It was a Wednesday evening. BF and I were walking home from having dinner at La Trattoria. We waved to our new-ish neighbors who were sitting out on their front porch. We had met Terry and Judy a couple of times but decided to drop our leftover angel hair pasta with Vodka Sauce in the fridge and hop over for a visit. Get better acquainted.
As nice people do, they invited us in for a chat. Maybe a half hour into our conversation, I was presented with two of the seven children’s books Terry has authored. I began to thumb through the books.
Wait. A. Minute.
I said, “I have read this book!”
As you can see, Terry’s characters are unforgettable. I sat for a second frantically searching all those file cabinets I keep in my head. Where? When? With whom?
Turns out, during our visit to Phoenix last December, Granddaughter Adi and I had checked out Scaredy Snacks from the library. She, not yet four years old, had chosen it. I remember reading it to her in my hotel room and wondering if she understood the implication that these cute little snack characters had eaten their friend. Cannibals.
Intrigued, I read the author bio on the book jacket. The guy was from Indianapolis.
When I returned Adi and her bag of library books to her parents, I told Son Michael, “You have to read this book to Adi, you’re gonna love this guy’s sense of humor.”
When we returned home that Wednesday evening, I excitedly texted the kids on our family thread that my new-ish neighbor was the author of Scaredy Snacks.
Turns out back in December, Michael had reached out to Terry on Instagram, complimenting him on writing a children’s book that a dad could enjoy, as Adi had included it in her nightly rotation of bedtime stories.
And if you’re wondering, of course Adi understood these naughty snackers had eaten their friend. And she thought it was hilarious!
And if you’re wondering, my neighbor is kind of a big deal.
And to my West Old Town Greenwood community, do not be alarmed, I will keep a close watch on any suspicious snack activity I might see or hear coming from next door.
So neat!
? What a fun story and possibly not a coincidence. I see you writing a book soon, or have you already written a book? ? Now you may have the perfect neighbor to gain some insight. ? ??