Welcome back, dear friends! It’s Tuesday…and Tuesday is often the launch day for brand-new books…and so I hope you are ready for Cake and Candles and a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday to You for Dawn Babb Prochovnic’s 20th book and debut board book: MAMA’S HOME (AND BABY, TOO!), illustrated by Adele Dafflon and published by Familius.

I absolutely love the art…so kid-friendly! And the simple rhyming text is guaranteed to put smiles on our youngest story lovers’ faces. Author Dawn and I have been kid lit friends for many years…and so, when I heard she had another new book…and her first BOARD BOOK, I knew I’d want to help her celebate!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MAMA’S HOME (AND BABY, TOO!) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

And guess what? Dawn was kind enough to stop by to share a bit about the story…and the story behind the story.

ME: WELCOME, DAWN! We’re so glad to have you here at Picture Books Help Kids Soar! Can you share What Inspired You to Write This Story, and What Were Some Notable Moments on the Path to Publication?

DAWN: Thank you so much for celebrating this book birthday along with me, Vivian! Mama’s Home (and Baby Too!) is a 95-word story that took over 20 years to become a book. I never gave up on this story; it’s a bit surreal that it’s finally coming to be.

It began as a poem that I jotted down on a scrap of paper as I watched my preschool-aged son blissfully engage in imaginative play at our local children’s museum. For context, that same son graduated from college a couple of years ago.

I loved the idea of a slice-of-life story about child-centered activities that collectively make for a joyful, play-filled childhood. The first working title I penciled in was, Childhood Bliss.

Over time, it became clear that the story would need a stronger hook in order to become a book.

I loved the essence of the story enough to keep working on it, and I experimented with many different approaches, including structuring it as a novelty book that incorporated American Sign Language. Although these approaches generated interest, they did not generate book offers.

I continued to revise the story with different themes in mind. For a couple of years, it was entitled Grandma’s House is Happiness, and associated revisions incorporated elements of connection with an active and engaged grandparent. Eventually, the focus shifted to the excitement and delight in sharing simple, joyful activities with a parent who returns home after being away for an extended period of time. With that angle, the working title became, Mama’s Home!, and I revised the story to incorporate the preparations for and anticipation of Mama’s return . . . from somewhere.   

When I submitted Mama’s Home! to Familius, co-founder and CEO Christopher Robbins and team (rightfully!) wondered if I might be open to a more specific reason for Mama being away— the arrival of a new sibling. This brought additional revisions that incorporated the anticipation and preparations for Mama’s return, featuring activities that could be engaged in with a recuperating Mama and new baby.

To bring authenticity to the sibling component, I mined my memories of my younger sister’s arrival, and I looked for opportunities to emphasize and lean into the enduring and evolving nature of the relationship between Mama and an older child.

Additionally, I mined memories about my own mom being away from home for extended periods when I was a child. In her case it was due to health issues, but no matter the reason, it was always such a delight when she returned home.

One of the things I especially love about the final book is the way in which Adèle Dafflon’s illustrations beautifully capture the element of family. Papa and older siblings are together. Waiting. Pitching in. Contributing. Staying close. And once Mama and baby come home, the familial love and joy simply expands and grows. 

Eventually, after input from industry sales reps and the publisher’s marketing team, the current title, Mama’s Home (and Baby Too!), came to be.

Despite all the twists and turns this story took along the path to publication and throughout many (many!) revisions, the essence of the story—childhood bliss—remains true. It’s the story idea that took hold of me from the start and insisted on being written. It’s the part of the story that I connected with so deeply when I watched my own child engage in imaginative play and scribbled down a rough poem. It’s the part of the story that kept me motivated to keep working on it until it was just right. A story about a joyful, play-filled, childhood—and now, a unique take on the arrival of a new sibling, and a loving family making room for one more.  

ME: Thank you so much for all of this, dear Dawn! My takeaway is…NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR STORY…and also, be willing to revise and to listen to editor advice. I’m so glad you practiced patience and perseverance, my friend.

And now, here’s some info about the author and illustrator…and ways you can connect with them and BUY and REVIEW this important book!

Dawn Babb Prochovnic is the author of over 20 children’s books including Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?, Lucy’s Blooms, and her latest title, Mama’s Home (and Baby Too!). She has devoted her life’s work to initiatives that support literacy and the literary arts, including early literacy enrichment programs, school author visits, writing workshops, and her educational blog. Dawn is the recipient of the Walt Morey Award and the esteemed “Pleasure Reading Award” (her most memorable fifth-grade achievement). She lives in Portland, Oregon with her family and fan-favorites, Pickle the Cat and Sophie the Paddleboarding Pup.

Adèle Dafflon was born in Fribourg, Switzerland, in 1985. She graduated in illustration at École Supérieure des Arts Saint-Luc de Liège in 2012 and began drawing birth announcement cards. Soon, she was contacted for individual and collective projects. Sharing a studio with four artists since 2018, she draws nature, animals, and insects in a colorful style with a dash of genuine humor.

Author and Illustrator’s Websites:

Dawn: www.dawnprochovnic.com  
Adèle: https://www.adeledafflon.com/

Author’s Social Media Links:
Substack:  @dawnprochovnic.substack.com
Bluesky:   @DawnProhovnic.bsky.social
Facebook: @DawnProchovnicAuthor 
Instagram: @DawnProchovnic
LinkedIn:  @DawnProchovnic
Pinterest:  @DawnProchovnic
YouTube: @dprochovnic

Buy Links:
Familius
Bookshop
B&N
Amazon

Just saying, dear friends…if you have any friends or family who are expecting a baby and have a young child already at home, THIS is the perfect gift.
Thank you for spending your precious time with us…I hope you all have a beautiful week!