I first became acquainted with Sue’s work when Race zoomed into our nightly reading rotation. My son simply loved the story and so as a kidlit enthusiast, my job was to find out more about this author. I was so excited to see that she was coming out with a new book in a few short months, Mary Had A Little Lab and so I contacted her. She sent the Storymamas a copy of the book and agreed to do an interview!
Mary is a girl who loves to build and create. When she realizes that inventing by yourself can get lonely, she gathers a tuft of wool to put into her machine, and out comes a wooly sheep! Mary enjoys the sheep while it helps with chores and groceries, but what happens when her classmates want one too?! Well, Mary duplicates the sheep and soon the town becomes overrun by sheep, what will they do? And if you know the popular rhyme, “everywhere that Mary went….” you can try and guess, but as the story continues, Mary finds a way to solve the problem of too many sheep and how fun it can be with friends!
This book embraces so much that kids will enjoy: science and experimenting, humor, girl power, using an old familiar rhyme to guide the new version of this story and teamwork! Great for all ages. We are so thankful Sue took the time to answer 3 questions about the book and 3 questions about herself.
3 Questions about Mary Had A Little Lab
What are three words you’d use to describe your book?
Funny, creative, empowering
How did you come up with the idea for this book?
In a dream! I dreamt the title, and the next day made a connection that a lab could be a laboratory (as opposed to a dog–we have a labrador). Then I furiously wrote the first draft.
What do you hope readers take away after reading this book?
That if they love to do something, and they follow their dreams, they will eventually find happiness. Or, I hope they get a good laugh and enjoy all the fun details in the illustrations! I guess what I’m saying is, I hope they get out of it what they want to get out of it.
3 Questions about You
If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to be and why?
I think I would still always be writing things, but if I wasn’t making a career out of that, maybe I’d be a veterinarian.
What is one book that has stuck with you since you’ve read it?
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig.
Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret and Deenie by Judy Blume.
What is one item in your refrigerator that tells us about you?
Homemade salsa. It’s one of the few things I make well and it’s really tasty.
To learn more about Sue and her work, feel free to visit her website, or find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.