Bedtime with Daddy by Nancy I. Sanders, Interviews by Kathy and Molly

Little ones love to snuggle with their mommies and daddies before bed, and Nancy I. Sanders’ board book, Bedtime with Daddy, joins her previous board book, Bedtime with Mommy, to help make those times extra special. Prayers and songs, stories and colorful illustrations about animal daddies and their little ones will send children off to sleep, feeling safe and loved.

Molly and I are thrilled to welcome Nancy and her kitties, Sandman and Pitterpat to our blog today!

Nancy and her husband, a retired elementary teacher, live in southern California. Nancy began writing when their sons were young. Today those 2 sons are grown, with families of their own, and Nancy is an award-winning children’s author of more than 100 books!

Kathy’s Interview with Nancy

Kathy: Nancy, let’s find out a little more about you before we let Molly and Sandman and Pitterpat blend their meows and woofs to chat about Bedtime with Daddy. Have you always lived in California?

Nancy: I grew up on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania. I moved out here to California when I was 20. I met my husband, Jeff, here and decided to stay!

Kathy: What a very special reason to stay! What are your favorite things to write about?

Nancy: I love writing about God and Jesus and prayers and Bible facts! Plus, I enjoy writing stories about nature and God’s amazing creation.

Kathy: Your books sure show those loves! What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

Nancy: Right now I’m sewing a Farmer’s Daughter’s patchwork quilt along with one of my sisters. We’re each making our own Christmas quilt but following the same pattern of 111 different quilt blocks! I’m nearly halfway done. I also enjoy gardening and hiking with my husband. And, of course, spending time with grandchildren tops the list!

Kathy: I’ve never heard of that kind of quilt. It sounds amazing! Do you have a favorite place you’ve visited?

Nancy: For our 35^th anniversary, Jeff and I took a Jane Austen tour and walked in her footsteps around England from birth to death. It was the dream of a lifetime.

Kathy: What a wonderful trip! What’s your very favorite animal?

Nancy: Cats. And birds. A funny combination, right? Southern California is an amazing place to live in if you like birds. Many migrate here for the winter and end up in our backyard. Others come for the summer. I’m trying to entice swallows to build nests in our eaves!

Molly’s Interview with Sandman and Pitterpat

Okay, Pitterpat and Sandman, Molly has promised she won’t chase you, so we’re looking forward to hearing from you about Bedtime with Daddy.

Molly: I love to lie next to Kathy while she works. And when it’s winter I keep her feet warm because I’m so furry. How do you two help Nancy with her writing?

Sandman and Pitterpat: We’re actually writers, too, so we help Nancy with all sorts of writing advice. We even have our own website with tips and freebies. It’s the cat’s meow! You can visit us at https://writingaccordingtohumphrey.wordpress.com/

Molly: Your very own website! I can’t wait to visit it! I also love cuddling with Kathy when she reads books. In this picture of her reading Bedtime with Mommy, I was enjoying the rhymes and prayers. Do you have favorite rhymes and prayers from Bedtime with Daddy?

Pitterpat: I like the seahorse rhyme where the daddy seahorse prays for his baby.

It’s bedtime in the OCEAN.

The water’s dark and deep.

My daddy prays a blessing now.

I settle down to sleep.

“Dear God, pour out Your blessings,” I hear my daddy pray.

“And teach my child to follow You

In every single way.”

 

Molly: I love seahorses! I think they’re so cool . . . water/cool . . . get it? And such a wonderful prayer for children! What did you think when you saw a lion, one of your wild cousins, on the cover of Bedtime with Daddy?

Sandman: That’s MY favorite! One day I plan to save up money from all the empty tuna fish cans I recycle. My bucket list includes going on a safari in Africa where I meet some of my lion cousins. It will be like a family reunion!

Molly: That will be a reunion to ROAR about! I especially love the penguins. Did you help Nancy choose the animal daddies?

Sandman: Of course! First, I helped her brainstorm the settings to choose the different habitats around the world. I even have a freebie that you can download to help you brainstorm your settings, too! You can download and print it out from this link:

https://writingaccordingtohumphrey.wordpress.com/setting/brainstorm-your-storys-setting/

Pitterpat: And I helped her pick the daddies for the different settings. I suggested she choose some of the best daddies around!

Molly: I like that the animal daddies and babies come from 8 different habitats. I think even my thick fur wouldn’t keep me warm in Antarctica. If you could live in a different habitat, which one would you choose?

Sandman: The grasslands in Africa. With my cousins, of course!

Pitterpat: The tundra. I’d love to watch the northern lights each night before I got to bed.

Molly: I think those would be great places to visit! Children sometimes have trouble settling down to sleep. I do, too, especially if there’s thunder. How do you think Bedtime with Daddy will help little ones feel safe and secure?

Pitterpat: Bedtime with Daddy helps remind families to pray, sing songs of praise, and read a Bible verse when they are settling down to sleep. This helps little ones end their day comforted and filled with peace that their heavenly Father is watching over them.

Sandman: Plus, there are lots of snuggles and hugs in this book to remind them their own daddy loves them, too!

Molly: We’ve been reading Bedtime with Daddy and I get snuggles and hugs before bed! So much fun! I’ve enjoyed chatting with you, Sandman and Pitterpat! I feel like I’ve made some new friends that have changed my opinion of cats! If you’re ever in Colorado, we should hang out!

Sandman and Pitterpat: We’ll bring some doggie treats to share! We’ll ask Lira, our neighborhood corgi, to give us some of hers to bring along.

Kathy: Molly, I’m so proud of how well you and Sandman and Pitterpat got along! Thank you, Nancy, Sandman, and Pitterpat, for sharing with us about Bedtime with Daddy. It’s such a sweet companion book to Bedtime with Mommy, and we know it will help daddies and their little ones have lots of snuggly good times before bed!

Where You Can Get Bedtime With Daddy

Kathy: Nancy, would you tell us where we can learn more about you and find Bedtime with Daddy and Bedtime with Mommy, too?

Nancy: So many folks tell me they like to order batches of these little books. They’re perfect for baby showers, neighborhood new baby gifts, Christmas gifts, and for sharing in your local Little Free Libraries, too!

You can order in both books from your favorite local or online bookstore. Or you can order directly from the publisher (End Game Press often has amazing deals!) at https://www.endgamepress.com/store/p/bedtime-with-daddy

You can learn more about Bedtime with Daddy and Bedtime with Mommy at my website at:  http://nancyisanders.com/bedtime-board-books/

Follow me on your favorite social media sites under Nancy I. Sanders and follow my blog for children’s writers at: https://nancyisanders.wordpress.com/

Kathy: those are such good resources and ways to enjoy Bedtime with Daddy! Thank you, Nancy, Pitterpat, and Sandman for visiting with us today!

Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas from Molly and me for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide to 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, with a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit. This month we return to our school-year format of lots of resources for all those who love to help children discover how much fun learning can be!

You may also visit my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages, coloring pages for kids, and an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.