The Girl With The Hazel Eyes

One of the questions I get asked about my Hazel book is how did I come up with this story? I’m guessing people want to know what inspired me to write about a hippo with self-esteem issues.  The answer is one that I am still trying to figure out myself. It’s not like I have had an obsession with hippos … though since all this has started I MAY have ordered an “I HEART HIPPOS” shirt and I am drawn to any and all things hippo.  It sounds crazy but really the words just appeared in my thought bubble last fall while we were in Kansas visiting family (and just so you know, there is no hippo connection to Kansas or my family).  After just a couple of hours, I had pretty much written her story.

Fast-forward several months and Hazel has officially made her appearance in the book world of a published children’s author! (That would be me.) Hazel has landed in the hands and hearts of those who read her story. If we are honest with ourselves (and really … let’s be honest), we can all relate to Hazel’s predicament. Fearing that we will not be accepted due to our looks has been a fear that we have all experienced at some point in our lives. And I would guess that for many, the fear never goes away. It may lessen, but that tiny little fear is still there. If you are so lucky to outgrow your fear, I bet you still remember moments, months, or more when you felt that you were less than “perfect” in order to be liked.

Recently I had the opportunity to read Hazel’s story to a class of kindergarten students. Afterwards, the children were invited to “ask-the-author” questions. One little guy asked “So why do we all look different?” (Of course he would have to ask THAT question.) After stumbling through a response that hopefully satisfied inquiring minds (“because that’s just how we are made” – genius), I then I asked “How boring would it be if we all looked the same?” It was a light-bulb moment for the youngster as he replied “I wouldn’t know who my friends were if we all looked the same!” His response was a light-bulb moment for me. While we chuckled over his response, the fact is that somewhere in our growing up years, we identified with who our friends were based on looks. Maybe that little guy was on to something. If we all looked alike, then friendships and acceptance would have to be based on something deeper than looks (imagine that).

Bird’s message to Hazel … “You were made to be you, perfectly so” goes far deeper than our own coat of skin. Don’t judge a book by its cover for if you do, you may just miss the best story ever.

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