It’s time for Chicago North Shore Moms Meet a Mom Series! We are so thrilled to feature our first ever children’s book author, Faith Goldstein! The Buffalo Grove mother of two energetic boys, ages five and 10, recently published her first book, Gorillas’ Night Out! Faith has been one busy bee this year! In addition to publishing her first book, she has become a Spoke Contributor for Red Tricycle and was recently interviewed on Fox 32 News Good Day Chicago Weekend to discuss the importance of reading in a child’s education as well as Gorillas’ Night Out! In this interview Faith reveals the inspiration behind becoming a children’s book author, advice to any budding authors and awesome tips for getting your reluctant reader to….. read!
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
I was born and raised in Buffalo Grove. When I graduated from college I moved to the city and lived there for 10 years. In 2012, my family and I left the city, and we moved to Buffalo Grove, where we still currently live.
Child(ren) and Age(s)?
Two boys! Brandon who is ten and Max who is five.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I’m obsessed with working out at Burn Boot Camp! I call it my happy place! I try to go six days a week and I am hoping to run in a marathon in the future.
Favorite mom hack?
Ipad!!! When I need to get something done, the ipad is my go to!
Favorite place to take the kids?
Great America! It keeps my extremely energetic boys entertained for the day and we always have a good time. Plus, they have the BEST chocolate chip cookies!
Guilty pleasure…
Shopping! Whether it be online or in stores, I LOVE shopping! My absolute obsession is Terez leggings!
Go-to cosmetic “tired eraser”?
Bobbi Brown Under Eye Corrector
Favorite family movie?
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Favorite book for you?
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
Favorite Children’s book?
Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard (and my book, Gorillas’ Night Out, of course!)!
A perfect day with the family is….
Hanging out somewhere fun, like the pool, a movie, or play space, followed by ordering in dinner and family movie night!
Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
My tribe as I call them! They are my mama friends who are so incredibly supportive! We laugh together, cry together and commiserate together! They get me through the good days and the bad days, and I don’t know how I would do without them!
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
I am a children’s book author. My first picture book entitled, Gorillas’ Night Out, was recently published by Indigo River Publishing in January 2019.
One of the best parts about my job is going to schools and preschools to do an “author visit” and share my book with the children. I used to be a Kindergarten teacher for many years, so it is always so much fun to get back into a classroom!
What was the inspiration behind writing this book?
Ever since I was a young girl, I wanted to write a picture book. When I was in Second Grade an author visited our school to discuss the book writing/publishing process, and I thought it was the neatest thing ever. I then decided that I wanted to be a children’s book author too one day.
When I had my second child I took time off from teaching to be home with my children. I then decided that if I was ever going to write that picture book that I had always wanted to write, now was the time to do it.
My sons and I went to the zoo one day in 2017, and on the car ride home my son asked, “What do the animals do at night when there is no one at the zoo?”. We started talking about this, and it got me thinking that this could make for a really fun story.
Who is this book for?
Gorillas’ Night Out is intended for children ages 3-8 years old.
What is your educational and work background that helped with the writing of this book?
In a former life as I call it, I received a BA in Elementary Education and I was a Kindergarten teacher for eight years. Reading so many books to my students over the course of multiple years provided me with the opportunity to learn about children’s reading preferences and the different elements that they enjoy in a story; one thing I noticed was that children love humorous stories, so I aimed to make my book as funny as possible, with a side of silly as well.
Please offer advice with respect to any future writers out there….
I offer two pieces of advice, since you asked! The first is when I had my second son I left my teaching position to be home with my children. Little did I know that my time away from teaching would provide me with the opportunity to fulfill my life-long dream of becoming a children’s book author. My favorite inspirational quote that I try to live by comes from Walt Disney who said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
The second piece of advice I can offer is “Simple Strategies to Get Your Reluctant Reader Into Books“… I hope you’ll check out my article published on Red Tricycle just last week!
Awesome, thank you so much! I read this article and as the mom of a reluctant 3rd grade reader, I especially appreciate the advice you give about making a special outing with your child by taking her to the library or book store and have her pick out the books she’ll read. I loved the other 5 tips, too!
Gorillas’ Night Out is adorable! What’s on the horizon? Can we expect more books from you soon?
I am hoping to write many more picture books in the future, and continue down this career path as an author. Currently, I am working on sequels to Gorillas’ Night Out which finds the gorillas getting into mischief and “monkey business” once again!
To purchase your copy of Gorillas’ Night Out just click on one of these links:
