In January, former advertising copywriter Megan Maynor published her first children’s book, Ella and Penguin Stick Together. Part of the inspiration for the book came from some of the fun dialogue Maynor had with her own children when they were young. Maynor would feign ignorance about a topic, such as the color of the sky, allowing her children to be triumphant experts. This sort of banter is evident in Maynor’s story of a young girl and a penguin who struggle with overcoming their fear of the dark. Penguin is lovable but naïve, and Ella has all the answers.
Like many parents, Maynor loved reading to her children Chloe, Emmett and Willa, now 13, 12 and 9 years old. When asked about her decision to write a children’s book, Maynor recalls those story-time moments and adds that writing a children’s book seemed fun and not too intimidating.
Fun, but a lot of work. Maynor first began working on the book in 2009. However, she is thankful because, during this time, she made important connections in the local children’s book community. These connections helped Maynor navigate the writing process and allowed her to share her work with other writers.
Fortunately, we won’t have to wait 10 years for Maynor’s second book. Ella and Penguin: A Perfect Match is due out in January 2017.
Maynor will read her book and sign copies at Moon Palace Books in Minneapolis on March 12 at 11 a.m. Ella and Penguin Stick Together is available at local independent bookstores, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
