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Mad for MokiCoulee City mom gives children's writing a try |
On a farm in the middle of nowhere Prince Parker, the dog, bops on the sax and a cool cat called Phoebe plays the flute. A little girl dressed in a purple robe and pink boa sings the blues. Her name is Unique Monique, but you can call her "Moki." Welcome to Mokiville.
What's as unique as the main character is the way the book came to be.... Isaak is a stay-at-home mom of three who lives on a farm in the small town of Coulee City. She had the dream about a year ago to write and self-publish a children's book with small-town simplicity and big-city sophistication based on the world of her middle daughter, Monique. "The first lines to a poem started coming to me in the middle of the night. I don't know what hit me," Isaak said. "I wrote this while I was loading the dishwasher and folding laundry in my pajamas." Writing it was a stroke of serendipity.
The real trick would be getting the book out to the public. Isaak, who describes herself as a Nordstrom girl, took her idea to the powers-that-be at the corporate office of the upscale store. After a successful test run in the Spokane store, Nordstrom decided this fall to carry "Unique Monique" in its children's department nationwide.
Though "Unique Monique," was Isaak's dream, it became reality with the help of her neighbors and friends. She enlisted her housekeeper and master seamstress, Karen Cooper, to design costumes and help her write the story. Don Nutt, a house painter and artist, illustrated the book. A couple of other friends helped edit the book and arranged graphics. "I wanted to reflect the spirit of small-town living. That's why almost every person recruited to work on the book is from our town," said Isaak, who grew up in Seattle.
Nutt was a natural choice to illustrate "Unique Monique" since he painted the bedroom of Isaak's 8-year-old daughter, Madeline, in a motif of Ludwig Bemelman's classic children's book series. Together the trio created "Unique Monique," working late at night while the real Monique and her siblings were asleep.
The book is watercolored in pinks, purples, greens and Moki's favorite color, chartreuse. "Unique Monique," takes the reader through a day in the life of the France-infatuated Moki, who imagines her kitchen a bistro and dines on croissants, pate and cafe au lait. "After our family's 'Amen,' we shout 'Bon Appetit,'" reads a line in the book.
It's a fun story filled with learning tools. There is a clock on every other page to help young readers learn to tell time, and a glossary in the front of the book explains Moki's French-inspired vocabulary. Also, kids are encouraged to keep in touch with Moki. They can actually send a letter to Moki's address--52096 A La Country Boulevard, Box 22, Hartline, WA 99135--and expect a written response. The number in the address is the true Monique's birthday.
Isaak said the postmaster in Hartline made arrangements for letter with the fictitious address to be delivered to her. "It's a small-enough town. If they see a letter addressed to Moki, they know where to send it." Isaak said. "Now is the time for Moki to gather some city friends so she can travel from her barn loft to the big city to share her unique story."
While Moki is the only character who's face is shown in the book, her sister, Marvelous Maddie, makes a couple of cameos with her back to the reader.
"As the middle child, Monique gets the hand-me-down clothes and the older bike, so this makes it fair that Monique will get the first book," said Isaak, a former English teacher and WSU graduate.
So what does 6-year-old Monique Isaak think of being immortalized in a story based on her life? It's no big deal. She told her mom, "Grammie Victoria has a whole town in Canada named after her and Nana Ruth has a book in the bible named after her." Visit Moki at www.mokitime.com.