We’re always looking to share beneficial dental products, engaging dental health news, and certainly anything related to improving our experience taking our kids to the dentist.
In our last post we focused on children’s book author Lynn Swanson, and her latest book, Caraboose the Tooth Fairy Moose
BTW – If you’re still looking for a last-minute stocking stuffer, go buy Caraboose the Tooth Fairy Moose
How long did it take you from when you first thought up the idea of Caraboose the Tooth Fairy Moose
Lynn: It took me many years to take it out of the drawer and publish it. I sent it to a few dental associations initially to see if they might publish it as a little brochure, then sent it to a few publishing houses in New York with no luck. So I just kept working on my poetry and my novel and working as an editor in an office while Caraboose slept in a drawer. Then when my last editing project ended two years ago, I discovered CreateSpace publishing and produced both Caraboose and Summer Dance.
What was your inspiration for writing Caraboose the Tooth Fairy Moose
, do you have any background in dentistry?
Lynn: My inspiration for writing Caraboose the Tooth Fairy Moose came suddenly. I had just visited with my little grandson at Christmas time and he had a loose tooth. I then went for a two-month scholarship at the Vermont Studio Center, which is a beautiful retreat for writers and painters in the wonderful Green Mountains of Johnson, Vermont. I had planned to revise my ‘tween novel, Summer Dance, but as I awoke slowly one morning in the midst of a huge January snowfall, some of the words to the Caraboose rhyme was floating through my head over and over. So, recognizing the gift, I sat down to see what would appear on paper and Caraboose, that funny tooth fairy substitute, was created in full. I actually revised it very little. My Master’s is in poetry, so I have a sensitive ear for lyricism. I am a dancer, so envisioned the images and Caraboose moving and dancing like a stage production.
I have no background in dentistry. However, my uncle graduated from the University Of Michigan School Of Dentistry, and practiced for many years in the Detroit area.
Do you have kids?
Lynn: I have two grown sons. I loved spending hours reading to them at nap time and always looked for books with rhyme and great illustrations.
Caraboose certainly has the rhyme & illustrations, in fact the pictures are so vibrant they seem to jump off the page, was it difficult to find an illustrator that understood the plight of Caraboose as a Toothy Fairy Substitute?
Lynn: My publisher, CreateSpace, has several illustrators in their stable, so I just looked at samples and my publisher agreed with my choice, which was happy. I worked with Bonnie to revise the illustrations until they were pretty close to what I had pictured in my mind. Plight or no plight, I think she is great!
OK, we’re having a little fun there…Bonnie is definitely talented as well! But seriously the story and illustrations go together so well, have you published any other dental-centric children’s books?
Lynn: I have not published any other dental-centric children’s books, but have written two sequels to this one with Caraboose: Caraboose the Rubber Boots Moose and Caraboose the Peanut Butter Moose. I have not published them yet.
Wow, can’t wait to get a hold of those jammies – be sure to send a heads up this way, where can we get a look at more of your work?
Lynn: To see descriptions of Summer Dance and Caraboose the Tooth Fairy Moose, go to www.lynnswansonbooks.com.
What is the best tooth fairy reward you’ve heard?
Lynn: It was joyful for me when my niece’s little daughter, who had just lost her two front teeth, carried the book EVERYWHERE with her. She lost another tooth and told me she told her parents she wanted the tooth fairy to leave her a gold coin AND she also wanted Caraboose to leave her a gold coin. Caraboose did, and she told me she saw him in her room!
That’s a great tooth fairy story Lynn, kids imaginations will always amaze us!
Thank you for taking the time to share some background on your latest children’s book, and for putting up with our futile attempts at humor.
We look forward to sharing more of Caraboose when those sequels get published, make sure you drop us a line.
Now for the rest of us…
HURRY! You can purchase Caraboose the Tooth Fairy Moose
