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Children’s book author, Doreen Cronin, was interviewed this week by Tri-Rivers
Early Childhood Education (ECE) students and staff and Preschool children and staff via Skype. “We skyped for approximately 35 minutes,” said Laura Wixtead, ECE instructor and the coordinator of the activity.

Wixtead had emailed Cornin earlier in the month and asked about the possibility of skyping with the author.  “The ECE students are currently researching children’s literature and children’s authors. Talking with an author via skype seemed like the perfect opportunity for them to learn more about writing as a career, especially writing children’s literature.”

Wixtead was excited when the author agreed to the skype session. “By using skype—a software that allows users to make free video and voice calls over the internet—the students could easily interact with the author.” During the interview session Cronin delighted participants by reading her book, Click, Clack, Moo.

“The preschoolers, high school students and staff enjoyed the time they spent
with Doreen Cronin. Being able to see her and ask questions live was a rewarding experience. Her books are awesome and we use them often in the classroom,” said Wixtead.

Here’s what Doreen Cronin told the group about herself:

I was born in Queens, New York and grew up on Long Island with my parents, two brothers, and my younger sister. My father was a police officer in New York and would entertain us for hours with terrifying stories of a rough city(remember..we’re talking about the 1970s) and hysterical stories about some of the characters he met in his line of work.

One of his favorite assignments was working in the anti-crime unit where he would dress in street clothes, ride the subway and pretend to be crazy. he would occasionally break into this routine at the dinner table and it always kept us in stitches.

When my father died 10  years ago, laughter became a rare commodity. My father passed away a few days before I was supposed to start law school at St. John’s University in Jamaica, Queens. I put school off for a semester and continued to do some freelance writing. Late one night shortly after the funeral, I found myself wide awake and crying. I just missed my father so much.

I walked over to the computer, sat down, and “Click Clack Moo” just flowed right out of me. The greatest kick of all was when I finished it, I was laughing and it felt like my dad was right there with me.

I had been sending out children’s book manuscripts for quite a while, and had a box full of rejection letters to show for it. This one felt different, it was more than a story, it was a gift from my father.

Today, any day spent reading “Click Clack Moo” with a roomful of laughing kids is like a day spent with my dad. An unbelievable gift given to me over and over again. Incidentally, the publication date for “Click Clack Moo” was January 28, which just happens to be my father’s birthday. Enough said.

The gap between acceptance of the manuscript and publication was a very long one. Long enough for me to graduate from law school, pass the bar, and begin to practice law. I worked at a Manhattan law firm where I practiced commercial and civil litigation. Brutal  hours, but for the most part, I spent my time researching and writing—two of my favorite things to do.

The attorney/children’s book combo was definitely an interesting one and one that both my employer and I took some getting used to. I remember having to take the morning off from the firm so I could meet with Betsy Lewin and shoot an interview for Scholastic. Try explaining that to the managing partner. Not exactly billable time.

After “Click Clack Moo” was featured on National Public Radio with Scott Simon and Daniel Pinkwater, one of the attorneys stopped me in the hallway to tell me what he had heard on “All Things Considered.” Seems he heard a funny children’s book read on the air, written by a Doreen Cronin, who, believe it or note, also happened to be an attorney. Although I hated to rain on his “what a freaky coincidence” parade—I had to set him straight. “That’s not a coincidence, Jon, that’s me.” The conversation ended rather abruptly, which is just as well since casual conversation is not billable time!

The firm was extremely supportive and when Betsy Lewin took home a
Caldecott Honor for her amazing illustrations, one of the partners came in to my office with a copy of the New York Times article and kissed my on the head! See, lawyers aren’t as heartless as you think they are! I juggled both careers for about six months, then realized it was time to make a choice.

I wanted to accept invitations from school kids who wrote me asking me to come visit them. I wanted to spend more time writing. I wanted to visit book stores. So I quit my law career and have been visiting, writing and traveling ever since.

Through all of it, I read and I wrote. I had been a  journalism major at  Penn State many years earlier, and I think some of that straight-forward style of writing shows in my books.

After I graduated, I worked for Newbridge Communications, where I edited curriculum-based programs for elementary school teachers. While there, I had a wonderful boss named Vita Jimenez who also happened to run the Children’s Choice Book Club, which offered parents inexpensive reprints of classic children’s books. She gave me free access to her extensive library and I read all of them! My love of children’s books was born!

I have two daughters—a three-year-old and a five-year-old—so I probably spend as much time reading children’s books as I do writing them.