Today I am reviewing Sadie the Skunk by Meaghan Fisher, a new picture for children.
Sadie the Skunk is a wonderfully written story of a skunk and her journey to find her family. Sadie lived in the woods with a family of black cats, so naturally she thought she was a cat. However, one day one of her siblings commented on how different she looked in comparison to the others. It concerned her, so she went straight to her parents who told her that they had taken her in and cared for her as one of their own when she was younger, but as to what kind of animal she was, they could not answer, so they took her to Mr. Groundhog. Mr. Groundhog, who the cats thought was all knowing, wasn't really sure what she was so sent her on several wild goose chases. Each time it produced no results as to what kind of animal Sadie was, but then "Poof" Sadie sprayed a foul stench into the air. Mr. Groundhog began to realize what she was and took her to see her real family. They were so happy to see her.
Overall, my children and I liked Sadie the Skunk. The story talks about finding ourselves and discovering who we really are. With family and friends to help her on her journey, Sadie finds out where she really belongs. However, it was also comforting to know that the family she had been living with all this time was willing to accept her for who she was and love her unconditionally.
Joining us today is Meaghan Fisher, author of Sadie the Skunk. We’re going to talk to Meaghan about her new picture book.
Welcome, Meaghan. It’s great to have you with us.
Q: Please tell our readers a bit about yourself.
A: I am a former nanny and currently a substitute teacher for Troy City schools. I have a BS in Psychology and a Minor in Women’s Studies. I live in Troy, Ohio with my husband, Tim, and two collies, Sadie and Lexi.
Q: How did your writing career begin?
A: I had been contemplating a story about a little bunny that lived in the forest and finally decided to sit down and write it when I was on a business trip with my husband in Reno. I sat down and wrote four hours straight until I couldn’t see anymore. When my husband got back to the hotel, I told him about the silly thing I had done. I thought he would laugh but he asked to see it. So I let him read it and to my surprise he loved it. I know my husband is a tough critic and if he liked it, I thought that maybe I stood a chance. That is how it all began. I had been writing poetry for years and I had been published many times before, but I never thought that I would write for children. However, after this story came to me, others followed, and now I write a story or two every week.
Tell us about Sadie the Skunk.
Q: What age group is this book for?
A: Ages 2-11.
Q: This is a beautiful picture book. What inspired you to write it?
A: My dog, Sadie. She is a tri-colored collie and my inspiration in life. She is my best friend and the most beautiful dog I have ever seen, but of course I am biased because I love her so much. After I completed my first book which turned into a series of four books, I decided I needed something completely different, but traditional, and thought of a skunk because I have always loved skunks and think that they are really beautiful. Then I thought of my dog and the name, “Sadie the Skunk”, flowed together. After that the story just popped into my head.
Q: In what forms is your book available? Is it available in e-book, hard cover or traditional paperback, or all?
A: It is only available in paperback.
Q: Have you written other books? If so, tell us about them.
A: I have about fourteen children’s books that are not published yet but I am working on it and I am always writing more. My next book that is coming out next April is about a little monkey named Lars. It’s called, “Lars the Monkey Flies a WACO Airplane.” It’s about a little monkey who is a Pitts Special pilot who is learning to fly a WACO Airplane so that he may take children on flights. Lars loved flying in a WACO Airplane when he was a child and now he wants to show kids how fun flying can be.
I also have a book about a little fish that lives in one of our great lakes, a mouse that loves to steal dog food, two book series, and much more. My first series is about a little bunny named Taila who lives in the forest and meets a new friend and learns an important moral lesson in every book. That series has four books and is coming out next November.
The second series I have is about a donkey named Edwin and a dog named Mazy, who live on a farm in Ohio. Together they teach each other how important supporting the ones you love can be. That is a series of three books so far, but I plan to write more.
Q: I have read that you also write short stories and poetry. Tell us about that and where readers can see some of your work.
A: I have been writing short stories for over a year now about personal experiences that have happened to me in my life but they are currently unpublished. I also have been writing poetry since 2001 and some of my work can be found on poetry.com if you type my name into the Authors Search on the website.
My poetry is mainly about relationships, feelings, and trying to fit in. I don’t really write much poetry anymore because I like to concentrate on children’s stories and I have been working on my first novel called, “Witch”. It’s geared toward young adults and it’s about a young witch whose family gets killed and she must run all her life from people who try to put her on trial or find out she is a witch and kill her.
Q: Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more?
A: I have a popular children’s blog at:
http://www.nannymeaghan.blogspot.com/. You can also check out more information about me or my illustrator, Marla Fair, on:
http://www.gypsypublications.com/ or
http://www.meaghanfisher.com/ and you can order my personally autographed book there.
Q: Are there any activities on there for children to be involved in?
A: I don’t have any games or activities yet, just my stories that you can read online or print to read later. I think they make great bedtime stories and they can be a very useful tool for parents, teachers, librarians, grandparents, nannies, babysitters, uncles, and aunts. And if anyone has any comments or suggestions, they can be put in the comment areas.
Q: Where can readers purchase your books and how much do they cost?
A: Readers can buy through my website, gypsypublications.com or meaghanfisher.com and I will personally autograph the book. My book is also available in the Troy, Ohio, area. You can find it at: Around About Books in Troy, Ohio; Jay and Mary’s Book Center in Troy, Ohio; Browse Awhile Books in Tipp City, Ohio; Readmore’s Hallmark in Piqua, Ohio; Readers Delight in Vandalia, Ohio; and New & Olde Pages Book Shoppe, in Englewood, Ohio.
Q: What lesson can children learn after reading Sadie the Skunk?
A: I think it teaches children that if they stay true to themselves they will eventually find where they are supposed to be and make good friends.
Q: What's next for you? Is there anything else that you are involved in or working on?
A: I plan on putting out “Lars the Monkey Flies a WACO Airplane” next April and focus on my blog, and I hope to bring out my first series: “Taila and Mr. Farmer’s Forbidden Forest” next November, 2010. In addition, I hope to continue to work on my first novel, “Witch”, in the meantime.
Q: Is there anything else that you would like to add or share?
A: I would like to thank Renee for reviewing my book and allowing me this experience. I am truly grateful! I would also like to thank everyone for all the support, great comments, and all of my readers for supporting me, and especially my editor, Linda Gallagher, for all her hard work and inspiration. I hope to continue writing more stories for years to come.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to our readers today. Good luck in all of your future endeavors. Please check out this picture book by Meaghan. I know everyone will enjoy it as much as I did.
