Angela Henderson (Kidsbook Friends Writer) with Author, Muffet Frische (right) and Illustrator, Cindy Rodella Purdy (left) of “Miss Muffet & Bitsy”.
Fitting our Kidbook Friends theme this week, “Time for Nursery Rhymes”, we are excited to introduce our Guest Blogger today, Ms. Muffet Frische. Enjoy her insightful, fun experiences with Nursery Rhymes that led her to author her book, Miss Muffet & Bitsy. She also shares the benefits of reading rhymes to kids early in life that will inspire you.
Merci, Gracias, and Grazie Angela!
Many thanks to Angela for inviting me to talk about my new picture book, Miss Muffet & Bitsy. I am so excited to be guest-blogging on her amazing site, especially during “Time for Nursery Rhymes” week!
Little Miss Muffet Sat on Her Tuffet…
Nursery rhymes—I can’t imagine having grown up without them, can you?! My room overflowed with all the classics as a child—Little Bo Peep, Mary had a Little Lamb, the Itsy Bitsy Spider, and so many more. I’m sure I could recite each of them by the time I began talking. They followed me into adulthood where I realized growing up doesn’t mean you have to leave your inner-kid behind. My office is filled with stuffed animals and a hammock—my favorite “thinking place.” I knew I had it made when my nephew came in one day and said, “This is what I want my office to look like!”
A love of reading is one of the most important things I think a parent can pass on to their children. I can thank my parents for this among many things, but giving me my name has to rank at the top of the “thanks” list! My favorite nursery rhyme of all time, as you can probably imagine, is Little Miss Muffet. Even after hearing it hundreds of times, I never tire of it. Growing up with the name “Muffet” always—without a doubt—leads to the inevitable question, “Are you afraid of spiders?” Well, today I still have to answer that with a hearty YES!
AGH! A Spider!
The idea for Miss Muffet & Bitsy began a few years ago. Many of my writer-friends kept telling me that given my name, I should write a book about Little Miss Muffet. I had many manuscripts in my files but had never written one about Miss Muffet. I finally said, “Why not?!” I propped my feet up on the nearest tuffet and began writing out several story lines, but they just didn’t resonate with my inner-kid. Then one day I saw a humongous spider (okay—I admit, it was probably about the size of a pencil eraser!) crawling on the windowsill, and the Itsy Bitsy Spider started playing in my mind. I thought of how afraid I was of the tiny creature. And it hit me—why can’t those two meet up?! I wrote the first book, then ideas for the characters blossomed, and a series was born.
Whimsy and Talent and Color, Oh My!
I knew I wanted the series to be bright and colorful, so when I met Cindy Rodella-Purdy at a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators event, we became fast friends and I fell in love with her whimsical, colorful style. I knew she was the illustrator for me! We worked closely together to create the characters and the setting. You will see several elements in Miss Muffet’s house and yard that are special to each of us. The swirly slide from Miss Muffet’s room to the backyard is something I always dreamed of having, and Cindy designed Miss Muffet’s Victorian home around the one she grew up in. And if you peek into Miss Muffet’s room, you’ll see that my hammock snuck its way into the story as well!
What Every Author Loves to Hear: We want to publish your book!
We started off with the lofty idea that we wanted to create an app for Miss Muffet & Bitsy. After many lessons learned and months of trial and error, we refocused our efforts and decided that given the time and expense related to app creation, we preferred to focus our time and effort on publishing paperback and eBook versions. I created a publishing company, Ten Story Books, and the first book submitted was Miss Muffet & Bitsy. When we called ourselves to say we were being picked up by TSB, we let out a Texas-sized “Yee-haa!”
We Want More!
That’s the second most exciting thing an author can hear! And we’ve been hearing that about this book! So Cindy and I are currently working on the second in the series, Miss Muffet & Bitsy: A Snow Day. We plan to release in time for the holidays (fingers crossed!) We are also working on a fun, lighthearted story called “There’s a Bug in my Rug.” (Seems we have a theme going on here!)
And In Case You Were Wondering…
I have two tuffets, love curds and whey (a.k.a. cottage cheese – yummm!), and although I still harbor a fear of spiders to this day, I do safely rescue any critters I find inside and relocate them to the nice, green, leafy bushes outside my front door!
Au Revoir, Hasta la Vista, and Arrivederci!
Thanks for joining us today! I hope you enjoyed a few tidbits from the world of Miss Muffet & Bitsy! If you’re looking for a new, fun, refreshing picture book, please check out Miss Muffet & Bitsy on Amazon at http://amzn.to/1ley4nn. Happy reading!
Bio:
Muffet Frische is a writer, award-winning photographer, and travel buff, having been to all fifty states and around the world. After getting an MBA and working many years in corporate America, she found her true joy lies in bringing smiles to the faces of children, both from her books and her photos. She writes picture books under her name, Muffet Frische, and published her debut teen/young adult novel, Moon Tears, as M. M. Frische. She loves escaping to the ocean, sneaking as much chocolate as she can, curling up with a good book, and getting lost in the Smithsonian.
Please visit her online at:
http://www.tenstorybooks.com/blog/
http://pencamerapassport.wordpress.com/
http://muffetfrischephoto.com/
Facebook (Ten Story Books)
Twitter (@MuffetFrische, @TenStoryBooks)
Pinterest (muffetfrische)
Miss Muffet & Bitsy, available now at: http://amzn.to/1ley4nn
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