Today we’d like to introduce you to Marybeth Wishart.
Hi Marybeth, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Over thirty five years ago, as I was driving my kids to school they often asked me to tell them a story. I would create different scenes and characters but one morning, a special story developed! It became a family favorite and is based on my experience as a special education teacher for over 34 years at both the elementary and high school levels.
I began teaching special education students in the late 70’s in very diverse schools, which I absolutely loved. The children came from many different cultural backgrounds. And the students I taught had a variety of special education diagnoses, ranging from significant disabilities (physical, emotional, educational) to mild learning disabilities. In the early 80’s we began to integrate (mainstream) students into general education classes and we worked very hard helping students and teachers welcome these students into their classrooms and provide their educational plans. Empathy and acceptance of others, no matter who they are, was a lesson I wanted my own children to learn as well.
After telling my own kids the story of Parker the Purple Penguin, I wrote it down and placed it into a drawer in my home in Connecticut. Occasionally, I would come upon the story and reread and tweak it a bit. I always thought it would make a wonderful picture book but life kept me busy and that was left as a dream.
Upon retiring and moving down to South Carolina in 2018, I met some children’s authors and started to take classes online hoping how to make my dream of a picture book a reality. After many starts and stops (and a little imposter syndrome struggles), I was able to have my first picture book, Parker the Purple Penguin, published on my 65th birthday in 2020!
After publishing the book, I have spent countless hours sharing Parker with many classes, schools and story times in and around South Carolina and Connecticut. In 2024, Following requests from teachers and kids, I was able to publish my second book, Parker Discovers the Blues, which has a social-emotional theme and helps kids identify their feelings. I will soon publish my 3rd Parker book in the series, hoping for an early fall release, just in time for the holidays. It’s called A Very Parker Christmas and is a book about caring and sharing!
I would be remiss without mentioning my amazing illustrator, Marianella Aguirre, who lives and teaches Spanish in Auckland, New Zealand! I met her through my first publisher and she envisioned Parker just as I had. We make a great team and she is a wonderful human being, talented artist and has become a very special friend!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I had much to learn about the writing, editing, and publishing book industry. Fortunately, I met some authors who gave great advice and I spent many hours, before and during Covid, researching and taking on-line classes. It was a bit of a struggle overcoming my imposter syndrome and understanding how long the process takes to bring an idea on paper to a published book! Because my first book was published in December of 2020 there were many delays due to staffing turnovers, printing, etc. Also, being of a more “mature” age, some of the technology took a bit longer for me to master and it still can be a challenge at times!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a retired special education teacher (as mentioned in previous notes) and have taught at both the elementary and high school levels. I have seen and provided a continuum of services to special education students for over three decades and been a part of many varied interventions and services to students. I especially enjoyed working with other staff members, whether team teaching or providing assistance and support. I feel most comfortable in a school setting and in a classroom so being able to go into schools and classrooms now and share my books and the writing and publishing process is so much fun! On my website, there are activities for teachers, parents, and caregivers for both books that can be downloaded for free. I love being invited into classrooms, schools, and story times!
What are your plans for the future?
I hope to continuing writing stories and (possibly) publishing more books. Just sharing with kids and adults the messages behind my books is very fulfilling in these retirement years. I hope to continue to do so for many years to come. Along with various other activities (grand parenting, church and community activities, traveling, pickle ball and finding heart rocks along the way, my husband and I hope to keep busy and active well into our 70’s!
Pricing:
- https://wishartbooks.com
- Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
- Goodreads
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wishartbooks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkerthepurplepenguin.book
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parkerthepurplepenguin
