Interview with Dora E. H. Crow
Q: Why did you write Winky and Wonder?
A: I wanted a way to present moral questions and teachings to my children in a manner that would be entertaining, thought-provoking, and memorable.
Young readers and listeners can identify with the characters in the book because Winky and Wonder are children, as are the human children they assist in the stories. I believe this identification with the characters will help readers to see how the situations in the story relate to their own lives.
Q: How did you begin writing the stories?
A: In 1997, many times after feeding my infant daughter at around 3:00 a.m., I would lie awake thinking about what I felt were important values to share with my children as they grew. I began jotting down notes during these early hours, and soon these notes developed into a story.
What began as a list of beliefs quickly ended up taking on a life of its own. I would wonder, as I held my pen, what these characters would do next -- it was as if I had become the reader...not knowing how situations would be presented, handled, or resolved. Or even who would show up in the story...
Q: What do you hope Winky and Wonder will accomplish?
A: I would like the examples given in the story to help children deal with daily moral choices, recognize the powerful effect their words and actions have on others, and in expressing their struggles in protecting themselves from Ripples of Discontent, Tairharts, and Shards.
For instance, one day when my daughter was eight years old she noticed I was quite agitated and short-tempered that day. She quietly asked me, "Mom, did anyone give you any 'shards' today?"
I was quite impressed! She not only understood from the book that 'shards' may have caused me to act in an inappropriate manner, she helped me to diffuse them (melt them), simply by asking that very question. And we both understood that the "shards" I had received that day were no excuse for me to be taking it out on others around me.
Enjoy a one hour radio interview with Dora presented by Harry Shade.
