Children’s Stories
“YA Books Central” Interview!
As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I wrote a children’s book called Pumpkin Spice, which was illustrated by the amazing Monique Dong. The book is out now from Penguin Random House.
Recently, YA Books Central – also known as YA (and Kids) Books Central – interviewed me. During the interview, I talked about all things Pumpkin Spice: what inspired me to write the book, what scene I’m proudest of, what the book is really about (thematically), and more!
But I also talked about my creative journey and writing career in general. For instance, I discussed the most important thing I’ve learned as a writer, the type of music I listen to while writing, and what my favorite literary tropes are.
You can read the whole YABC interview HERE.
Hey, if you make it to the end of the interview, there’s even a giveaway! (So – you know – you should probably read it all the way to the end.)
You can buy a copy of Pumpkin Spice HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
And to see all of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House, click HERE.
“Pumpkin Spice” Is Out NOW!
Last year, I wrote a children’s book called Pumpkin Spice, which was illustrated by the super-talented Monique Dong. Well, guess what? Pumpkin Spice came out TODAY from Penguin Random House.
It’s available at bookstores everywhere, as well as HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Pumpkin Spice is a lavishly illustrated tribute to the wonders of the fall season, from colorful foliage to sumptuous food. And what about autumn holidays? Are they explored in this book? You bet they are! Here’s the official publisher description of Pumpkin Spice:
A delicious celebration of fall that hits all the senses, complete with a recipe for a homemade pumpkin spice blend! Little ones will love cozying up with this board book and learning all about the delights of autumn.
Pumpkin Spice is getting ready to paint the leaves red, yellow, and orange for fall when she meets a talking pumpkin who introduces her to the real reason the leaves change color, before immersing her in the sights, smells, and tastes of the season.
Focusing on the senses, this board book celebrates all the reasons to love the fall—from the beautiful foliage to the delicious food to the joyful holidays.
And to see all of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House, click HERE.
“Hey! Fuzzy Yellow” Update!
In a previous blog post, I mentioned that I wrote two episodes of the animated preschool series Hey! Fuzzy Yellow. At the time, one of the episodes was streaming on the Irish video service RTÉ
Player. Now, both episodes are available there, along with 50 other episodes of the show. Here are the titles and episode numbers for the two episodes I wrote:
- “Boomerang Jelly Car” (Season 1, Ep 5)
- “Sculpture Jam Abstract” (Season 1, Ep 20)
I co-wrote the script for “Boomerang Jelly Car” with McPaul Smith and Måns Swanberg. And I was the sole writer for the “Sculpture Jam Abstract” script.
This show was also my professional television debut as a lyricist! I co-wrote the lyrics for the “wrap-up” song in “Boomerang Jelly Car.” And I was the sole lyricist for both the “rollerskate” song and the “wrap-up” song in “Sculpture Jam Abstract.”
I don’t know when Hey! Fuzzy Yellow will start airing in the United States. But when I find out that information, I’ll update this page to include it. In the meantime…
Here’s an official description of the show: “In Hey! Fuzzy Yellow, we meet a blurry bundle of fun and friends who want you all to know the world is full of possibilities.”
The series is produced by Curiosity Ink Media, Toon2Tango, Treehouse Republic, and Hotel Hungaria Animation, in partnership with Måns Swanberg. Learn more about the show HERE.
Here’s an official synopsis of “Boomerang Jelly Car”:
“As Fuzzy Yellow is followed by a big space-jellyfish, Bennu and Moon build a wooden downhill-racing car.”
And here’s an official synopsis of “Sculpture Jam Abstract”:
“Fuzzy Yellow’s friends play soccer in the mud, then decide to make clay sculptures. Fuzzy Yellow models for them.”
I’m quite proud of how both episodes came out. Working with the show’s head writer McPaul Smith and the series creator Måns Swanberg was such a blast!
But if you don’t have RTÉ Player, you probably can’t see what the episode looks like. So here are some screen-grabs from “Boomerang Jelly Car”:
And here are some screen grabs for “Sculpture Jam Abstract”:
Also, here’s the trailer for Hey! Fuzzy Yellow:
Last but definitely not least, if you’d like to find out about my other television writing credits (the ones that are neither fuzzy nor yellow), you can check out my IMDB page, as well as the Television Writing section on this very website!