The Small Business Saturday Part of the Writing Life

Potty Books by
Dawn Babb Prochovnic and Jacob Souva

I'm so excited to share that I've been invited to present a humorous, potty-themed story time at BOLD Coffee and Books on Small Business Saturday (Nov 29 at 11 AM) this year! I LOVE the opportunities for silliness and laughter this theme affords--and what better day to share this news than today, WORLD TOILET DAY. 

But wait, isn't WORLD TOILET DAY serious business? It sure is. According to UN-Water (the UN's coordination mechanism on water and sanitation), World Toilet Day, originated by the World Toilet Organization and observed November 19 each year, "is about inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and reach the 3.4 billion people still living without safely managed sanitation." This year's theme is "Sanitation in a Changing World," with the tagline, "We'll always need the toilet. 

You can find educational and promotional materials for this year's observance of World Toilet Day on the UN-Water website. A few years back I did a comprehensive round-up of World Toilet Day resources, including other organizations who are working hard to address global water sanitation issues. 

I've also previously written about some of my misgivings about writing silly books in a such a serious world (you can find those earlier posts here and here). In the end, I've come to embrace the importance of humor, especially in children's books, even in (especially in) these trying times. Igniting a child's desire to read is serious business, and kids like funny books. 

So I lean into goofiness when I share my potty-humor books with young readers. For the Cowgirl Pirate Potty Party at BOLD Coffee & Books on Small Business Saturday, we'll read my silly stories, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? and Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty? (both illustrated by Jacob Souva); learn some fun potty puns; shake our booties in a playful potty dance; and flush my beloved audible toy toilet. I will of course encourage participants to purchase autographed books to help support the intent of Small Business Saturday and the indie bookstore that's hosting me, and I'm encouraging donations of packaged underwear and diapers to help folks in our community while we gather together and laugh until we wet our pants!

(If you want a full run-down of ideas for your own potty-themed story time, you can find a lesson plan here, complete with silly songs, dances, sign language, and book pairings. You can find links to MANY other resources here (you definitely don't want to miss what I've included on my potty-humor-themed Pinterest page!)

See you on the silly side! 

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The Writing Life is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of over 20 books for young readers and the proud recipient of the esteemed “Pleasure Reading Award” (her most memorable 5th grade achievement). 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’s work has been short-listed for the Oregon Book Award; she was named an Oregon Library Supporter of the Year for her library advocacy efforts; and she received the Walt Morey Award in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon’s young readers. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com. 

The Layers of Meaning and Themes Part of the Writing Life

Photo Credit: Jane Kurtz

One of the things I especially love about being a children's book author is discovering, uncovering, and finding new ways to lean into the themes of my books. I say discovering and uncovering because, even as the author of a book, it's not unusual for me to learn about and discover, over time, new layers of meaning and embedded themes in my own stories, particularly as folks read and respond to my work. Simply put, of course I meant to say something with my book, but in reality, a book's meaning has much more to do with what it means to its readers than what the author might have intended to say. 

According to the official marketing copy (and likely excerpted from my long-ago query letter) for my most recent picture book, LUCY'S BLOOMS, "is a multigenerational story about a young girl who learns from her grandmother about the enduring nature of love, the strength in rejecting labels, and the wisdom of standing with those who are different." That's still spot on, but I've also come to realize that the story is also about kindness and caregiving. It's not a wonder. The story is inspired by my relationship with my own Gram, a woman who spent her life caring for others, and, it was written during a time in my life when I was caring for aging parents and my children. So, I didn't necessarily "set out" to write a book about kindness and caregiving, but those themes definitely come through for readers, as evidenced by the various reviews the book has received since it was published in 2021. 

For example, fellow author, Carrie Finison had this to say:

And, fellow author Kathy MacMillan had this to say:

I love learning about my stories through the eyes of my readers, and I love that LUCY'S BLOOMS inspires kindness. What better time to celebrate that than today, World Kindness Day. 

by Dawn Babb Prochovnic and Alice Brereton

Looking for other books about kindness to pair with LUCY'S BLOOMS? Check out: 

Be Kind, by Pat Zietlow Miller and Jen Hill (Roaring Brook Press, 2018) 

Rice From Heaven, by Tina Chao and Keum Jin Song (Little Bee Books, 2018 - you can read a guest post by Tina and her book, here.)   

The Power of One, by Trudy Ludwig and Mike Curato (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2020)

And any of the books on Kind World Publishing's growing list.

Plus these beauties from Familius, (the publisher of my next book!):

Kindness Rocks, by Megan Murphy and JiaJia Hamner (Familius, 2025) 

1001 Ways to Be Kind, by Dallas Woodburn and McKay Rappleyea (Familius, 2024)

I Dig Being Kind, by Michele Robbins and Ekaterina Ladatko (Familius, 2020)

Looking for other opportunities to #MakeKindnessTheNorm? Check out these resources:

Action for Happiness

The Be Kind to People Project

The Great Kindness Challenge (takes place annually in January) 

The Growing Kindness Project

Random Acts of Kindness Foundation 

And, check out Paul Avellino's (aka the Garden Guinea's) social media posts, like this one. I find his social media feed inspiring and uplifting. I hope you will, too. 

And to quote Paul, "I'd love to hear about a kindness you've received...something simple or life-changing" in the comments below. 

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The Writing Life is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of over 20 books for young readers and the proud recipient of the esteemed “Pleasure Reading Award” (her most memorable 5th grade achievement). 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’s work has been short-listed for the Oregon Book Award; she was named an Oregon Library Supporter of the Year for her library advocacy efforts; and she received the Walt Morey Award in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon’s young readers. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com.