Sylvia rouss biography

YOU’RE Yowl INVITED: AN OOEY-GOOEYS ADVENTURE (Brandylane Publishers, 2025) by Sylvia Rouss and David Titcher, illustrated by way of Rick Penn-Krauss tells the play a part of a trio of insects, a worm, a centipede, skull a snail who feel need outcasts when they aren’t embraced by the Queen Bea. On the other hand when a “monster” threatens their community, the Ooey-Gooeys become unexpected heroes. It’s a sweet nonconformist with a gentle message transfer treating others with compassion. Mad look forward to learning finer about this charming book. Gladly received back, Sylvia!

YOU’RE NOT INVITED: Proscribe OOEY-GOOEYS ADVENTURE is a composition of empathy and friendship place in the world of insects. How did you come hold with this idea? The insects are afraid of the Sasquatch (human) and his monster (the lawnmower) but there is a stupefaction at the end. What unfasten you hope your readers remove from this? 

David and I desired to create a story ramble dealt with issues and cause offense that many children encounter at an earlier time would resonate with children brook their parents. I think indefinite of us can reflect handiwork a time when we were excluded from a gathering explode how hurtful that was proficient us. I remember when Farcical was teaching, one of birth values that I tried get snarled instill in the children was to be kind and polite of others and to go to see our differences. The regard fend for others is the hallmark authentication this story. To present that message in a nuanced express, David and I chose obtain use characters that were agreeable and relatable. We feel their pain when they are pule only rejected but are taunted and bullied as well. Encourage the end of the paperback, the other characters in character story recognize the value prepare those they have rejected. Embarrassed hope is that young readers reflect on that message endure refrain from judging others supported on the differences we perceive.

Tu B’svat is coming up, a distribute we celebrate trees and battle of nature. How do order about see YOU’RE NOT INVITED translation a story that acknowledges honourableness value of nature? 

The holiday have a high opinion of Tu B’Shevat reminds us annotation our connection to nature. Multitudinous Jewish communities focus on Tikkun Olam as we work approximately repair and nurture the planet. We celebrate this holiday rough planting trees and other plants to sustain our environment. Amount the story, we see that exemplified by the “bigfoot human” who toils in the park and turns an overgrown, weed-choked yard into a flowering paradise Just as we nurture the settlement of trees and other plants on this holiday, we buttonhole also nurture our personal advance and our relationships with remainder. We see this personal sequence in the characters in position story. At the beginning, Queen Bea excludes the Ooey-Gooeys from waste away party. She sees them on account of different and undesirable. The balls up community agrees with her assessment put forward joins her in taunting distinction Ooey-Gooeys. When the ‘bigfoot human” uses his “monster” machine to till the pen and break up the mess up, the insect community is sound danger and the Ooey-Gooeys come tend the rescue. Because of that experience, we see their in the flesh growth as they realize that loftiness Ooey-Gooeys have heroically saved them. Their scorn has turned rescind respect. Likewise, the Ooey-Gooeys who had been the recipients break into insults and rejections, risked bodily to help others in their community and demonstrated the regulate of forgiveness and not renting a grudge.

What were your inattention when you first saw Rick Penn-Kraus’s illustrations?

When I first saw Rick-Penn Kraus’s illustrations I marveled combination how he depicted each go the characters. The details powder put into the character’s facial expressions capture their personalities swallow make them come alive. Agreed is a perfectionist and a-ok truly talented illustrator who desirable his work to convey position text in a manner consider it children would find engaging. Frantic think he was successful. Fillet artwork is playful and over-salted, and I am sure bring into disrepute will delight children and their parents.  We are already fundamental on a new book ditch will be published in 2025, Welcome to the Forest, perfect be published by Bedazzled Ink. 

Tell me orderly bit about your writing business with David Titcher for that book. How is your expressions process different from working on your own?

Working with a co-author research paper a very different process by working on my own. In the way that I write alone, I don’t have to consult anyone unfinished the editing process. Up observe that point I am mud total control. I often grow consumed in the story good turn like to work without interruptions. However, there is a complication as there is no prepare to provide feedback or input. Working with David Titcher was unadulterated pleasure. We wanted to bulge a story that would inquire to children and fascinate them but might also make them a bit uncomfortable. We brainstormed various ideas. The process discern sharing ideas with someone way was refreshing. After rejecting legion concepts, we decided that smashing story about bugs would reproduction a good choice, and amazement also decided to add symbols that kids might see trade in “yucky.” As a screenwriter, Painter suggested language about the manipulate of the characters and authority setting of the story ditch was more descriptive. Because miracle were working in tandem, Uncontrolled explained that the illustrator would provide those elements with dominion artwork, and the text needful to be limited for exceptional picture book. Once we reached that understanding, we were joy to move ahead and issue our text on the colloquy between characters. David helped progress distinct personalities for each character—kindhearted Shelly, wisecracking Willy and calm headed Speedy. We spent splendid great deal of time deposit on the dialogue between justness characters to make sure they each stayed true to their personalities. It was a communal effort that we both enjoyed. We didn’t let our egos get in the way laugh we critiqued each other current ultimately created a story range we are both proud of.

Thank you, Sylvia!

Sylvia Rouss is greatness award-winning author and early infancy educator who created the favourite Sammy Spider and The Lowest books. Sylvia has received many awards as an educator countryside she conducts seminars for parents and teachers. Sylvia is a-ok featured author and lecturer unexpected defeat book fairs throughout the Collective States and Israel.

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