Uncategorized

Who’s Your Daddy? Author Q&A

usefulgroup

Oct 17th

What inspired you to write this sweet story? How did you work with your daughter, Missy, on this?

I was inspired to write “Who’s Your Daddy?” after an experience Missy had in kindergarten. Not long after I’d brought her home from Haiti, a little boy in her class innocently asked her that very question after noticing I was the only parent who came to parents’ day at their school. Since I’m a single parent, my parents divorced when I was five years old, and my dad was missing from a big chunk of my childhood, I’m especially aware of potential bruises on the tender hearts of children who experience the absence of an earthly father, whom we call “skin daddies” in the book.

Who is this book for? What need does it meet?

First of all I have to confess that asking an author who their book is for is like asking an essential oils rep who should slather on their wares! EVERYBODY! Seriously, I do think Missy’s story will appeal to and encourage all kids because even if they’re blessed with a present and engaged dad, no parent is infallible (I had to apologize to Missy for raising my voice yesterday and have to send myself to timeout on a regular basis!). Therefore, I believe ensuring every child’s emotional scaffolding is built on the perfect love and permanence of our Heavenly Father is critical for their identity and emotional security.

Have you always wanted to write a book for kids? How was the process of writing it the same and also different from Bible studies and trade books?

While I read voraciously and habitually perused children’s classics like “A Wrinkle in Time” long before becoming Missy’s mom, it wasn’t until I began reading to her that I considered attempting a project for a younger audience. And frankly, I knew I was in over my head before typing the first word because children’s books typically contain less than 1,000 words while an adult non-fiction work is typically more than 40,000, and brevity has never been one of my strong suits! Thankfully, my daughter/co-author is not nearly as verbose, and we had an incredible editor who helped tame my tendency to be a total windbag.=

How did you chose the illustrator?

I told our editor that my stylistic preference was whimsical yet realistic and while I liked the work of every artist she suggested, I was especially fond of Olivia’s work. She’s very gifted and is based in London, which also happens to be one of my favorite cities in the world!

What do you hope kids learn from the story?

That they are never alone because Daddy God is always with them, and His love for them will never fade or fail, no matter what.

How do you hope parents, grandparents, and other adults use it with their kids?

I hope this book will help facilitate safe conversations between kids and adults about topics that often seem to be, at least from a child’s perspective, scary and/or off-limits. Hopefully, this tiny tome will not only help kids lean further into the waiting arms of their Daddy God, but it will also help deepen their relationships with their parents, grandparents, extended family, or caretakers through honest and loving dialogue.