By Ralphine Major

What animal can hold a child’s attention better than a mischievous, cunning penguin?  Piddle Diddle is such a penguin!  Despite her small size, she can be an example to children.  Size is an obstacle only if you let it be, and penguins are some of the most entertaining animals on the planet.  My brother, Wayne Major, created the character, Piddle Diddle, the Widdle Penguin, and is contributing to this column.  I co-authored “Piddle Diddle’s Lost Hat,” the first book in the series, “Adventures of Piddle Diddle, the Widdle Penguin.”

After being created and written in Corryton, Tennessee, Piddle Diddle wintered in Mosheim, Tennessee, in beautiful rural Greene County.  She was right at home when East Tennessee got hammered with all of that snow and ice.  Piddle Diddle came to life on the pages of the book with Teresa Wilkerson’s talented hands.  The self-taught illustrator used her magic touch to make Piddle Diddle look her very best for little readers to take home with them.

After her stay in Greene County, we took Piddle Diddle to the staff at Jan-Carol Publishing (JCP) in Johnson City, Tennessee.  There, Publisher Janie Jessee and Graphic Designer Tara Sizemore got her ready to jump into the book before she wobbled her way down to the printer in Nashville.  While Piddle Diddle was in Johnson City, Steve Ellis of Light House Studio in Knoxville prepared her home in record time on our logo and website.  This expert website designer has been a tremendous help to us and patient with these first-time authors.  Steve will finish our website when we get a couple of our business processes completed.  It was only days before Piddle Diddle boarded a big brown truck in Nashville and headed toward Knoxville—”hat and all,” the publisher told us when we checked on her.  JCP’s Tammy Robinson-Smith helped introduce Piddle Diddle to Focus readers in last week’s press release, and we have lots of business cards that Graphic Touch made featuring Ellis’ colorful logo for Piddle Diddle fans.  She is now officially home at www.majorbooksofjoy.com— Home of Piddle Diddle, the Widdle Penguin!  Books are available at www.jancarolpublishing.com, www.amazon.com, and will soon be available at the Home of Piddle Diddle—www.majorbooksofjoy.com.