Mind Your Manners Minnie Monster was the first book I ever published. The whole thing started in 1999 at a pizzeria in New York City. I was waiting for my food when I heard this kid say, “Mommy, I said no.” And then he threw his spaghetti against the wall. That was the night Mind Your Manners Minnie Monster was born.

Even though I wrote the story in 1999, I got really busy with life. I didn’t publish it until 2011, when my kids were in nursery school. Part of the delay was because I really wanted to do the illustrations myself. In traditional publishing, even though you wrote the story, they hire someone else to do the illustrations. 

But I had such a strong idea in my head of what I wanted Minnie to look like. I had been doodling Minnie ever since I was ten years old, and she was very insistent that she be the star of the book. So, I self-published it, and it worked out because I won a silver Mom’s Choice Award for the story. 

Teaching manners to kids doesn’t have to be drudgery or a chore; it can be a lot of fun. When my kids were little, I would read them the story, and they used to love it when Minnie was being naughty. We used to act out the story too, so they had a chance to be bratty during the first half, then self-correct in the second half. 

When I’m at a writing event, I love it when parents come up to me and say, “This is my daughter’s favorite book” or “my son noticed a kid having a temper tantrum and said, ‘uh-oh, he’s being a Minnie Monster.” It just tickles my heart because it means the kids are getting it.