Girl of the Month
Author. Photographer. Publisher.
Bailey J Thompson is
a teenage author that
resides in Barrie,
Ontario, Canada
Bailey Thompson
Bailey has been storytelling since the moment
she could talk and has since developed
passions for creative writing, photography,
nature and the environment. Her debut novel,
Yellow Socks and Blood Socks was released
in May and she is the founder of Gerbil Meets
Mouse Publishing.
Gerbil Meets Mouse Publishing is focused on
publishing stories featuring gerbils as the
prominent characters and signature
photography of live gerbils for illustrations.
Their focus is on three different series of
children’s books: Gerbs in the House,
MELVIN and EcoGerbs. They were founded in
October 2012 by 19-year-old Bailey J.
Thompson.
What is the idea behind Gerbil Meets
Mouse Publishing and what inspired you
to create such adorable and unique
books?
When I was in high school, I adopted a gerbil
named Mocha. A few months later, I adopted,
Petri, who Mocha soon saw as his son.
Inspired by this relationship, I spent a lot of
time with the gerbils. One of them was almost
always on my shoulder. One day, I was
standing in my parent’s basement with Mocha
on my shoulder when I noticed the old
Victorian dollhouse in the corner that my
family had built. As a child, I used to dream
that I would become small enough to fit into
my dream home. Remembering this, I
realized that both gerbils fit ever so perfectly.
That’s how Gerbs in the House was born.
Growing up, were you always as driven
and goal-oriented as you are today?
I grew up watching my dad start a business
from the ground-up and so I think, naturally, I
wanted to follow in his footsteps. I was always
trying new things and seeing how far I could
get. I was 12 when I wrote my first novella, 15
when I founded my first business and 17
when I completed my first novel.
Want to chat with Bailey?
Email her at
[email protected]