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Permission to Be Kids Again
What’s for Dinner? follows a young boy and his friends as a simple misunderstanding about his dad’s dinner sparks a hilarious series of increasingly outrageous guesses about what they’ll be eating. What draws you to write children’s literature?
I think children’s literature gives us adults permission to be kids again, which is something we all need, in my opinion. As adults, we have long lost the innocent view of the world; children display it every day. I love writing for children because their imaginations have no speed limit or has no boundaries, they ask questions we adults stop asking ourselves as we get wrapped up in life. The way children can take an ordinary cardboard box and create a spaceship or castle from their imagination, or create a superhero cape from a blanket, is something we aduts can learn from. Children take a simple question, such as “What’s For Dinner?”, add a little imagination, a lot of silliness, and absolutely love the journey it leads them on.
Honestly, if I can write a story that makes a child laugh, help make family memories…I consider that a successful day.
How did the idea for Mac, Howard, and Caitie’s hilarious misunderstanding of “Nun-Ya” come about?
So the characters are actually based off my wife (Caitie), one of my closest friends from my military days (Howard); even Obie is based off of a real dog (my wife’s service animal, Oberon), and of course myself as Mac and Dad. It all started with one of those classic dad answers to “What’s For Dinner?” we all received as children ourselves. Once I started the process, I asked my own children what they thought it was, as we said the same answer to them when they were younger for some ideas of gross foods. Of course we know now as adults that it should have meant “None of your business,” but as children we all took it as an actual meal, and once a child’s imagination gets involved, there’s no way to put the brakes on a wild imagination. I wanted to capture that wonderful childhood ability to take one tiny misunderstanding and turn it into a full-blown investigation.
As a father, I’ve learned that if you give children a question, they will give you a pure and honest answer. However, if you give them a mysterious answer to their questions, they will provide approximately 100 answers, with about 25 of those answers being absolutely wild.
The illustrations add visual jokes and exaggerated reactions to the story. How did you collaborate with Emily Close and Jennifer A. Wijaya to bring the humor to life?
I absolutely loved working with Emily and Jennifer. All the character designs are my own, and I handed them the sketches in the beginning of the process, as I simply didn’t have the time to render or learn a new program while working full time as a father of four and, of course, actually work. Emily and Jennifer took these sketches and layouts and took the humor within my story and tuned it way up in the best possible way!
One of my favorite parts of creating the final version was seeing my characters come to life through each edit and through their expressions on the pages. Watching children read our book and make similar facial expressions is exactly the response we all were looking for by the end of the project. A funny line in a manuscript can make you smile, but seeing my characters’ faces when they are illustrated can make it even more ridiculous and take that joke to the next level.
I basically wrote the joke and gave these very talented artists the opportunity to expand that joke to hilarious new levels…and I am looking forward to working with them on future projects!
Do you think the story might inspire children to invent their own ridiculous answers to “What’s for dinner?”
I truly hope it does, and if it does, I apologize in advance to their parents! LOL. I hope kids start playing their own versions of “What’s For Dinner?” around their dinner tables. The possibilities are endless with children and their imaginations; one might create spaghetti with marshmallows, another might create stink bug stew for their Nun-Ya meals. That’s exactly what I love about this book, as I wanted children to realize that they can take a simple question and turn it into an imaginative adventure. Hopefully, after reading What’s For Dinner? children decide to put their art skills to work and create gross food of their own, and parents send me the images.
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Oliver’s Garden
Oliver’s Garden, written by Evelyn A. Fisher and illustrated by Declan T. Fisher, is a gentle picture book inspired by a real dog’s adventures in the garden. Oliver, an enthusiastic white pup, explores a Northern California garden through the seasons, searching for favorite snacks such as asparagus, strawberries, cucumbers, raspberries, and apples. His excitement makes the garden feel like a place of discovery, comfort, and belonging.
The story’s language is simple and inviting, with repeated actions that young children can easily follow. Oliver waits, sniffs, searches, and gently gathers each treat, giving the book a calm rhythm that suits reading aloud. The descriptions also introduce children to seasonal changes and show where familiar fruits and vegetables grow. There’s a nice balance between Oliver’s playful appetite and his patient, careful behavior.
Declan T. Fisher’s illustrations give the book its warm, handmade character. Soft washes of green, blue, yellow, and red create a garden that changes naturally from spring’s first shoots to winter’s darker sky. Oliver’s rounded shape, curious expressions, and energetic poses keep him appealing on every page. The wide garden scenes encourage readers to look around, while closer images of asparagus, berries, cucumbers, and apples make each snack feel like a small prize.
