Everything for Froggy Boots

I'm delighted to welcome author Jill Martin to my blog today. I reviewed her delightful board book Froggy Boots go with Everything yesterday, and today she's here to answer some questions. So, where did the book Froggy Boots come from, and who is it written for?







To me, Froggy Boots Go With Everything is for children as much as fortheir grown-ups.  Froggy Boots is a celebration of the wonderfully imaginative spiritthat drives young children in everything they do.  Children bring new meaning and new life tothe world around them in all the games they play.  
Just like other parents, I loved watchingmy young children invent and explore as they played.  In the house, in the yard, everywhere theywent, ingenuity was at work.  It was fascinatingand inspiring to catch those glimpses into their world.  Every leaf, stick and rock; toy, stuffedanimal and measuring cup; cushion, blanket and hamper – all provided endlessfun.  Clothing was no exception.  With clothes and accessories there wasinstant transformation.  There were alsothe favorites, well-worn and well loved.
For children I wanted to create anaccessible, friendly and happy book.  Ichose activities that my children loved in the hopes that other children wouldidentify with the moment and the feeling. I added elements to the book that would keep the attention of youngreaders and invite them to come back for another look.  The "Can you find" game at the end provides afun way for children to engage with the book. My children loved to search for things in books and the list of items tofind is only a start.  Grown-ups and kidsalike can identify new objects within the book and play games together tryingto find them.  
For grown-ups the book is a compilationof snapshots of precious childhood moments. I kept thinking that I wanted to remember how joyfully my kids embracedeverything around them, and I tried to capture some of that magic in Froggy Boots.  I chose simple phrases to playfully describeeach activity and an uncluttered look and feel with the intent to besthighlight the moment depicted by the illustration.  In this way I also hoped to convey a sense ofnostalgia for simple pleasures and simpler times, while bringing to life theboy's strong imaginative engagement in his activity.  
My hope is that readers of all ages will enjoythe fun adventures within Froggy Boots GoWith Everything and revisit it again and again.
I can certainly say that this adult reader enjoyed it and revisited memories of my children as I read. Thank you Jill.
About Jill MartinJill ZabkarMartin spent her early career as a technology writer and publicist in theSilicon Valley.  After becoming a motherof two, she began writing children's books. Froggy Boots Go With Everythingis her first published title.  Jillreceived a BA in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara andan MBA from San Jose State University. She lives in Los Gatos, California with her husband, two children, aguinea pig and three hermit crabs. 
Froggy Boots go with everything is available from Amazon and other bookstores: http://www.amazon.com/Froggy-Boots-Everything-Zabkar-Martin/dp/0984394605