Mary La Cue Simpkins is the author of Prince Patches, a book about a Maltese shih tzu designer dog who’s full of energy. This book provides valuable information and insight for children who would like to own a pet.
Simpkins talked with rolling out about her book, Prince Patches.
What is this book about?
Prince Patches is a real live dog, and he is a Maltese shih tzu, which is a designer dog. He has a lot of fun, and he has a lot of energy. The main thing about the book is that it teaches kids about responsibility. Kids need to understand that having a pet comes with a responsibility. Children are always asking their parents, “Mommy, Daddy, I want a dog, I want a dog.” They don’t realize the responsibility that comes with having a dog, like taking it for a walk, feeding it, keeping it groomed, and taking it to the vet. All the expenses, of course, end up with the parent. My audience that is targeted is aged four through 12.
What inspired you to write this book?
What inspired me to write this book is when I bought Prince Patches. When I bought him, I didn’t have a dog. It was just me, and my sister said, “you should get a dog because they are a lot of company.”
I bought Prince Patches and I realized he was a lot of responsibility. I was looking for someone who wanted a dog and this family wanted a dog for their two children, but Patches would not go. So I told him I was going to write a book about him. I’m so glad I kept him. He inspired me to write a book about him, which is nonfiction. He is a friend. With that being said, I started writing and I found a really great illustrator that worked with me. It’s been a fun journey, and it’s taught me a lot as an adult.
What did you like most about writing this book?
My imagination. I think a lot and anybody that thinks a lot should write a lot. You need to write down your thoughts. I enjoyed writing about Patches, because I know if God gave it to me that means it was for me. Before I wrote it, I googled to see if there was anything titled Prince Patches, and [there] was nothing. So I knew God had given it to me, I felt it. It wasn’t for anybody else. My name was on this. The only thing I saw when I googled Prince Patches, was Prince. If you saw the word patches, you would see patches with prints that you can put on your clothes. But there was no book. There was no Prince Patches as a book. Nothing about a dog called Prince Patches. That’s because it’s for me, and it wasn’t for anybody else. That inspired me to get started.