Oliver’s Garden celebrates the everyday pleasure of spending time outdoors with an animal companion. Its seasonal structure gives the book a satisfying journey, ending with Oliver resting by the fire and dreaming of spring. Young gardeners, dog lovers, and families interested in nature will find plenty to talk about together, from how plants grow to the way a familiar place can feel special because of the memories made there.
Pages: 26 | ASIN : B0HF6N2M5K
Good Intentions
Glee the Christmas Goblin follows a group of mischievous goblins who set out to save Christmas after Santa’s elves hide the children’s presents, discovering the joy of giving along the way. What draws you to write children’s literature?
Jones: Children’s stories are often where our earliest ideas about courage, kindness, and identity begin. Before children can explain those values, they can already recognize them in the characters they love.
Olivo: We wanted to create a story that encourages positive behavior without using threats, shame, or fear. Glee is mischievous, imperfect, and still learning, which makes his growth more meaningful. Children do not need perfect heroes. They need heroes who show them that making a mistake does not define you, but what you choose to do next can.
The elves hide the presents because they’re tired of watching children receive gifts. What inspired this unusual twist on the traditional Christmas story?
Olivo: We began with a question: What if the people responsible for giving Christmas presents became convinced that children had forgotten how to give? That allowed us to reverse the traditional roles. The elves, usually seen as Christmas heroes, create the problem because their disappointment leads them to make the wrong choice. Meanwhile, the goblins, who are expected to take and cause trouble, become the unlikely characters capable of putting things right. That reversal reflects something we deeply believe: people are more complex than the labels placed on them. Good intentions can still lead to poor decisions, and someone with an imperfect past can choose to do something extraordinary. In our story, Christmas is not saved by the characters who appear to be the best. It is saved by those willing to change.
How did you develop the personalities and relationships among Glee and the other goblins?
Jones: We approached the goblins as a group of imperfect friends rather than as a collection of moral examples. They have different instincts, fears, strengths, and definitions of what it means to do the right thing. Those differences naturally create humor and conflict, but they also make the group stronger. Glee became the emotional center because he is caught between the goblin he has always been and the person he is discovering he can become. His friends challenge that transformation in different ways. Some encourage him, some question him, and others would be perfectly happy returning to ordinary goblin mischief. Their relationships reflect a lesson we wanted to explore honestly: change rarely happens in isolation. The people around us can resist our growth, complicate it, or help make it possible. Friendship does not require everyone to be the same. It asks them to keep choosing one another while they learn how to become better.
If Glee could return for another adventure, what kind of Christmas or holiday trouble might he find himself in?
Olivo: Glee would probably learn the right lesson and then apply it in the most spectacularly wrong way. Perhaps he decides that if giving brings joy, the answer is to give everyone everything they could possibly want.
Jones: Soon, the workshop is empty, the sleigh is dangerously overloaded, and Christmas has become complete chaos. Glee would then have to discover that generosity is not measured by how much we give, but by how carefully we understand what another person truly needs. That feels like the heart of any future Glee adventure: a well-intentioned mistake, plenty of goblin-sized chaos, and a deeper lesson hidden somewhere inside the trouble.
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Slowing Down is the Real Secret
Little Bear Betty follows an energetic young bear on a forest adventure as she discovers that patience, persistence, and believing in herself can turn a difficult challenge into a joyful victory. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration came from my youngest son. He is autistic, was completely nonverbal until age six, and still works through speech hurdles today.
When my husband suggested writing a fun story to help kids solve a problem, I thought of how many children get stuck on tricky words. Calling spaghetti “pasghetti” was a real milestone for my son. Combined with a nod to my Italian roots, Betty was born to show kids they can tackle tough sounds with patience and confidence.
Why did you choose Mr. Blandings, the wise old turtle, to help Betty learn how to break the word into smaller sounds?
Turtles never rush, and slowing down is the real secret to mastering tricky words.
Mr. Blandings was actually inspired by my husband and my grandfather. Both of them are naturally calm, patient, and take their time with everything. Pairing an eager little bear who wants fast results with that kind of steady patience felt natural. It shows kids that when a challenge feels too big, you just have to slow down and take it one step at a time.
What do you hope children who are struggling to master a word or skill will learn from Betty’s experience?
I hope kids learn that struggling with a tricky word doesn’t mean you aren’t smart. It’s easy to get frustrated and want to quit, but if you slow down and break a big challenge into small pieces, you can do it. Most of all, I want children to feel proud of themselves for trying and celebrate every bit of progress.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
We don’t have a set release date just yet. Right now we are enjoying Betty’s journey and kicking around a few fun ideas. Our goal is definitely to bring another story with that same heart, humor, and encouragement to young readers in the near future.
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“Spa… Get… Tea!” Some words can be tough for a little bear cub!
