who are willing to share their world.

Note: Side effects of this book may include wearing a red shirt, being a better friend, and cozy behavior.