Friday, October 24, 2014

Interview with Jerald Altman, author of Don't Stick Sticks Up Your Nose


 

Title: Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose
Author: Jerald S. Altman, M.D. and Richard Jacobson
Publisher: ZonaBooks, LLC
Pages: 23
Genre: Children’s
Format: Ebook
Stuff in their Ears? Sticks up their nose?
Let’s keep things out of our kid’s ears and nose! Rhyming and beautiful, bright and colorful illustrations will gently remind children to avoid putting things where they don’t go! After 14 years of practice, Dr. Altman never ceases to be amazed at what children will think of to stick up their noses or stuff in their ears. From rocks to raisins, paper to peanuts, crayons to candy and buttons to beads, Dr. Altman has removed them all!
Sometimes adults marvel at the wonderful curiosity of young children…until their inquisitive natures cause them to insert unimaginable objects into inappropriate places. It’s difficult to appreciate a child’s creativity when it might cause a medical emergency.
Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff In Your Ears! explains to children, in a fun, colorful, and memorable way, why it’s a good idea to avoid such behavior.
The kids will soon be repeating the rhyming verses while being gently reminded not to stick things up their noses and not to stuff things in their ears.

For More Information


Q: Thank you for this interview, Jerry. Can you tell us what your latest book, Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff In Your Ears!, is all about?

A:  Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff In Your Ears!, is written for children ages two to six. With colorful illustrations and fun rhymes, this 22-page board book is the perfect way to teach your child not to put dangerous objects where they don’t belong.

Q: Are you consciously aware of the plot before you begin a novel, or do you discover it as you write?

A: Well, we don’t have a plot, but we do have a main focus of the book.  Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff In Your Ears! maintains just the right level of warning for young audiences. The authors caution kids while keeping the language and tone light: “Keep the weird stuff out, friends, / For everybody’s sake.” We use straightforward and beautifully illustrated facial expressions of kids, parents, and doctors to hint at the pain and worry caused by an object stuck in a nose.


Q: Your book is set in (insert location here).  Can you tell us why you chose this city in particular?

A: Our book is not set anywhere, but the issues that the book addresses are set in everyone’s home and in every preschool and school.

Q: Open the book to the first page.  What is happening?

A: We begin with what should be put in one’s mouth—breakfast—and then add: “No bacon in your ears, / No fried eggs up your nose. / Even though it’s tempting, / That’s not where breakfast goes.” From there we instruct that smells, not sticks, go in noses. From there we go on to say, “Ears have really small holes / that lead into your head. / Sounds should enter in them / and never stuff like bread!”

Q: Can you give us one of your best excerpts?

A: The best expert is the commonly repeated lines, “Don’t sticks up your nose / don’t stuff stuff in your ears’>

Q: Thank you so much for this interview, Jerry.  We wish you much success!

A: Thank you so much!  It is our hope that in writing this engaging book, that we can prevent foreign objects from getting into kids’ noses and ears. The best way to avoid a “What’s that in your nose?” crisis is to take the most direct approach: Talk to your child. Especially if you’ve noticed that your child has a tendency to put things up his nose or in his ears, explain to him that this is a major no-no. If it’s age-appropriate, emphasize the danger of putting things where they don’t belong and discuss what the consequences might be. This is where Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff In Your Ears! comes in handy: It gives parents a way to talk about ear and nose safety in a way that’s fun, memorable, and doesn’t feel like a lecture. (Your kids might even ask for repeat reads.)



Jerald Altman is an Otolaryngologist-Head and Neck Surgeon (ENT Doctor). After publishing many peer-reviewed journal articles, he recognized the need for a children’s book dealing with a common problem in his practice. He was recognized as a Phoenix Top Doc in 2010, 2011, 2012 & 2013.
He is a general Otolaryngologist and he loves taking care of children’s ear, nose and throat issues. Accordingly, the idea for this book came from his pediatric patients and their incessant need to put things where they shouldn’t go!
Richard Jacobson studied architecture at Yale University and has spent most of his adult life designing interiors, landscapes, tablescapes, clothing… and just about anything else that can be fashioned in a creative way. He lives in Phoenix and  enjoys training dogs, birds and topiaries in his spare time.
He once collaborated with his co-author’s (then) seven-year old daughter on a painting for her newly-decorated bedroom. Asked by her mother how she had enjoyed the experience, she replied bluntly, “He’s a little controlling.” Years later, her accurate judgment tempered the rhyming verses he used to gently guide young children’s behavior.
For More Information

No comments: