YOU’RE NOT INVITED: AN OOEY-GOOEYS ADVENTURE (Brandylane Publishers, 2025) by Sylvia Rouss and David Titcher, illustrated by Rick Penn-Krauss tells the story of a trio of insects, a worm, a centipede, and a snail who feel like outcasts when they aren’t embraced by the Queen Bea. But when a “monster” threatens their community, the Ooey-Gooeys become surprising heroes. It’s a sweet story with a gentle message about treating others with compassion. I look forward to learning more about this charming book. Welcome back, Sylvia!
YOU’RE NOT INVITED: AN OOEY-GOOEYS ADVENTURE is a story of empathy and friendship set in the world of insects. How did you come up with this idea? The insects are afraid of the Bigfoot (human) and his monster (the lawnmower) but there is a surprise at the end. What do you hope your readers takeaway from this?
David and I wanted to create a story that dealt with issues and feelings that many children encounter and would resonate with children and their parents. I think many of us can reflect on a time when we were excluded from a gathering and how hurtful that was to us. I remember when I was teaching, one of the values that I tried to instill in the children was to be kind and respectful of others and to appreciate our differences. The regard for others is the hallmark of this story. To present this message in a nuanced way, David and I chose to use characters that were engaging and relatable. We feel their pain when they are not only rejected but are taunted and bullied as well. By the end of the book, the other characters in the story recognize the value of those they have rejected. My hope is that young readers reflect on that message and refrain from judging others based on the differences we perceive.
Tu B’svat is coming up, a day we celebrate trees and all of nature. How do you see YOU’RE NOT INVITED as a story that acknowledges the value of nature?
The holiday of Tu B’Shevat reminds us of our connection to nature. Many Jewish communities focus on Tikkun Olam as we work to repair and nurture the world. We celebrate this holiday by planting trees and other plants to sustain our environment. In the story, we see this exemplified by the “bigfoot human” who toils in the garden and turns an overgrown, weed-choked yard into a flowering paradise Just as we nurture the growth of trees and other plants on this holiday, we can also nurture our personal growth and our relationships with others. We see this personal growth in the characters in the story. At the beginning, Queen Bea excludes the Ooey-Gooeys from her party. She sees them as different and undesirable. The insect community agrees with her assessment and joins her in taunting the Ooey-Gooeys. When the ‘bigfoot human” uses his “monster” machine to till the yard and break up the soil, the insect community is in danger and the Ooey-Gooeys come to the rescue. Because of this experience, we see their personal growth as they realize that the Ooey-Gooeys have heroically saved them. Their scorn has turned to respect. Likewise, the Ooey-Gooeys who had been the recipients of insults and rejections, risked themselves to help others in their community and demonstrated the value of forgiveness and not holding a grudge.
What were your thoughts when you first saw Rick Penn-Kraus’s illustrations?
When I first saw Rick-Penn Kraus’s illustrations I marveled at how he depicted each of the characters. The details he put into the character’s facial expressions capture their personalities and make them come alive. He is a perfectionist and a truly talented illustrator who wanted his work to convey the text in a manner that children would find engaging. I think he was successful. His artwork is playful and humorous, and I am sure it will delight children and their parents. We are already working on a new book that will be published in 2025, Welcome to the Forest, to be published by Bedazzled Ink.
Tell me a bit about your writing partnership with David Titcher for this book. How is your writing process different from working on your own?
Working with a co-author is a very different process than working on my own. When I write alone, I don’t have to consult anyone until the editing process. Up to that point I am in total control. I often become consumed in the story and like to work without interruptions. However, there is a downside as there is no one to provide feedback or input. Working with David Titcher was a pleasure. We wanted to create a story that would appeal to children and fascinate them but might also make them a bit uncomfortable. We brainstormed various ideas. The process of sharing ideas with someone else was refreshing. After rejecting numerous concepts, we decided that a story about bugs would be a good choice, and we also decided to add characters that kids might see as “yucky.” As a screenwriter, David suggested language about the appearance of the characters and the setting of the story that was more descriptive. Because we were working in tandem, I explained that the illustrator would provide those elements with his artwork, and the text needed to be limited for a picture book. Once we reached that understanding, we were able to move ahead and focus our text on the dialogue between characters. David helped develop distinct personalities for each character—kindhearted Shelly, wisecracking Willy and cool headed Speedy. We spent a great deal of time working on the dialogue between the characters to make sure they each stayed true to their personalities. It was a collaborative effort that we both enjoyed. We didn’t let our egos get in the way as we critiqued each other and ultimately created a story that we are both proud of.
Thank you, Sylvia!
Sylvia Rouss is the award-winning author and early childhood educator who created the popular Sammy Spider and The Littlest books. Sylvia has received numerous awards as an educator and she conducts seminars for parents and teachers. Sylvia is a featured author and lecturer at book fairs throughout the United States and Israel.