Every time Little Bear Betty tries to ask for her favorite meal, her tongue gets tied into a big knot of “pasghetti!”
Join Betty on a cheerful journey through the forest as she visits her friends Millie the Mouse, Hopper the Rabbit, and wise Mr. Blandings the turtle. With a little encouragement and a clever syllable trick, Betty discovers that tricky words aren’t so tough when you take them one step at a time. Will she be able to surprise her family at dinner and say her favorite food correctly?
Why Parents, Teachers, and Little Readers Will Love This Book:
Playful Rhymes & Read-Aloud Fun: A heartwarming rhythm that encourages children to clap, cheer, and sound out words right along with Betty.
Speech & Syllable Confidence: A gentle, relatable lesson for toddlers and early learners working on tricky pronunciation and speech milestones.
Vibrant Full-Page Illustrations: Rich, colorful storybook art that brings the cozy forest world and its lovable animal friends to life.
Real-Life Forest Fun Fact: Includes an educational spotlight on the fascinating, long-lived Blanding’s turtle.
Bonus Coloring Activity Page: Features a full-page family coloring sheet at the end to extend the fun beyond reading.
Ideal for children ages 3–7, bedtime story sessions, and preschool/kindergarten classrooms. Grab your copy today and share a sweet story about perseverance, family, and the joy of learning new words!
Peanut Butter Finding Grape Jelly
Peanut Butter’s Problem follows a lonely jar of peanut butter who searches the refrigerator for the perfect sweet companion and discovers friendship, persistence, and belonging along the way. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration of the story comes from happy memories as an elementary school teacher seeing my second and third grade students eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hearing conversations between the children on what tastes good with peanut butter. I then got the idea to write a story about a jar of peanut butter (looking innocent and adorable) feeling lonely, and he goes looking for the ideal mate for long-lasting friendship. Peanut butter would have food character friends to help him on his journey.
How did you develop the distinct personalities of Ketchup, Lemon, Butter, Hot Sauce, and the other refrigerator characters?
My goal for the food characters was to go beyond their domestic and every day eating purposes and give real distinct emotions to the characters. I wanted to show how they can relate and talk to one another in comforting ways that you would hope kids find in their friendships. I didn’t want all the characters to act and behave the same way. I pictured in my mind how each character would look and sound and then acted out the story and the way the characters would talk to each other in front of the mirror.
What do you hope young readers take away from Peanut Butter’s disappointment, persistence, and eventual friendship with grape jelly?
I hope young readers walk away realizing that being on your own for a while is okay as long as you value who you are and that your unique qualities can’t be duplicated and eventually you will find others that will realize that also and want to be around you. Disappointments happen in life but they’re usually temporary and can teach you important lessons with the right attitude. Peanut butter finding Grape Jelly led to loving connections and wider friendships because he didn’t give up.
Hot Sauce gets an opportunity to acknowledge his unkind behavior at the end of the story. Why was it important to you to include that moment of accountability and growth?
It was important to show that even though Hot Sauce had flaws in his character being icy, intense, and a little obnoxious, he was capable of change. Hot Sauce realized he made a big mistake in his domineering manner and had to admit he was wrong just like young children need to do by owning up to their mistakes which can lead to their emotional growth. I wanted to show that the resolution isn’t always neat, but it can lead to an open door in doing better and can improve our relationships with others.
Author Website: briantaylorbooks.com
What’s For Dinner?
What’s for Dinner? by Michael P. McClellan is a playful children’s picture book built around a question nearly every family knows well. Mac comes home from school hungry and eager to find out what his dad is making, only to hear that dinner will be “Nun-Ya.” From there, Mac and his friends Howard and Caitie let their imaginations run loose, dreaming up increasingly disgusting possibilities such as wormy spaghetti, hairy meatballs, anchovy hoagies, frog legs, and the dreaded steamed Brussels sprouts. The setup is simple, but that simplicity works well for a funny children’s book because the whole story grows from the kind of misunderstanding kids can turn into a full-scale adventure.
The biggest strength of this humorous kids’ book is the way it understands childish imagination. Mac doesn’t just wonder what Nun-Ya might be. He becomes convinced it could be something truly awful, and every suggestion from his friends makes the mystery more dramatic. The exaggerated food combinations give the story its comic momentum, while Mac’s increasing dread keeps the plot moving toward dinner. There’s also a nice family rhythm underneath the jokes. Mac’s dad teases him without being mean, Mac pushes for answers the way a curious kid naturally would, and even the family dog Obie becomes part of the fun.
