Little Ant Children's Books

It all started one day, when my son Alex was potty-training. As he sat patiently on his Elmo potty, he asked me to tell him a story. If anyone has been down this road before, you know that this moment in time could take a while. So there I sat, spinning a tale for him to enjoy.

This is what inspired the first few pages of my book. This is where it all began. As I let my imagination run wild, he said to me, "And then what? And then what?" And so the little ant was born—making his way through a crazy world, running into many silly characters, and going from one adventure to the next.

I had always wanted to write a children's book, so I later took pen (and marker!) to paper, and wrote and hand drew my story. At times, I attempted to edit some details, but Alex was quick to remind me that I'd forgotten something. He was my audience, and my boss. He kept me on track with the story a 3-year-old wants to hear.

I believe this book started with my son, but was always inside me—as both boys keep me very much on the go. They are fun-loving, active kids who are always looking for the next big adventure. They find the fun in everything they do, and remind me every day to do the same!

The second book in my Little Ant children's series was also inspired by my sons. I wrote it as a way to ease their fear of nighttime noises. In my house, when the lights go off, the noises come out! The heat comes on. The cat meows. Someone flushes the toilet. And both boys are up and calling my name.  

When I think back to when I was a kid, I was also afraid of the dark. I would hear a noise or see a shadow and that was all it took to get my imagination going. It was ironic—the creativity that brought joy and adventure to my days, now cursed my nights! I had to find a way to quiet my fears.

It wasn't long before I learned to change the picture (or story!) of the noise. I now hear the cat walking up creaky stairs instead of a ghost; and squirrels on the roof instead of rain. Since I couldn't change the noise itself, I had to change my interpretation of it. And this is what I hoped to convey through my story. 

Now, when my children hear a noise at night, I say it's the neighbor outside or the cat downstairs. I give them something more fun and exciting to think about!

Welcome to my fourth Little Ant book! It is a story inspired by the child in me. Sure, it’s centered around my sons’ favorite treat (ice cream!), but when choosing the actual story, I tried to write a book that I would've enjoyed as a kid. So, this story is a little bit different from the rest. It is not based on any specific event that happened in our lives, but on my old-time favorites. I tapped into the past, wrote from the heart, and created a really fun mystery for all to enjoy!

Before I could put pen to paper, I had to think back to my childhood. What did I like in a good book? What types of stories do I even remember reading? I went to Catholic school, which means we read A LOT. A few good books came to mind. One was And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I remember being blown away by that book! The mystery and the suspense were amazing. And then in high school, we read Bleak House by Charles Dickens. That was also an incredible book. We read it in segments, much like the ‘episodes’ that were originally published in the 1800’s. We were not allowed to read past the assigned chapter, so it really built the suspense and kept us wanting more. That, too, was a fantastic mystery.

As you can see, many books influenced me as a child, but I would be remiss not to mention TV shows, as well. My all-time favorite was Scooby Doo. I must’ve watched every episode, ten times over! I absolutely loved trying to solve those mysteries. And of course, hanging out with ghosts and ghouls were a real treat, too!     

This all led me to write my very first mystery. Coming up with the story was fun, but drawing the pictures was even funner! (I know that’s not a word, but it should be!) When it came to illustrating this book, I really abandoned my inhibitions. The pictures just flowed. The colors seemed brighter, the pigs seemed piggier. As I was designing it, I would say, “I think I need a grasshopper here.” Or “How about a flock of geese over there?” And then I would just draw it. I had a renewed confidence in myself. The best example of this ‘new illustrator in me’ would be the cover of the book. It was like the cherry on the...well, ice cream sundae! I really loved all the colors and creating that awesome, swirling effect. Of course, I tried to draw that swirl by hand, but I knew instantly that it wasn’t going to work. I will thank Photoshop for the assistance on that one! In a final, bold, and daring move, I colored the cover black. It not only captured the spirit of the mystery, but made the colors really pop off the page. It was a great move because I am now IN LOVE with that book cover!

In the end, Little Ant & the Ice Cream Mystery turned out to be a fun, silly, and exciting story—one that I would’ve loved to have read as a child. It is the perfect, sweet mystery for the little ant to solve!