Blog Archives
Magical Adventures
Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny follow a fearless six-year-old who, after her father goes missing in an avalanche, sets out on an adventure with her magical stuffed bunny to rescue her father. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
When my daughter was a baby, a friend gave her a white bunny stuffie with a blue tummy that lights up and plays music when you press it. The bunny was her favorite stuffie. I used to imagine them going on magical adventures together.
I rock climb as a hobby, not seriously like the dad in the book. But I thought, what if a rock climbing dad got trapped in an avalanche and it was up to his baby daughter and her stuffie to rescue him? I had to write the story to find out.
Mari-chan has to turn into a baby to get through the secret passage so she can find her father. This is a unique setup for a valuable lesson in bravery and perseverance. What were the morals you were trying to capture while creating your characters?
Six-year-olds tend to be very active. This is when a lot of kids start trying sports, like climbing, gymnastics, and swimming. Their confidence can become linked to that skill. But what if they can’t do gymnastics anymore? What if they lose the ability to do the thing they think makes them special? Would their confidence crumble? It’s important to realize that bravery isn’t just about physical ability. It’s a lesson that both the daughter and the dad have to learn.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
The most important thing for me was to write a story that my daughter would want to read because I think reading is very important, especially for young children. My daughter complained that a lot of books I tried to get her to read were boring, so I made up my own story with things she likes: cute animals, adventure, songs, and riddles. By the way, parents who read this to their kids need to sing the songs.
Education wasn’t my primary goal with Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny, but to tell an interesting story, I had to introduce words and concepts, like avalanche and ferry, which are new to many six-year-olds. Whenever my daughter asked what something meant, I would explain and then move on with the story. This approach helped integrate the educational aspects into the story naturally.
I think it worked. I would read Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny to my daughter from my phone at bedtime, and she sometimes got so into the story that she took my phone and read it herself. She said it was the bestest story ever.
What is the next story that you’re writing, and when will it be published?
Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny was loosely based on Dante’s Inferno. I’m planning a sequel that will loosely follow Purgatorio (the next book in Dante’s The Divine Comedy), which I plan to publish before Christmas. I’d like to do a full trilogy, but I’ll see how it goes.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
On their journey, baby Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny must outwit hungry animals, alligator bridges, three-headed “beasts,” silly thieves, grumpy talking trees, a Bunny Kingdom gate test, and a wise owl tribunal. Along the way, Mari-chan discovers that even in a tiny body, her courage, creativity, and kindness are bigger than she ever imagined. But will her bravery and wits help rescue her dad, before it’s too late? It’s up to Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny to find out.
This heartwarming and imaginative allegory, reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno, shares that a difficult journey often has the best destination.
Frizzy Lizzy
Frizzy Lizzy, a charming children’s book by Liz Leonard, takes readers on an adventure with Lizzy as she navigates a weekend filled with biking, hiking, and unexpected turns. During a hike with her father and sisters in search of a hidden lake, the family finds themselves lost, and it’s Lizzy’s resourcefulness, with just a pocketbook and a snack, that becomes crucial to their adventure.
This book engagingly highlights the resilience and ingenuity of children. Its vibrant illustrations are a visual delight, offering young readers a feast for the eyes and complementing the narrative beautifully. Initially, one might assume the story centers on Lizzy’s frizzy hair, yet it unfolds into a deeper narrative about Lizzy adjusting to a weekend with her father, hinting at the complexities of a separated family. The portrayal of the stepmother character, depicted as somewhat irritable, opens a conversation about the diverse dynamics of blended families, an increasingly common reality in today’s society. The rhyming scheme of the book adds a light-hearted and enjoyable rhythm to the story, making it an accessible and enjoyable read for its young audience.
Frizzy Lizzy offers more than just an entertaining story; it subtly weaves in themes of family, adaptability, and the joy of outdoor adventures, making it a thoughtful addition to a child’s reading collection.
Pages: 34 | ASIN : B0CGS18L2N
Characters Learn From Their Mistakes
Eira’s Book of Magic follows a young girl who discovers magic is real, and that she has magic inside her that she must learn to control. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
At some point, I was at a loss as to what bedtime story to read to my young daughter. Like many other parents, I looked back at the fairy tales I used to read in childhood, and it sent chills down my spine. Dead parents, wicked stepmothers, flesh-eating evil witches…ugh! And what do they teach our young? To passively accept any mistreatment in the hope a Fairy Godmother or a Prince Charming will show up and save you one day? To trick your way into wealth by stealing from the rightful owner? There had to be another way. Unable to find a fairytale that would pass my quality test, I decided to create one. That’s how the tale of Aella and The Weather Sisters, the bedtime story at the heart of Eira’s Book of Magic, came to be. And then the whole adventure of a girl for whom the fairy tale comes to life just popped into my head while cooking. It took me sixteen days to write it down. I felt as though my head were going to explode if I didn’t get it out onto (virtual) paper quickly enough.
As the future generation gains control over their magic, they must learn how to use it wisely and with care. What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
My goal was to create a story that would inspire readers to be the best versions of themselves. It was to be magical without being dark, deep without being depressing, educational without being preachy. In Eira’s Book of Magic, you see characters learn from their mistakes and make difficult decisions for the greater good.
In a lot of contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?
There are indeed. In fact, most, if not all, of the characters are at least partially based on real people. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that the memoir-fiction ratio in Eira’s Book of Magic is somewhere around seventy-thirty respectively. I might write a book about this book one day.
Will this novel be the start of a series, or are you working on a different story?
The sequel is almost completed. When my sister read Eira’s Book of Magic, she said to me, “I take it as a promise!”
“Which part?” I asked her.
“The ending, of course!”
So, I had to write again, for my sister. She also suggested a male protagonist for a change. This is how The Vice Versa Island began to take shape. Ironically, the idea came to me five years ago, but only now Eira gave me the right setting to turn it into a captivating story.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
A 2023 FAPA President’s Book Award Winner
At five years old, Eira accidentally finds the mystical medallion from her uncle’s fairytale, and an exciting adventure begins.
Years later, she discovers magic inside herself, learns to use it, and does many good deeds while simultaneously navigating the day-to-day challenges. As Eira grows older and wiser, she realizes that choices go hand in hand with abilities and that what might initially seem like the only way is not always the right path to take…
