{guest post from Becky Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard–authors of Sissy Goes Tiny}

There is so much to be grateful for in life. From health to adventures, every day is a gift.

Sometimes those gifts come in unique and even surprise forms as well. When co-author B.A. Norrgard and I (completely out of the blue) had an idea for a children’s book. 

Being the authors of a children’s book wasn’t on the Short List of Goals for either of us.

It was on my “way, way down the road in the future List.” But was not something that was on my immediate radar.

But when ideas pop into your life in full-living color, it’s time to sit up and take notice.

So when our book diverse children’s picture book, Sissy Goes Tiny, pretty much “fell out of us,” we summoned the courage to show it to Audrey Press CEO Valarie Budayr. We had no ulterior motive other than to see if we had something worthy of publishing.

As the fifth anniversary of this groundbreaking children’s book nears, we would like to pause, reflect, and celebrate.

Back in 2018, BA and I sent a VERY rough draft of Sissy to Valarie Budayr, CEO of Audrey Press Books.

Then, we waited. We knew who busy Valarie’s schedule and life was so we had no expectations and were prepared to wait as long as it took to get the feedback we needed.

Surprisingly, a mere forty-eight hours later, an email popped into my Inbox that said, ” I LOVE this book, and I want to publish it via Audrey Press. It will be a home run.”

Talk about a “holy cow!” moment.

Fourteen months later, we were holding copies of Sissy Goes Tiny in our hot little hands, and it was a moment we won’t ever forget.

Sissy Goes Tiny officially came to life on July 19th, 2019 thanks to an amazing team of editors, book designers, and a national printing company that happens to be in our hometown!

I was told that I could even be on-site to watch the “birth” of our book as it rolled off the presses.

Another added blessing came in the form of our local TV station catching wind of our exciting book birth and asked if they could come and capture the magic!

You can watch the finished episode HERE.

The blessings surrounding this book and project are endless and our hearts are FULL.

Needless to say, We are incredibly grateful.

• Grateful to have family, friends, and spouses who have cheered us on during the creation and publishing of Sissy Goes Tiny.
• Grateful that Valarie Budayr, CEO of Audrey Press, saw the potential in this book and took us under her wing.
• Grateful that we have creative and brilliant people like illustrator Penny Weber, book designer Andy Meaden, and editor Mallory Adamson in our corner–shepherding us towards the finish line (and beyond).
• Grateful that this project was supported by Five Wings Arts Council with funds from the McKnight Foundation.
• And grateful to be following in the footsteps of all of the luminaries and innovators in the tiny house community who show us daily what community really means while being advocates and examples of an unconventional style of living that is beneficial in so many ways (mental health and for Mother Earth!) We appreciate all of you in more ways than you will ever know!

We hope that other authors or authors-to-be have an opportunity to see their published work come to life. It is very doable and entirely possible 🙂

About Sissy

Eight-year-old Sissy loves her life. She loves her toys, her Big house, and her Big backyard. But when Sissy’s parents decide they are going to “live Tiny,” the thought of parting with some of her belongings and living in a Little house on wheels doesn’t sound so good. But as her family’s new adventure unfolds, Sissy begins to understand that “stuff is just stuff” and living in a Tiny House is filled with the possibility of Big adventures!

Cool Things Plucked from the Pages of Sissy Goes Tiny

*Understanding what the act of “going tiny” or downsizing/minimizing might look like from a child’s perspective.

*Mommy and Daddy are excited about the tiny house lifestyle, but 8-year-old Sissy isn’t so sure. What changes Sissy’s mind?

*The child in the story “loves her life” and continues to do so even when their lifestyle and living situation changes

*Touch on the process of downsizing, repurposing, and how “stuff is just stuff” in a positive way.

*The underlying lesson throughout the story is that living Tiny has BIG possibilities and can open up life to various adventures and learning.

*When keeping things “beautiful and useful,” how different that might look to a child.

*She knew that her family’s new tiny adventure was full of big possibilities, and wherever they went, they would always be home.

Sissy Goes Tiny is now part of the Random Acts of Reading (RoAR) Book Vending Machine Project! Get the scoop HERE.