The illustrations are bright, expressive, and packed with visual jokes that make the imagined meals look just gross enough to be funny. Mac’s worried expressions, his friends’ reactions, and Obie’s personality give the story more energy than the text could create by itself. The typography also joins in, especially when the invented foods appear in oversized, gooey-looking lettering. That makes What’s for Dinner? feel well suited to a read-aloud setting, where kids can react to each new disgusting possibility before turning the page. As a children’s read-aloud book, it knows how to use anticipation and repetition to keep young readers involved.
The reveal lands exactly where this kind of picture book needs it to: Nun-Ya turns out to be “none of your business,” and dinner is simply Taco Tuesday. It’s a satisfying payoff because the joke has been hiding in plain sight the whole time, and Mac’s relief makes the ending feel cheerful rather than merely clever. The final pages add a few more dad jokes and extend the playful family atmosphere, while also nudging kids toward appreciating the meal in front of them before their parents get any wild ideas. What’s for Dinner? is a lively kids’ comedy book about food, family, and imagination, with enough silliness to make repeat readings fun and enough warmth to make the characters easy to enjoy spending time with.
Pages: 32 | ASIN : B0G7KPVK9K
Not Difficult, Just Excited
Made to Fly Free follows an impatient young robin who longs to soar before his wings are ready and learns that courage, growth, and freedom sometimes begin with patience. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Made to Fly Free was inspired by watching robin families nesting in our own backyard. There was one spring when my children were fascinated with a mother robin and her baby as she seemingly taught him to fly. The kids affectionately named the baby robin Little Peep and called his mama “Squawk” because of all the chatter that resulted in what appeared to be her flight lessons. That was when the story seed was planted, as I began to imagine how their conversations might have played out.
One spring when I was working out the heart of the story, it just so happened that another robin family built a nest right outside our kitchen window. My family and I had a front-row seat as the eggs hatched and the babies grew. We watched how both the mama and papa robins played an active role in caring for the nestlings. I started to imagine what it might be like for a baby bird who could see this whole big world beyond the nest but wasn’t quite ready to join it yet. And that became the heart of the story: wanting the freedom to fly while still needing the time to grow into it. As a mom of five kiddos, I found there’s something quite familiar in that tension!
How did you develop Little Peep’s personality so that his impatience would feel relatable to young children?
I wanted Little Peep’s impatience to come from a good place. It’s not that he’s trying to be difficult; he’s just excited! He watches the children “flying” free on the swing below him, and he wants so badly to experience that same freedom. It’s his natural instinct to want to fly. What he doesn’t know yet is that he will someday be able to surpass even the delightful freedom the children experience on that swing.
I think children understand that feeling instinctively. There are so many things they see older kids or adults doing that they’re eager to do, too, and “not yet” can be a very hard answer. I let Little Peep be enthusiastic, determined, and even a little dramatic at times. His desire to fly isn’t wrong; he just needs time for his wings to become strong enough to carry him. Then, of course, there’s the tension all children have experienced when it finally comes time to try the new thing for the first time—that moment when courage has to win over fear.
The book uses repetition, rhyme, and playful sounds throughout. How important was the read-aloud experience while you were writing it?
The read-aloud experience was incredibly important. Reading aloud has always been a big part of our family, and my children seemed to naturally gravitate toward books with playful words and lyrical storytelling. I read Made to Fly Free aloud over and over during the revision process, sometimes to my kids and plenty of times to myself. Reading aloud catches so many things your eyes don’t. You hear where rhythm stumbles, where a sentence runs too long, or where repetition starts to feel fun.
I also loved playing with sounds like “slurp,” “gulp,” and “squawk” because they give kids something to anticipate and join in with. There are several uses of “flutter, flutter, flutter” because I wanted readers to feel Little Peep’s momentum building along with his determination to fly free. I think that when the language is fun for a parent to read aloud, it becomes familiar enough after a couple of readings that a child might start saying parts of it right along with them.
What was the collaboration process like with illustrator Hannah Bird, especially for the energetic scenes of Peep learning to fly?
I first connected with Hannah when I saw how perfectly her work fit the vision I had for this picture book. After we met over Zoom, I walked away with such excitement because we connected on a deeper level. She valued the wholesomeness of my story, and I could see we had a strong values alignment.
Hannah immediately got to work on the sketches. There were some pages and spreads where I had a very specific concept in mind, but there were others where I had no idea what to do. In those places, I invited Hannah to put her artistic imagination to work. She captured Little Peep’s many expressions in a way that surpassed my expectations. I especially loved her addition of Little Peep’s heart in the second “flutter, flutter, flutter” sequence.
One of my favorite spreads Hannah illustrated is Little Peep’s first flight. The chaotic motion she captured paired perfectly with the action words hand-lettered by my daughter Hope, who designed the book layout. The collaboration between Hannah, Hope, and me made the story so much stronger than I could have ever imagined.
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