This makes me feel so very proud, and so excited. I came up with the idea for this book several years ago, and people keep asking me why I wrote this book, and how I thought it up.
Here's the story behind the story.
Basically, the book is just true.
Mike's parents have a lovely home in Edgartown, and we have been going there every summer ever since we have been together. When Maddie was so little, she WOULD get woken up by the loud birds at the Vineyard at 5:00 a.m., and I'd whisk her off into town to get bagels at Espresso Love while everyone else slept to a more respectable time. I loved these times, we would wander around the town together while it was all sleepy and peaceful, and look at the ocean, and it was beautiful and a wonderful start to our day. On these walks we could not help but admire and discuss the TREMENDOUS PAGODA TREE, and I created a long and involved telling of what we call "the story of the tree." I researched it a bit online and told this story like a million times.
I had this Uncle who passed away 12 years ago, almost exactly. Uncle Joe was very into saving trees, and boats and the sea, and he had a little white dog named Zep, and then another little white dog named Pandora, and he was amazing and I loved him very much. It seemed awfully fitting to write this story about the tree and incorporate him and his dog as the inspiration for the captain.
So I wrote it, dedicated it to Uncle Joe, and found amazing Nicole Gsell to illustrate it.
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