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I have two other books in the “Tales of Young Americans” series: A Book for Black-Eyed Susan and Minnow And Rose. Both of these are set on
the Oregon Trail. For the past ten years, my husband and I have gone fly-fishing, camping, and hiking in Idaho. Getting there and back, we travel along much of the route the pioneers took. You can’t help as you drive along imagining what life was like as a pioneer. And, liking to read about history, I did a lot of research about that time period that I felt needed to be shared with my readers. When I read that Native Americans frequently helped pioneers cross rivers, I instantly knew I had a story to tell; a story to show the relationship
between two cultures. I imagined how kids could have been both afraid and curious about each other’s differences but that overall, kids are kids: they want to make friends. And, out of that came Minnow and Rose. I also wanted to
show that not only were there physical hardships along the Trail, but there were also emotional hardships. Thus, A Book for Black-Eyed Susan was created.
Julie: Most of the books we’ve discussed are for intermediate readers. However, I would love for you to tell us about your series especially designed for young readers featuring Digger and Daisy. What inspired you to create this early reader series?
Judy: The Digger and Daisy series started when my editor asked if I would entertain the idea about writing a series of K-1st grade leveled readers. She asked me to think about it and let her know what I came up with. It just so happened that I was leaving the next day, driving to Indiana for a school visit. I had a long day of thinking and came up with the idea of a brother and sister dog who went places that kids go. They would be like typical siblings, having their little differences, but overall getting along. Even though I knew the stories would be prose, poetry influenced what I wanted the books to be like. I thought about how haiku has a surprise ending. I also thought about sonnets, my favorite poetry style to write. In a sonnet, the beginning sets the scene, the story, or experience. Then there’s what’s called a volta, or a change from what happens at the beginning, followed by a conclusion. I wanted the surprising change of the haiku and sonnet to “show up” in my K-1 series. I also wanted the surprise to be humorous.
So, in each of the Digger and Daisy books there is an unexpected humorous turnaround which leads to a surprise ending. I am so pleased with the huge response of teachers and young readers to my Digger and Daisy books, and I give Dana Sullivan a lot of credit. He took my words and made my little dogs’ personalities come alive with his illustrations! It’s very humbling to think hundreds of thousands of children will learn to read because of my little dogs!
Julie: I checked out your website, and learned so much about you! I hope our readers will do the same. The way you set up the Q and A for the kids was such a great idea! However, I just have to ask this one question…Who on earth is Basil B. Barnswhitten????
Judy: To quote my book, Basil B. Barnswhitten is “a scientist of sorts, who’s traveled the world writing poems and reports, of creatures exotic, mysterious and rare, and he’s even discovered some not even there.”