Written for MagicBeans Bookstore by Vicki Toups Sheaffer, Author & Kristie Kaiser Frudden, Illustrator
Socially distanced walks together in the fresh air became a frequent part of the shelter-in-place routine for neighbors & friends, Vicki Toups Sheaffer and Kristie Kaiser Frudden. Long conversations ensued about how to “be with" family in far off places when "being with" family wasn’t possible due to the Covid pandemic. Vicki was searching for a way to connect with her soon-due first grandchild and shared a poem with Kristie which she was anxious to pass along to the new baby. The poem was familiar as a bedtime lullaby in Vicki’s family and was inspired by the1832 writings of Eliza Lee Follen. The words had taken on a life of their own in Vicki’s family through 5 generations of iterations.
Kristie earned an MFA from Minneapolis College of Art and Design and had just retired from 25 years of teaching art in the public school system. She suggested that she would like to explore bringing the poem to life though her sketch pad and paint brush. Magically, the words and stanzas came to life through Kristie’s art depicting the imaginative perspective of a child telling his mother how funny the moon in its crescent shape looked and what they would do if they were "up there" with friends.
The vision was to create a little book to present to the new baby at Christmas. Vicki and Kristie both liked the idea of printing the poem in board book form so little fingers could easily turn pages. As the creative process moved forward, they were encouraged to think beyond a single print run. They also created a soft plush pillow companion crescent moon designed from Kristie’s unique cover illustration. Baby Jack loved it and so did many others! Vicki and Kristie are grateful to now share OH MOTHER HOW FUNNY with YOU through the MagicBeans Bookstore.
But that’s not all! Book #2 from this collaborative duo, is now hot off the press! OH BABY IT’S A CLEAR LAKE, is dedicated to Kristie’s first grandchild and dips into a child’s discovery and joy of what a day spent in and around a lake brings! One Clear Lake, in particular, is so very important to Kristie's family with adventures and sweet memories of sun-filled days exploring feathered and furry neighbors, learning to swim and sail, home-made treats, art & music in the park, and strolling the shops of main street. Simple summer pleasures shared together in a special place.
Vicki and Kristie are passionate in finding ways to help all children discover the love of reading and explore their creativity and imaginative depths. Through their sales, they support the work of Children’s Literacy Initiative and Every Child A Reader. They are grateful for the mission of MagicBeans Bookstore and honored to do their part in getting books into the hands of children. And stay tuned…….board book #3 will be making an appearance soon to complete the
O-H trilogy!
Check out our website: www.softlandings.life Instagram @ soft.landings.2021 and our publisher: www.longoverduebooks.com
To find this book and other great self published children's books, visit our website @ www.magicbeansbookstore.com
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