Katherine Mallett speaks with Jennifer Sprinks about her new children’s book promoting oral health.

KM: You started your career as a journalist, how did that first begin?

JS: I grew up in Japan, and studied Politics with French and Spanish at university, so have always been interested in languages and the art of communication. I enjoy writing and love networking as well as politics, so I wanted a career that would suit my interests and personality.

KM: How did you transition from journalism to writing children’s books?

JS: I’m still doing journalism, but I do it part time to fit around my two children. We’re always reading picture books, and I thought, “Wow, I would love to do this myself!”

I came up with my first book during the pandemic. My son was three at the time and feeling the frustration of wanting to be outside! We wanted to do so many fun things, but we couldn’t because of the lockdown. I had just had my second child as well, so I had a baby and a three-year-old and I just felt frustrated for them.

We got to that point where we couldn’t decide what we wanted to do with ourselves, and serious lethargy set in from not getting out enough. My son’s nursery had sent through a lot of activities we could do. He was really into dinosaurs at the time and the activities encouraged him to talk about different characters to help explore his feelings. I think it’s something that parents find they need to do a lot with their children because they’re not very good at expressing their emotions.

My son found it hard to articulate what he was feeling. We didn’t know whether he was tired or upset, so I came up with Furiosaurus the angry dinosaur. That became my very first book. It was about a dinosaur who moans all the time and is feeling fed up, frustrated and furious. Eventually, he meets Calmosaurus who helps him to calm down by appreciating all the good there already is in his life. During lockdown, when it was hard to see the good things that we had, it was a way of helping children to pinpoint the things that they could appreciate and enjoy every single day.

KM: Following that you went on to write a second book, what was the inspiration for your idea?

JS: The inspiration for Mouse in My Mouth! was my daughter, as she loved to do everything else whilst brushing her teeth, other than brushing her teeth! She would talk, chew on the brush, dance, even pirouette! And often she wouldn’t even open her mouth. So, the trick I eventually discovered was to say, “I think I’ve seen an animal in there…” which would result in a fit of laughter from her. She’d be giggling whilst we went through all the animals it could possibly be, and I thought, I could write about this! So, I began writing Mouse in My Mouth! It is about a boy who is brushing his teeth when he hears a squeaking sound and wonders what creature is there. He goes through a myriad of animals, and only as he puts his toothbrush away does he realise it’s a mouse – because his teeth are so squeaky clean!

The book is very much about learning through repetition. Young children love repetition and it is a good way to engage their minds and help them retain information. It’s based on simple numbers one, two and three, and getting them to think of animal sounds. It goes through the different animals that could be hiding in their mouth, “Is it a crocodile? Snap, snap, snap. Is it a cow? Moo, moo, moo.”

KM: What age is the story aiming to attract?

JS: It’s primarily for nought to three-year-olds. When my children were babies, I discovered that most baby books about tooth brushing were too simple and unengaging. There wasn’t a lot of text, and it was mainly images. I felt like it didn’t spark that conversation. Babies, even at that age, can listen and using sounds can help their language and that’s what Mouse in My Mouth! aims to do.

The book can also help toddlers as I felt like they were missed out with brushing teeth books.

I am going to be reading Mouse in My Mouth! to four-year-olds in some schools because oral health is now on the curriculum. I’ve been told some four-year-olds are really enjoying the book which is great as they’re at an age when they can start to read a little bit by themselves. It really works well with phonics like the ‘snap’ and ‘moo’, as they’re the first words that young children might be able to read independently.

KM: How long did it take to write the book and get it published?

JS: I published Furiosaurus two and a half years ago in May 2022. So, it does take a couple of years to get it completed and published. In terms of writing, once I’ve got the idea, it writes itself fairly easily. The tricky bit is not having too many or too few words. You want to edit without taking too much out or putting too much in. Particularly with children’s picture books, you need to get the right balance between having an effective amount of text, whilst ensuring that the illustrations do some of the communication for you. It’s all about striking that perfect balance. The first draft doesn’t take me that long, it’s then the finessing of it where the work really begins.

KM: What has the initial reaction to the book been like?

JS: The reaction has been wonderful so far. So many parents have said their children have laughed a lot which is so important. And the children have said they like animals and the use of sounds. Also, people of all ages have told me they love the cover!

KM: How have you marketed the book?

JS: I will be doing some local launches to celebrate and possibly some interactive workshops at my local Waterstones. I’ve also been doing some work with the Scouts, where I’ve been helping children with writing stories, and I am definitely keen to do more of that.

With younger children who can’t write yet, I get them to tell stories using stickers. It’s about getting children to use their imaginations, and not letting the writing hold them back. It’s trying to foster that love for reading and writing at an early age.

KM: The book is available to purchase online from your website (jennifersprinks.co.uk) and at other online bookshops. Do you have any goals of getting the book featured in dental practices?

JS: It’s something I am keen to explore. It wasn’t until recently that I realised oral hygiene is now on the curriculum for children as young as reception, so I think that will also help. By making learning fun and engaging, children are more likely to remember the importance.

I used to sing to my children to get them to open their mouths when they were really little. But I think often as parents, we’re so busy rushing and it’s hard to go that little bit further and make things more fun when many of us are so time constricted. If we can use books or songs to inject some joy into learning these necessary skills, it will hopefully inspire kids to want to do it as a healthy part of their routine.

KM: Are there any more books in the works that readers can look forward to?

JS: My next book is going to be aimed at middle school children. It’s a book that’s very much akin to The Borrowers, about people who live in a little girl’s pocket – watch this space!

This one is certainly not writing itself, but I want to start aiming for a slightly older audience. I am thinking about black and white illustrations for slightly older children who have learnt to read, but still enjoy reading with images. I think it’s important to offer books that aren’t too complex for young people once they can read independently, so that’s what I’m trying to do. Honestly, I don't think you're ever too old for a picture book. If you enjoy it, let's read!

Author: Katherine Mallett