The Elf Who Didn’t Believe in Children centers around an elf who is sent into a spiral of doubt when she discovers a letter from a child who insists elves do not exist. Where did the idea for this story come from?

This title actually came from my family. In the 1980s, my grandmother went back to school alongside one of my aunts. In a writing class together, my aunt wrote a short story called The Elf Who Didn’t Believe in Children. The plot was completely different from mine, but the title stayed in my grandmother’s files for years. In the 1990s, while my grandmother was cleaning things out, she handed it to me because she knew I loved writing for kids. She basically said, “Maybe you’ll do something with this.” And I did. I ran with the title and built an entirely new story around it. The book is dedicated to my Aunt Virginia because without her, Flossy wouldn’t exist. As a parent, I was also inspired by the many philosophical debates my own children loved to have. We talked about belief constantly – belief in holidays, in magis, in the tooth fairy, in things we can’t see, and in larger spiritual questions. Kids are natural skeptics and profound thinkers at the same time. They want proof, but they also want to wonder. Flossy was born right at the intersection.

Flossy is a firecracker of a character. Are her traits and dialogue modeled after anyone in your own life?

Flossy is a delightful mash-up of so many people I love: strong-willed kids, big thinkers, skeptics, artists, and a little bit of me, too. I’ve always admired children who ask why and refuse easy answers. Flossy has that rebellious streak, but she also has a huge heart waiting to open. Her humor, her dramatic flair, her “I’ll believe it when I see it” attitude – that all comes from real conversations I’ve had with my kids when they were younger, when they were trying to make sense of a complicated world.

What authors have most influenced your love for children’s literature?

I’m deeply inspired by writers who trust children with big feelings and big ideas. Roald Dahl showed me that stories can be mischievous, tender, and slightly subversive all at once. Madeleine L’Engle taught me that faith, doubt, and love can sit in the same room together. And Kate DiCamillo writes with such enormous compassion for lonely hearts. They never talk down to children. They invite them upward. That’s always my goal.

Can we look forward to seeing more work from you soon?

What are you currently working on? Absolutely! I always seem to have a few stories going at once. The next picture book I am currently working on is titled Hoggy, Foggy, and Their Terrifying Life with a Spider. At first glance, it’s funny and fast – a ghost afraid of a spider, a spider afraid of a ninja, and a ninja afraid of a ghost. Everyone is running from everyone else. Doors slam, feet pound, chaos erupts. But when they finally stop running, they talk. And that’s where the real story begins. The book gently explores loneliness, friendship, moving away, grief, and what it means to remember someone after they’re gone. It doesn’t try to explain death to children; it tries to reassure them that love stays, memories stay, and we can be brave in very quiet ways. I wrote it with my granddaughter, Moon, during a time when our family was navigating loss. There is laughter in the book, silliness, knitting jokes, and sliding down banisters – but underneath it is a promise to children and the grown-ups who read with them: even small things can carry big love a long, long way. So yes – more stories are coming, and they will continue to hold humor in one hand and heart in the other. (Flossy would probably approve of that.)

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