Photo courtesy of Lewis Giles.
While preparing to celebrate his daughter Romy’s third birthday, Lewis Giles decided to go over the top.
Giles said Romy loves to give out an unnecessary bandaid and play doctor, so a Dr. Romy themed party seemed appropriate. But to really emphasize the theme, Giles decided to write a children’s book about Dr. Romy and her sidekick, Nurse Seymour, inspired by the family cat.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Zarrella Stillwagoner, @leftylucycookies.
The book, Dr. Romy and Nurse Seymour, is self-published and tells the story of a young girl who finds herself alone at school after all of her friends fall sick. The book is available for $7.50 on Amazon.
“I did like a small batch of hardback covers that we gave out already,” Giles said. “I guess I was pleasantly surprised about how cute it was. So yes, I am sort of running with it. You know, lightly trying to promote it.”
Giles published the hardcover editions of the book as party favors for Romy’s birthday party.
The children in the book are Romy’s classmates from the Kessler Park United Methodist Church Parents Day Out school.
“The parents were a little in disbelief, like I was a little extra,” Giles said. “I think it took some time for (the kids) to get it. In the moment they weren’t like ‘Oh, that’s me.’ But since then I’ve gotten videos and pictures of them reading it and understanding that’s supposed to be them.”
A Ukrainian artist, Taisiia Komendar, illustrated the book. Giles said it was important to him to create a book that showed a strong Latina character.
As a librarian, Giles said he has seen first-hand the lack of children’s books that celebrate characters of color without focusing on their cultures as the primary plot point.
“If you find something that has a character that’s not white, the book is usually about them not being white. They’re so much about their culture, they never really just allow (the character) to exist,” Giles said.
Photo courtesy of Lewis Giles.
With a full-time job and as a primary caregiver for his daughter, Giles said he does not have the time to pursue a second career as a children’s author.
Still, he does see potential for a Dr. Romy sequel.
He says a trip to the optometrist, or perhaps a Veterinarian named June (inspired by Giles’ niece, June, who loves animals) could make an appearance in the next book.
But when it comes to Romy’s fourth birthday, Giles is aware he has set a high bar.
“I’ve been telling everyone that next year, set your expectations low,” Giles said. “We’re gonna have it like a Peter Piper Pizza.”
